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A real lock on your kids' phones
The referee your family has been waiting for. You agree on phone rules together, AONA pauses the apps at the agreed time and gives you that time back with activities to enjoy as a family.
What the experts say
We've overprotected kids in the real world and underprotected them online. And the trap breaks when families act together: several families deciding the same thing at the same time.
Jonathan HaidtSocial psychologist (NYU), author of The Anxious Generation
Delay smartphones and social media, and create screen-free zones at home: the bedroom and the dinner table.
Jean M. TwengePsychologist (San Diego State University), author of iGen
Constant, instant rewards throw the brain off balance. Taking a break helps you enjoy the simple things again.
Anna LembkePsychiatrist (Stanford University), author of Dopamine Nation
Tech platforms are racing each other to reach the deepest parts of our brains and hold on to our attention.
Tristan HarrisFormer Google design ethicist, Center for Humane Technology
Real fun comes from playing, connecting with others and being present. Scrolling is just fake fun.
Catherine PriceScience journalist, author of The Power of Fun
The family media plan should include everyone, you too: you're their most important role model.
American Academy of PediatricsFamily Media Plan
Ideas summarised from their books, studies and official websites. None of these experts is affiliated with or endorses AONA.
Sound familiar?
It's one in the morning, there's school tomorrow and the screen is still glowing under the bedroom door. At dinner, four people and four phones. And every night, the same fight: you ask, they bargain, you lose your temper, and in the end nobody wins.
It's not a lack of willpower. Apps are built by the best engineers in the world so we can't put them down. Neither you nor your kids can win that game alone.
237notifications a day for half of all teens
×2the odds of not sleeping enough when using a phone in bed
46%of teens say their parents sometimes get distracted by their phone when they're talking to them
Sources: Common Sense Media (2023), JAMA Pediatrics (2016) and Pew Research Center (2024).
What your home is missing isn't another rule. It's a referee.
Why AONA
A pact that keeps itself and turns time off screens into time together. Here's what changes at home from the very first week.
Every bit of screen-free time comes with something to do together. Less taking away, more offering: something better to do.
At the agreed time, AONA pauses the apps on your kids' phones. No reminders to ignore and no arguments.
It rests on three pillars: what the law says, what the experts recommend and what you think is right for your family.
Rewards are where the pact meets in the middle: everyone gives a little and everyone gets something they care about.
Tiki, your assistant, picks and adapts each activity to your kids' ages, the weather, the season and what you've got at home.
Shared wins add up towards a family goal. The more you stick to it together, the more you get to do together.
The difference
| Traditional parental controls | AONA | |
|---|---|---|
| Who sets the rules | Parents, on their own | The whole family, face to face |
| What they're based on | Gut feeling | The law, the experts and what you decide together |
| When the phone locks | A "no" and another argument | An activity to do together |
| Parents | Keep watch | Commit too, and the family can see it |
| What motivates you | Punishment | Rewards and shared goals |
The solution
AONA sits in the middle. First it helps you reach an agreement, face to face. Then it makes sure the pact is kept, on every phone, without you having to say a word.
Phone lock
It's not a reminder they can ignore or a timer they can skip. It's a real lock on your kids' phones, using Apple's official system.
Dinner, homework, school or bed: the apps you picked pause when the mode starts and come back when it ends.
The rules live on each phone. Flight mode, no wifi, app closed: they still apply.
On iPhone, a parent approves the permission through Apple's Family Sharing. If anyone switches it off, parents can see.
Your kids ask from their phone and you approve from yours. No shouting down the hallway.
Calls, messages to parents and maps are never locked, not even in the strictest mode.
On Android, the first version tracks use and sends an alert when the pact is exceeded; the lock comes in the next update.
The pact, step by step
No research needed. AONA prepares the pact based on everyone's age and the rules where you live, and you make it your own.
Just a nickname and an age. No real names, no dates of birth.
