Frequently asked questions

The Young Minds App is a next-generation parental control solution, combining powerful protection with positive digital education.

It offers all the essential features — content filtering, behaviour tracking, and screen time limits — enhanced by AI/ML to detect risks early and adapt to new threats.

Parents gain clear, actionable insights to foster trust and guide healthy conversations.

With engaging gamified lessons and a built-in reward system, Young Minds encourages kids to build safe online habits while enjoying their digital world responsibly.

Using the Young Minds App, you can:

• Track your child’s activities with an intuitive timeline and smart summaries.
• Monitor games and applications they use daily.
• Set screen time schedules and daily usage limits.
• Supervise activity across multiple devices seamlessly.
• Teach online safety through fun, gamified learning experiences.

Young Minds App consists of two connected applications: one for parents and one for children.

The Parent App should be installed on the parent's device. This is where parents can take control - setting up screen time modes like Study Mode or Bedtime Mode, tracking their child’s activity throughout the day, and viewing progress in the educational content their child has completed. It gives parents a clear view of how their child is using their device and offers tools to guide that usage in a positive direction.

The Kids App goes on the child’s device. It gives children a simple, friendly way to see how much time they’ve spent on their device, check which modes are currently active, and access fun, interactive lessons about online safety. These lessons are designed to help children build good habits and understand how to navigate the digital world responsibly.

Together, the Parent and Kids Apps work hand in hand to support better screen time management and promote digital wellbeing for the whole family.

Follow these steps to create your parent profile:

Note: Currently Young Minds App is only available for Android devices. For IOS and other devices Young Minds App will be available soon.

Step 1: Download the YoungMinds App

• Open the Google Play Store (for Android) and download Young Minds Parent's App.
• Alternatively, you can download the YoungMinds Kids App and register from there using the same steps.

Note: On the YoungMinds Kids app, you can create an account, but you cannot set modes or manage settings. You need to download Young Minds Parent's App to manage settings

Step 2: Start the Registration Process

• Open the app you downloaded.
• Tap the "Get Started" button on the welcome screen.

Step 3: Enter Your Details

• Fill in the required fields:
  • Name
  • Email Address
  • Password (create a secure password)
  • Phone Number
• Review and agree to the Terms and Conditions by checking the box.
• Tap "Sign Up" to create your account.
• Add child profiles
• Set Parent PIN – This PIN is used on the child’s device to manage the app and access parental controls.

Step 4: Confirm Your Email Address

• Check your email inbox for a confirmation email from YoungMinds.
• Open the email and click on the confirmation link to verify your email address.

After you’ve created your Parent Profile, download the Young Minds Kids App on your child’s Android device. Log in using your parent account credentials, then follow the on-screen instructions to configure the app.

You’ll be prompted to either add a new child or select an existing child profile, and then assign a name to the device. After that, you’ll proceed to set up the required permissions for monitoring and protection.

Permissions Required for Full Functionality

To ensure proper monitoring and screen time management, the Young Minds Kids App will request the following permissions:

• Accessibility Reporting – Enables monitoring of app usage and web activity, providing detailed reports to support safe digital habits.
• Device Admin – Prevents the app from being uninstalled without your approval.
• App Display – Allows the app to show notifications when time limits are reached or apps are blocked.
• Usage Data Access – Enables tracking of device usage for reporting purposes.
• Notification Access – Keeps the app running in the background for continuous protection.
• Battery Optimization Exemption – Ensures smooth operation and uninterrupted monitoring.
• Device Location (coming soon) – Will provide location history tracking.
• VPN Service – Will enable web filtering, enhance browsing reports, and strengthen online safety.

Make sure to grant all necessary permissions for the app to function effectively and keep your child protected online.

The Young Minds Parent App allows you to create scheduled modes that help your child stay focused, relax, or rest by controlling which apps and websites are accessible at different times. You can choose from predefined options like Study Mode, Wind Down Mode, and Bedtime Mode, or create your own Custom Mode.

Each mode also supports Mode-Specific Web Access, giving you control over which websites are allowed or blocked during that time.
For full details on setting web access rules, refer to: "How do I configure Mode-Specific Web Access?"

Step 1: Select a Child and Open Manage Modes

1. Open the Young Minds Parent App and tap on your child’s profile.
2. Tap the green Manage button.
3. Select Manage Modes.

