🏃 Free on the App Store · iPhone & iPad
Activate Fitness

Move More.
Earn More.

Activate Fitness rewards kids with screen time for physical activity. Walk your steps, unlock your apps. Simple. Effective. Parent-controlled.

⬇ Download Free on iPhone See How It Works →
Parent Dashboard
Emma · Age 10
Steps today 7,340 / 10,000
Screen time balance 45 min
Activity Goal: 10K steps → 30 min
Manage Schedules
App Restrictions
+ Add Bonus Time
Emma's Dashboard
7,340 steps today
2,660 more steps to earn 30 more minutes!
45
minutes earned today
Hold to unlock screen time
1
goals done
30
min/goal
🔥
streak
🏃
Get Moving!
Walk 10,000 steps to unlock your apps and earn screen time!
App Blocked
Open Activate Fitness →
🍎 Requires iOS 17+
❤️ Uses Apple HealthKit
🔒 Uses Screen Time API
⌚ Wearable Support
💰 Free to Download

How It
Works

A simple loop that builds healthy habits without constant battles.

01
👤

Parent Sets Up

Create your account, add your child's profile, and set a daily step goal. Choose which apps to restrict when the balance hits zero — individual apps or whole categories like Games or Social Media.

02
📱

Pair the Device

Install Activate Fitness on your child's iPhone. Enter the 6-digit pairing code shown on your parent dashboard. Grant HealthKit and Screen Time access — and the system is live.

03
🏃

Kid Gets Moving

The child's iPhone automatically tracks steps via Apple HealthKit throughout the day. When they reach their step goal, screen time is instantly added to their balance. Walk more, earn more.

04
🎮

Unlock Screen Time

With minutes in their balance, the child holds the play button to unlock their apps. A live countdown shows exactly how much time remains. When it hits zero, apps are automatically blocked again.


Everything
Parents Need

📊

Activity Goal Generator

Not sure what step goal to set? Our built-in generator analyzes your child's age, activity level, and actual step history to recommend a personalized, achievable daily target.

🌙

Scheduled Lockouts

Set automatic bedtime and school hours lockouts. Apps are blocked on schedule regardless of screen time balance — no arguments, no exceptions. Weekday-only school mode included.

🎁

Bonus Screen Time

Reward great behavior, good grades, or completed chores with bonus minutes. Parents can add time directly from the dashboard anytime — it's your system to control.

📱

App Restriction Picker

Pick specific apps or entire Apple-defined categories like Games, Social Networking, or Entertainment. Categories auto-cover new apps your child downloads — no manual updates needed.

📈

Activity History

Both parents and kids can review daily step totals, goals completed, screen time earned, and overall progress over time. Transparency builds trust and motivation.

🔔

Smart Notifications

Kids get notified when they earn screen time, when their balance is running low, and when scheduled lockouts begin. Parents are alerted if Screen Time permissions are changed.

🔐

Parent PIN Protection

A required PIN protects all parent settings. Kids can't change goals, remove restrictions, or add time themselves. The parent dashboard stays locked on child devices.

📟

Live Activity Widget

A Lock Screen widget shows the real-time screen time countdown without unlocking the phone — so kids always know how much time is left at a glance.

Wearable Support

Supports Apple Watch, Fitbit, Garmin, Whoop, Oura, and more. Steps sync automatically through Apple Health. Apple Watch users unlock an exclusive Ring Bonus reward.

🔗

Multi-Device Support

Multiple children, multiple devices — each child gets their own profile and paired device. Manage all of them from a single parent account on your iPhone.


Works With Your
Kid's Wearable

Activate Fitness works with the wearable your child already has. Steps sync automatically through Apple Health — no extra setup.

Apple Watch

Steps sync automatically through Apple Health. Apple Watch users also unlock the exclusive Ring Bonus — close the Exercise ring and earn extra screen time, once per day.

⭐ Ring Bonus Available
🏃

Garmin, Whoop & Oura

These wearables sync steps and activity automatically to Apple Health. Once enabled in their companion app, Activate Fitness reads the data instantly — nothing extra for parents to configure.

✓ Auto-syncs via Apple Health
📲

Fitbit & Others

Fitbit doesn't sync to Apple Health natively, but works via the free Health Sync bridge app. Once set up, steps flow into Activate Fitness the same as any other wearable. Other wearables work the same way.

