What devices does Activate Fitness work on?
Activate Fitness requires iPhone running iOS 17 or later. Both the parent's device and the child's device need the app installed. The Screen Time API and HealthKit features require iOS 17+.
How does step tracking work?
With your permission, Activate Fitness reads your child's daily step total from Apple Health — counted by their iPhone's built-in motion sensor or the wearable you choose. Only steps from their own phone or wearable count, even if other family devices share the same Apple ID. With an Apple Watch, exercise minutes and whether the Exercise ring was closed are used for the optional Ring Bonus. No extra hardware is needed.
Can my child bypass the app restrictions?
Activate Fitness uses Apple's official Screen Time API — the same technology Apple uses in built-in parental controls. Like any parental control system, a determined child with the device passcode could potentially bypass it, which is why we recommend keeping passcodes private and using iOS's own Screen Time passcode as a secondary layer.
What happens to screen time at midnight?
Screen time balances reset to zero at midnight each day. Any unused minutes do not carry over. Step counts also reset daily. This encourages consistent daily activity rather than banking time.
What if my child walks a lot but I want to cap their total screen time?
You can use the activity goal generator to set a "max daily screen time" — this is used to calculate how many minutes per goal your child earns, effectively setting an implicit cap. You can also use Scheduled Lockouts to enforce hard cutoffs at bedtime regardless of remaining balance.
Can I manage more than one child?
Yes. You can add multiple children to your parent account, each with their own step goals, app restrictions, schedules, and paired device. Each child's settings and balance are completely independent.
How do I delete my account or my child's data?
You can delete a child's profile directly from the app, and you can delete your entire parent account and all associated data in-app from your Account settings ("Delete Account") — removal from our servers completes within 30 days. Prefer email? Contact us at
andrew.armour@activatefitnessapp.com and we'll process the request for you. We comply with COPPA and honor all deletion requests promptly.
What is Quick Play, and what happens to the minutes I don't use?
Quick Play starts a set amount of time (5, 10, 15 minutes or more) from the widget or the app, and keeps the rest of your balance saved in your bank. When the session ends, the apps lock again and the saved minutes are ready for later that day. Like all screen time, saved minutes reset at midnight.
How do streaks work?
A streak counts the days in a row your child reaches their step goal. Reaching a milestone triggers a celebration. Missing a day starts the streak over, so there's always a reason to get moving tomorrow.
How do goal suggestions work?
In your child's Activity Goal settings, set an ideal daily screen time (or leave it off). At most once a month, if your child has been regularly using more screen time than that, you'll get a suggestion for a higher step goal. Tap Apply to use it, or Keep to stay on the current goal. Nothing changes unless you choose it.
What is the Impact Report?
About a month after setup, and every month after that, the Impact Report compares your child's average daily steps (and Exercise ring closures with an Apple Watch) with the weeks before they started Activate Fitness, alongside goals reached and screen time earned and used. Health figures are calculated on your child's own device. You can share the report as an image if you like.
Why does the app ask me to agree to an updated Privacy Policy?
We updated our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service and added a Consumer Health Data Privacy Policy, effective October 27, 2026. They explain more clearly which activity data the app uses and how long it's kept. Parents confirm their consent once for each paired child, and adults using Active Mode confirm once for themselves.
Is Activate Fitness free?
Yes, Activate Fitness is currently completely free to download and use. If paid features are introduced in the future, you will receive at least 30 days advance notice and can choose whether to upgrade. No charges without your explicit consent.
What if the Screen Time permission gets revoked?
If your child (or anyone else) revokes the Screen Time permission from within iOS Settings, the app can no longer enforce restrictions. You'll receive a push notification alerting you, so you can restore the permission. We recommend keeping your iOS Screen Time passcode enabled as an additional safeguard.
Does the app work during bedtime or school hours?
During scheduled lockout windows (bedtime or school hours), apps are blocked regardless of your child's screen time balance. The lockout screen explains why apps are blocked and when they'll be accessible again. Lockouts are enforced by iOS at the system level.
How do I unpair a device?
You can unpair a device from the child's profile in your parent dashboard. After unpairing, the child's device returns to normal — all app restrictions are lifted and the app can be deleted. Parent verification (PIN) is required to unpair.
Does Activate Fitness sell data or show ads?
Absolutely not. We do not sell any data, run ads, or use behavioral tracking of any kind — especially for children's data. Activate Fitness is funded entirely by the App Store and optional future premium features. Read our
Privacy Policy for full details.
How do I add the Home Screen widget?
Long press on your Home Screen until the apps start wiggling, tap "Edit" (or "+") in the top left corner, then "Add Widget", search for "Activate Fitness", and choose the Medium size. The widget shows the Screen Time balance and step progress, and its buttons start 5, 10 or 15 minutes or pause screen time without opening the app. The widget tutorial also appears automatically after pairing.
Why does setup ask my child to walk a few steps?
Apple never tells an app whether Health access was allowed, so setup checks that Activate Fitness can actually see steps before it continues. On a phone that already has steps, this passes instantly. On a brand-new phone, walking about 30 steps (then opening the Apple Health app once) is enough.
I tapped "Don't Allow" for Apple Health. How do I fix it?
iOS only asks once, so turn it on in the Apple Health app: tap Sharing, then Apps, then Activate Fitness, then Turn On All and Allow. Come back to Activate Fitness and setup continues on its own. Health access is required — without it, steps aren't counted and no screen time can be earned.
Should my child have their own Apple ID?
We recommend it. Apple's Family Sharing lets you create a child Apple ID in minutes, which keeps your child's Health data, purchases and Screen Time separate from yours. Activate Fitness also counts only the steps from your child's own phone either way.
How do I delete the app from my child's device?
When parental controls are active, iOS prevents the app from being deleted to protect your child's restrictions. To delete the app: open Activate Fitness on the child's device, tap the gear icon, select "Unpair This Device", and enter your parent PIN. Once unpaired, all restrictions are lifted and the app can be deleted normally from the Home Screen.
Can my child delete the app to bypass restrictions?
No. While parental controls are active, Activate Fitness uses Apple's denyAppRemoval feature to prevent the app from being deleted. The "Delete App" option is grayed out on the child's device. Only a parent with the PIN can unpair the device and allow deletion. This ensures your child's restrictions remain in place.
Can adults use Activate Fitness for themselves?
Yes! Create a profile "For Myself" from your dashboard and switch into Active Mode — your device tracks your own steps and enforces your own screen-time rules, with the same goals, app restrictions, and Apple Watch Ring Bonus that kids get. Because iOS treats your Screen Time permission as yours to control, Active Mode works as a commitment tool: powerful for building habits, and always yours to adjust.
Do I need kids to use Activate Fitness?
Not at all. Solo adults are welcome — download the app, create an account, choose "For Myself," and you're earning your own screen time in minutes. If you add children later, the same account manages everything.
Can I manage my kids and use Active Mode at the same time?
Yes — one account does both. Toggle into Active Mode to earn your own time, and back to Admin Mode whenever you need the dashboard. Switching pauses your session rather than ending it, so your earned minutes wait for you. Your balance resets at midnight, same as everyone else's.