Step 2: Add or Select a Mode

• Tap + Add a Mode to create a new mode, or select an existing mode to edit.
• Choose one of the following:
  • Study Mode – Only allows educational apps.
  • Wind Down Mode – Allows music apps and blocks websites.
  • Bedtime Mode – Blocks all apps and internet access.
  • Custom Mode – Allows full customisation of app and web access.
• Tap Confirm to proceed.

Step 3: Customise the Mode

1. Mode Toggle and Name

• Use the switch to turn the mode on or off.
• Custom Mode can be renamed by tapping the pencil icon.

2. Add Time Slots

• Tap Add a new slot.
• Set the start and end time (for example, 16:00 to 20:00).
• Choose the days of the week the mode should apply.
• Tap Save.

3. Manage App Access

• Tap Manage App Access.
• Browse apps grouped by category and tick those you want to allow during this mode.
• You can also use the search bar to quickly find a specific app.
• Tap Save to apply your selections.

4. Manage Web Access

• Tap Manage Web Access.
• Select one of the following options:
  • Apply Default Web Filtering Rules – Uses the settings you’ve defined in the general Web Filtering section.
  • Block All Websites Except – Allows access only to selected categories and websites.

Categories Tab – Choose categories such as Educational, Government, or Search Engines. Only websites within these categories will be accessible.

Websites Tab – Add specific websites (e.g., atomlearning.com) that should be accessible during this mode.

Note: To allow web browsing during a mode, you must also allow a supported browser under Manage App Access. Currently, supported browsers include Google Chrome and Firefox. Blocking of unsupported browsers can be enforced in the General Web Filtering section.

Step 4: Modify an Existing Mode

Once created, you can return to this screen to:

• Enable or disable a mode
• Edit the mode name (for Custom Mode)
• Change or add time slots
• Adjust allowed apps and websites
• Delete a mode

Tap the arrow next to the mode you want to modify.

Tips: Use Different Modes for Different Times

Modes can be used to support different parts of your child’s daily routine. For example:

• Study Mode – Used after school from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
• Wind Down Mode – Used before bedtime from 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
• Bedtime Mode – Used overnight from 9:00 PM to 7:00 AM.
• Custom Mode – Used on weekends or for flexible time schedules.

Always Allowed Apps are apps that remain accessible to your child at all times, regardless of which screen time mode is active (e.g. Study Mode, Wind Down Mode, or Bedtime Mode). This feature is designed to ensure your child can always access essential tools for safety, communication, or health – even when other apps are restricted.

Why is this useful?

There are certain apps that children may need in any situation – such as calling a parent, using navigation on the way to school, or accessing a medical alert app. By marking these apps as "Always Allowed", you can ensure they remain available without compromising the boundaries you've set for other types of screen time.

When it could be used?

• Your child needs to call you or emergency contacts during bedtime or school hours.
• They are walking to school and need access to the Maps app for directions.
• You want them to use a medical or health tracking app at any time.
• They’re on a school trip and need the Camera to take photos.
• You’ve limited all other apps in Wind Down Mode but still want to allow music or meditation apps.

To set up Always Allowed Apps, please follow the steps below:

1. Open the Young Minds Parent App on your device.
2. Go to your child’s profile.
3. Tap Manage, then select Always Allowed Apps.
4. Browse the list of installed apps on your child’s device. Apps are grouped into categories for easy navigation.
5. Select the required app(s) by ticking the checkbox next to each app.
6. You can also use the search bar to quickly find specific apps.
7. Once all required apps are selected, tap Save.
8. Changes may take a few minutes to apply and will override any restrictions set by screen time modes.

To use the Web Filtering feature, VPN must be enabled on your child’s device. This allows the app to block harmful content, filter websites by category, and provide detailed browsing reports.

To enable VPN, follow the steps below:

1. Update the Young Minds Kids App to the latest version on your child’s device.
2. Ensure no mode is currently active (e.g. Study, Wind Down, or Bedtime).
3. Open the Young Minds Kids App on your child’s device.
4. Go to Manage, enter your Parent PIN, and tap Enable VPN.
5. When prompted by the system, tap Allow or Enable to grant VPN permission.

Once VPN is enabled, please allow up to 15 minutes for the status to update in the Young Minds Parent App.

After that, you can start configuring website filtering rules and mode-specific web access directly from the Parent App.

Young Minds offers two types of website control: General Web Filtering and Mode-Specific Web Access. These features help parents manage what their child can access online, depending on the time of day or activity.

General Web Filtering

This is the default filtering that applies when no screen time mode is active.