The rules in force in Australia, with their official source and date. For example, since 10 December 2025, under-16s can't have accounts on social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat or YouTube. Your state's school phone rules are included too.
Australia's 24-Hour Movement Guidelines and eSafety advice: for ages 5 to 17, no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time a day (homework doesn't count); screens off an hour before bed, devices charged outside the bedroom, and screen-free zones and times at home.
Remove what doesn't suit you, add whatever you like and create your own modes. Each child suggests changes; parents accept or make a counter-offer.
Keeping the pact earns sparks. Use them for the rewards you agree on: picking the Saturday activity, a movie night with popcorn, a day trip, or a morning off for Mum or Dad.
Everyone signs with their finger on the screen. From that moment on, the lock works on every phone.
Rewards and the tribe
Rewards are where the pact meets in the middle. Your kids give up some screen time and get to pick the Saturday activity. You commit to no phone at dinner and earn a morning off.
Every mode respected, every screen-free moment and every activity done earns sparks.
Everyone's sparks light up the tribe's campfire: a day trip, a movie night at home, a special day out.
As psychologists advise, rewards taper off over time. In the end, what keeps everyone coming back is being together.
AI-powered activities
Tiki, AONA's assistant, uses artificial intelligence to suggest one activity at a time, based on your kids' ages, the weather, the season and what you've got at home. And it tells you why. Not keen? Ask for another one: it learns what you like.
Picnic in the parkBecause it's spring and sunny
Blanket fort in the lounge roomBecause it's raining and you've got blankets
Card tournamentBecause it's Friday and you've got UNO
Bike ride to the beachBecause there's no school tomorrow
Each day, the pact kept, time off screens and the family activity draw the tribe's campfire. When it lights up, you're one step closer to your goal.
Dinner becomes the time to share your day again.
No screens before bed, just as the guidelines recommend.
The rules are signed. There's nothing left to argue about.
They learn to manage their own time, not just to obey.
Testers wanted
AONA is almost ready. Before we open it up, we want to test it with real families. If your kids have phones and you want something to change, we want you in the beta.
Save your spot in the beta
Made with care
Just a nickname and an age. No real name, no date of birth, no location.
We don't sell data or show ads. Ever. AONA is paid for by subscriptions only.
If you cancel or delete your account, every phone is unlocked straight away.
Questions
Yes. On iPhone, AONA uses Apple's Screen Time: at the agreed time, the chosen apps pause and show an AONA screen with an activity instead. It works with the app closed and offline. On Android, the first version tracks use and sends alerts; the lock comes in the next update.
On iPhone, a parent approves the permission through Apple's Family Sharing, and kids can't remove it themselves. If it's ever switched off, parents can see.
From the law in force in Australia and official guidance (the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines and the eSafety Commissioner), based on each child's age. Every rule shows whether it's law or advice, with its source and date. Then your family removes, adds or changes whatever you like.
Calls, messages to parents and maps are never locked. It's a fixed AONA rule that can't be changed.
That's exactly why AONA starts with a pact, not a ban. Your teen suggests changes, negotiates and signs. On top of that, they earn sparks and rewards for sticking to it. Teenagers accept rules much better when they've had a say in them.
A nickname and an age. Nothing else. We don't ask for their real name or date of birth, we don't track their location and there are no ads. Exact screen-time minutes stay on their phone.
One subscription covers the whole family: one parent pays and it works on every phone in the tribe.
Right now: join the beta and we'll send you the invite to install it on iPhone. When we launch for everyone, your free month and founding price will be saved.
Launch pricing
Families who sign up before launch get their first month free and their first year at the founding price. Less than a coffee a month, for the whole family.
Founding families
A$34.99 for your first year
Usual price: A$79.99/year · Save 56%
Under A$3 a month for the whole family
A$9.99 a month
No lock-in contract
The whole family included
Prices include GST. Payment is handled by the App Store or Google Play and can be cancelled from the phone. Cancel during your free month and you pay nothing.
Join the beta for free. It takes ten seconds.