TimeNestThe short version
Who we are
TimeNest is a family screen time app for iPhone, iPad and Android, published by M Mansoor Javed. In this policy, "we" means the TimeNest service and "you" means the parent or guardian who sets it up.
TimeNest is made for parents and guardians to manage their own children's devices, together with the child. It is set up with both the parent and the child agreeing on screen before anything is limited.
What TimeNest collects
| Data | Why |
|---|---|
| The name you type for yourself (for example "Abbu") and your 4-digit parent PIN, stored only as a one-way scrambled code | To show your child who locked the device, and to protect settings on the child's device |
| Your email address and password, stored only as a one-way scrambled code | So you can log in to your family account on any phone and on the parent website, and to email you a code if you forget your password |
| Each child's first name and chosen picture | To show the right child on your dashboard |
| The rules you set: daily minutes, bedtime, school time, website filter, locks | To apply them on the child's devices |
| Minutes spent in the apps you chose to limit, in 5-minute steps, and when the daily limit was reached | To show today's time and the weekly history, and to lock at the limit |
| Requests for more time, your answers, and short messages you send to your child | To deliver them and show their status |
| Device name (for example "iPad"), when it last checked in, whether Screen Time permission (iPhone) or TimeNest protection (Android) is on, and a push notification token | To send locks and messages instantly, and to warn you if the app stops working |
We never ask for a phone number or Apple Account details. Your email is used only to log in and for password codes, never for marketing, and it is never sold or shared.
What TimeNest never collects
- Messages, chats, emails or call history
- Photos, videos, the camera, the microphone or what is on the screen
- Browsing history or the websites a child visits
- Location
- Contacts
- The list of apps on the device. On iPhone, Apple keeps your app choices on the child's device as private codes that we cannot read. On Android, the apps you choose are saved only on the child's phone and never sent to us.
Apple Screen Time
TimeNest uses Apple's Screen Time features (Family Controls, Managed Settings and Device Activity) to lock apps and count minutes. Any information we receive through these features is used only to provide the family controls described here. It is never used for advertising, never shared with data brokers and never sold.
Android: accessibility service
Android has no Screen Time system for other apps, so on a child's Android phone TimeNest uses an accessibility service, which the parent switches on during setup. TimeNest uses it only to see which app is open, so it can count minutes in the games and video apps the parent chose and show the TimeNest lock screen when time is up, at bedtime, in school time or when the parent locks the phone. It also covers the Settings pages that would switch TimeNest off. It does not read messages, typing, passwords or what is on the screen, and the only thing that leaves the phone is the number of minutes used. Device protection (device admin) is used only to stop TimeNest being removed without a parent.
How we share data
We do not sell, rent or share family data with anyone for their own use. We use two service providers only to run the app:
- Our web host, which stores the TimeNest server and its database
- Apple Push Notification service and Expo's push service, which deliver locks and messages to your family's devices
We would only disclose data if the law required it.
Children
TimeNest is used on children's devices, but it is set up and controlled by a parent or guardian. Only the parent's devices can see a child's information. Children can see on their own device what TimeNest does and what parents can see.
How long we keep it
Rules, devices and requests are kept while you use TimeNest. Daily usage history is used to show the last 7 days. When you remove a child in the app, their profile, history, requests, messages and linked devices are deleted from our server straight away. Unlinking a device removes it immediately.
Your choices
- See everything we hold about a child on your dashboard
- Remove a child or unlink a device at any time from the app
- Turn off notifications in iPhone Settings
- Delete your whole account in the app: Settings › Delete account. Your family, children, rules, activities, photos and history are deleted from our server straight away
- Or ask us to delete all of your family's data using the form below
Security
All connections use HTTPS. Your parent PIN is never stored in plain text. Each device uses its own private access code, and access to the server is restricted.
Changes
If we change this policy, we will update the date at the top of this page and, for important changes, tell you in the app.
Contact us
Questions, or want your family's data deleted? Send us a message here.