• What it does:
  Allows or blocks websites by category (e.g. Education, Social Media, Adult Content) or specific URLs.
• When it applies:
  Only when no mode is active, or when a mode is set to "Apply Default Web Filtering".
• Example:
  You block “Gambling” and “Social Media” in General Web Filtering. These categories will be blocked whenever your child is outside of any active mode — unless a mode is configured to inherit those same rules.

Mode-Specific Web Access

This allows you to define custom web access rules for each mode (e.g. Study, Wind Down, Bedtime, or Custom).

• What it does:
  Controls which websites or categories are allowed or blocked during the specific mode.
• When it applies:
  Only while the mode is active. It overrides default filtering unless configured to use it.
• Example:
  In Study Mode, you allow only "Education" websites. This temporarily overrides the general rules, even if "Entertainment" is usually allowed outside that mode.

General Web Filtering allows you to control which websites your child can access when no screen time mode is active, or when a mode is set to use default  filtering rules. It helps block harmful or inappropriate content and provides optional alerts for specific web activity.

To set up General Web Filtering, follow these steps:

1. Open the Young Minds Parent App on your device.
2. Go to your child’s profile.
3. Tap Manage, then select Web Filtering.

Step 1: Enable Filtering Options

At the top of the Web Filtering screen:

• Turn "Enable web filtering" ON.
• Turn "Block unsupported browsers" ON – this prevents children from accessing the internet through not supported browsers that might bypass filtering controls.
• Turn "Block uncategorised websites" ON – this blocks access to websites that haven't yet been categorised, reducing exposure to potentially unsafe content.
  • Example: If your child tries to visit a newly launched site or an obscure page not yet classified, the system will block it until it's verified as safe.

Step 2: Set Filtering by Category

Switch to the “Categories” tab. You’ll see a list of website categories such as:

• Educational
• Entertainment
• Government
• Search Engines
• etc.

Note: Categories considered not child-appropriate are blocked by default.

For each category, you can choose one of the following actions:

• Allow – This category is always accessible.
• Block – All websites in this category are blocked.
• Alert Me – Access is allowed, but you will receive a notification in the Parent App if your child visits websites in this category.

Example: You may choose to allow “Educational” websites, block “Gambling”, and set “Entertainment” to “Alert Me” to track usage.

Step 3: Set Filtering for Specific Websites

Switch to the “Websites” tab.

1. Tap + Add website.
2. Enter the website URL (e.g. youtube.com, m.youtube.com).
3. Choose one of the following actions:

• Allow – The site will be accessible.
• Block – The site will be completely blocked.
• Alert Me – You will be notified when the site is visited.
• Ignore – This option behaves like Allow but is useful when "Allow" does not function correctly due to technical restrictions.

4. Tap Add website to confirm the rule.

Note: Rules set for individual websites will override any category-level settings.

Step 4: Save and Apply

After configuring category and website rules, tap Save at the bottom of the screen. Changes may take a few minutes to fully apply to your child’s device.

Mode-Specific Web Access allows you to define which websites or web categories your child can access during a specific mode (such as Study Mode, Wind Down, or a custom mode). This ensures the child only accesses age-appropriate and relevant content during the scheduled time.

Steps to Configure:

1. Open the Young Minds Parent App on your device.
2. Go to your child’s profile.
3. Tap Manage, then choose Manage Modes.
4. Create a new mode or select an existing one to edit.
5. Tap Manage Web Access.

You’ll see two configuration options:

Option 1: Apply Default Web Filtering Rules

• This applies the general web filtering settings you’ve configured under Web Filtering.
• Use this if you want the same filtering rules applied across all times unless overridden by a specific mode.
• Best suited for flexible access with broad category control.

Option 2: Block All Websites Except…

This lets you precisely control what’s allowed during the mode using two separate tabs:

Categories Tab:

• You’ll see a list of predefined website categories (e.g., Educational, Government, Entertainment).
• Tick the categories you want your child to have access to during this mode.
• All unticked categories will be blocked.

Example: In Study Mode, you can tick only Educational and Search Engines to allow school-related browsing.

Websites Tab:

• Use this tab to allow individual websites that may not fall into a selected category.
• Enter the full URL (e.g., atomlearning.com) and tap +Add.
• You can allow only those specific websites regardless of their category classification.

Example: In Wind Down Mode, you may allow only calm.com while all other sites remain blocked.

Additional Notes:

• To allow web access during a mode, make sure Google Chrome or Firefox is allowed in Manage App Access for that mode.
• Currently, supported browsers include Google Chrome and Firefox. Other browsers will be blocked if Block unsupported browsers is enabled in General Web Filtering.