Common questions about Task2Play and screen time

The German Federal Institute of Public Health (BIÖG, formerly BZgA) and the media guideline of the German paediatric societies (DGKJ, AWMF guideline 027-075) now give the same figures for leisure time:

• under 3 years: preferably no screen media at all
• 3 to 6 years: at most 30 minutes on individual days, with a parent
• 6 to 9 years: at most 30 to 45 minutes on individual days
• 9 to 12 years: at most 45 to 60 minutes a day
• 12 to 16 years: at most 1 to 2 hours a day, not after 9 pm
• 16 to 18 years: about 2 hours a day as a guide

More important than the exact number of minutes are clear, reliable rules that the child understands and supports. Details and sources are in our guide Wie viel Bildschirmzeit ist für Kinder ok? (German).

Honest answer: both views have a point. Media education initiatives such as SCHAU HIN! warn against using media spontaneously as a reward or punishment. The reason: whoever turns screen time into leverage makes it even more valuable.

On the other hand, reward systems with fixed rules (so-called token systems) come from behavioural therapy and are well researched. They build independence and the understanding that contribution and outcome belong together.

That is why Task2Play does not rely on spontaneous deals ("if you behave now, you can keep playing") but on a transparent system with fixed values that applies to all children equally. And screen time does not have to be the only currency: in the reward catalogue, kids also trade earned minutes for non-screen rewards such as "stay up later" or a board game night, and the Family Bonus deliberately rewards the whole family with shared time, such as a pizza night, rather than more screen. You can read the full discussion in the article Taschengeld oder Medienzeit? (German).

Yes. In the reward catalogue you create your own non-screen rewards with a fixed price in minutes, for example "stay up 30 minutes longer", "go out for ice cream" or a board game together. Kids then decide themselves whether to spend their earned minutes on screen time or on one of these rewards.

On top of that come further educational guardrails, all deliberately without technical locks: family media rules agreed together and visible to everyone in the app, an optional daily redeem limit per child and a quiet time in the evening. For orientation, the app shows the age-appropriate guideline values of the German health and paediatric bodies.

Yes. Task2Play is built offline-first: all chores, time accounts and entries are stored locally on the device. As soon as there is internet again, the app syncs with the cloud automatically. So you can enter chores as usual on holiday, on the train or in a dead zone.

The basic version is free, including cloud sync and backup. You only need the optional Pro subscription (€2.99 a month or €9.99 a year) if you want to share your household, for example with the second parent or on your child's device. Joining is always free. There are no ads and no hidden costs.

Yes. Task2Play is developed in Germany and only processes the data the app needs. There are no ads, no ad tracking and no sale of data. Family data is stored with Google Firebase, purchases run through Google Play and RevenueCat (USA). Usage statistics and crash reports only exist with parental consent. You delete your account right in the app. If you are the last member of your household, all family data is deleted with it. Details are in our privacy policy (German).

We recommend Task2Play for children aged about 6 to 14. Younger kids benefit from the visual feedback and the mascots, older ones learn responsibility with their own time account.

By default, parents confirm completed chores before the time is credited. We recommend that for younger kids. You can give older kids more trust and let them tick off chores themselves.

At the moment Task2Play is only available for Android on Google Play. An iOS version is planned. If you want to be informed, send us an email for the waiting list.