✓ Works via Health Sync bridge
Apple Watch Exclusive

Apple Watch Ring Bonus

When your child closes their Apple Watch Exercise ring — 30 minutes of activity — they earn a one-time daily bonus on top of their regular step rewards. Parents set how many minutes the bonus is worth. It stacks with normal step goal earnings so active kids are rewarded even more.

How It Works
1 Child closes Apple Watch Exercise ring
2 Activate Fitness detects ring closure via HealthKit
3 Bonus minutes added to their balance — once per day
Parent configures: Choose 5, 10, 15, or 20 bonus minutes per ring closure. Works alongside the regular step goal — kids can earn both on the same day.
📱
No Wearable? No Problem.
Activate Fitness works perfectly with just an iPhone. The built-in motion sensor tracks steps all day automatically — no wearable required. Wearables just add more accuracy and unlock the Ring Bonus for Apple Watch.

Built For
Both Sides

One app, two completely different experiences — built for parents and kids respectively.

For Parents

You're in
Control

  • Set and adjust daily step goals at any time
  • Choose exactly which apps get restricted
  • Configure bedtime and school hours lockouts
  • Add bonus screen time as a reward instantly
  • View activity history and daily step totals
  • Manage multiple children from one account
  • PIN-protect all settings from curious kids
  • Receive alerts if permissions are changed
For Kids

Get Moving,
Get Playing

  • Watch steps count up toward your daily goal
  • See exactly how many more steps earn more time
  • Hold the play button to unlock earned screen time
  • Live countdown timer shows remaining balance
  • Pause your timer anytime and come back later
  • Goal celebration animations when you hit your target
  • Lock Screen widget shows time remaining
  • View your own activity history and progress

Frequently
Asked

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?
We use Apple HealthKit to read your child's daily step count directly from their iPhone's built-in motion sensor. No additional hardware or wearable is needed. The step count syncs throughout the day automatically.
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 your child's profile directly from the app, which removes all their data from our servers within 30 days. To delete your entire parent account and all associated data, contact us at andrew.armour@activatefitnessapp.com. We comply with COPPA and honor all deletion requests promptly.
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 the "+" button in the top left corner, search for "Activate Fitness", and choose the Medium size. This widget shows your Screen Time balance and step progress at a glance — no need to open the app! The widget tutorial also appears automatically after pairing setup.
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.

Privacy &
Safety

Built from the ground up with children's privacy and COPPA compliance as core requirements.

🛡️

COPPA Compliant

We comply fully with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. We obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting any data from children under 13. Parents control everything.

❤️

HealthKit Stays Private

Step count data from Apple HealthKit is never stored in our cloud database. We only record whether a goal was completed — not detailed health metrics. Your child's health data stays on their device.

🚫

Zero Ads. Zero Tracking.

We use no advertising networks, no behavioral tracking pixels, no cross-site tracking. Children's data is never sold, shared with third parties for marketing, or used for advertising purposes.

🔐

Encrypted & Secure

All data is stored securely using Google Firebase with encryption at rest and in transit. Passwords are hashed and never stored in plain text. Account access requires parent email + PIN.

🗑️

Right to Delete

Parents can delete any child profile from the app at any time. All associated data is permanently removed within 30 days. Full account deletion available on request — no questions asked.

🍎

Apple Framework Only

App restrictions use Apple's official Screen Time API — the same framework used by Apple's built-in parental controls. We don't use any third-party interception or MDM profiles.



Support &
Contact

Questions, issues, or feedback — we're here to help.

✉️

Email Support

Reach out directly for help with setup, technical issues, account questions, data deletion requests, or anything else.

andrew.armour@activatefitnessapp.com

FAQ

Find answers to the most common questions about setup, pairing, screen time, restrictions, data, and more.

Browse All FAQs →
🗑️

Delete Your Data

To delete a child profile, use the app. To delete your entire account and all data, email us with "Account Deletion Request" in the subject line.

Request Deletion →

Response Time

We aim to respond to all support emails within 48 hours on business days. Data deletion requests are processed within 30 days per our Privacy Policy.

Business Info

Activate Fitness is developed and operated by ATA IT Services, LLC. Protected by U.S. Patent No. 11,660,504. For legal correspondence, contact us at the email above.


Ready to
Activate?

Free on the App Store. Set up takes less than 10 minutes. Start building healthy screen time habits today.

🍎 Download on the App Store

Requires iPhone · iOS 17 or later · Free