How to Set Up "Free Apps" in ScreenCoach that won't consume Tokens or Screen Time?

If you’d like certain apps (like Duolingo) to be used freely — without consuming tokens or screen time — you can easily set them up using a Free Mode.

This ensures your child can access educational or creative apps at any time of the day without it reducing their daily allowance.

If you want to allow a group of apps to be used freely (for example, Duolingo or Khan Academy), the best approach is to create a custom Free Mode.

Steps:

1. Start with creating an App Category for “Free Usage Apps”. Follow these steps:
2. 1. Open the Parent ScreenCoach App 
   2. Go to Settings > App Categories
   3. Create an App Category named “Free Usage Apps”
   4. Add the apps you want to be free anytime. For example: DuoLingo, Google Classroom etc)
2. Now Go back to settings > Manage Modes.
3. Tap Create New Mode and name it (for example, Free Apps Mode).
4. Under General Tab > Set the Time Multiplier to 0 — this ensures apps used under this mode do not consume Screen Time or Tokens.
5. Under Apps, Choose "Allow some app Categories only" and select the app categories that is allowed to be used for free anytime - like the one we just created - “Free usage apps”
6. Make sure the Access Times of this Mode are set up properly — for example, from 7 AM to 8 PM — allowing these free apps to be used during the day, but not after bedtime.
7. ⚠️ Important: The child must switch to this Free Mode on their device for apps to be truly free. If they use the same app in another mode, it will still consume Screen Time and Tokens.

Apps that are Always Allowed are available at all times (24 hrs a day)— even when everything else is blocked — but they will still consume tokens and screen time during Normal Mode usage, unless used in a Free Mode.

Note that apps in this special “Always Allowed” category can continue running even when your screen is locked. This makes them perfect for audio apps that you want to listen to in the background. Normally, using an app consumes screen time, but for these apps, background audio will play without consuming any screen time 🙂

If you want the “Always Allowed apps” not to use time allowance, you must:

• Include them in a Free Mode (a mode with zero time multiplier).
• • Choose “Only allow some apps”
  • If you do not add any other app categories here by default, it will be only the “Always Allowed” Apps that can be used in this mode. 
• Make sure they’re correctly set up under that Free Mode.

This way, the app will remain always available but will not consume Screen Time or Tokens when used. 

Please note: 

You'll need to teach your children how to switch modes that will quickly remember to switch to the free mode if they know it's not going to use their screen allowance

Updated on: 24/10/2025