Ripple
Less scrolling while caring for a baby or toddler
With a new baby, night feeds and rocking to sleep often mean one arm holds the baby and the other hand holds the phone. Short videos keep coming, the baby is asleep long before you stop, and you still have to get up early. A little later, a busy parent hands the toddler an old phone or tablet for cartoons, one episode turns into many, and taking it away at dinner or bedtime ends in tears. The site also has bedtime, kids by age and mealtime pages. This page covers the baby and toddler years. It gives no parenting or medical advice; ask your pediatrician how much screen time fits your child's age. Ripple only enforces the rules you set. The first part below is for parents limiting their own phone, the second is for the device the child uses. Android is at v0.1.13 and iPhone at v0.1.5, and the features differ, so both are covered.
Parents: less scrolling during feeds, earlier sleep after
Set daily limits and open limits on short video and short drama
During night feeds, short video and short drama are the easiest to overdo. Set how long each can run per day, in custom minutes, or 0 minutes to block it all day. Add how many times it can open, and turn on the short wait before each open so your hand pauses first. See the open limit page.
Block by schedule at night, keep the feeding tracker open
Add a night schedule, for example 10 pm to 6 am, with only short video, short drama and games on the list. Leave the feeding and diaper tracker, alarm, calls, WeChat messages and music off it, so checking the time, playing white noise and reaching family still work. See the bedtime page.
Start one-tap focus when you start rocking the baby
On Android, tap one-tap focus when you begin putting the baby down and pick about as long as it usually takes. Short video will not open in that time, and the phone is only for the clock and music. See the one-tap focus page.
WeChat Channels and Moments can start with a few minutes
On Android you can limit only Channels and Moments inside WeChat: start with a short allowance, then write a reason to extend, up to 3 times a day, counted toward the WeChat daily limit. In strict mode, extending needs the unlock code. Family group messages still work.
Turn on strict mode if you switch rules off half asleep
Half asleep at 3 am, it is easy to turn a rule off. Give an unlock code of at least 8 digits to your partner or family and turn on strict mode. Loosening rules then needs their code. Strict mode also turns on Anti-Uninstall. If you forget the code, you can request release after 72 hours. See the strict mode page.
Parents: a toddler on cartoons who will not stop
Set up the child's own old phone or tablet
It works best to give the child a separate old Android phone or tablet with Ripple on it. Give cartoon and video apps a daily limit, for example 20 minutes in total, following what you and your pediatrician agree on. Apps a small child should not use, such as short video, can be set to 0 minutes. See the kids by age page.
Block at meals and bedtime by schedule
Add meal, nap and bedtime schedules on the child's device so cartoon apps stop opening on time. The rules start on their own, so you do not have to pull the tablet away each time, and the child slowly learns when screens are off. See the mealtime page.
Video calls with family still work
Grandparents often video call the kids. Leave WeChat video calls and other family contact apps off the list so calls still work. To limit only WeChat Channels, use the Android Channels allowance.
Turn on Anti-Uninstall; changing the clock does not help
Older kids learn to dig into settings. On Android turn on Anti-Uninstall, and strict mode if needed, with the code known only to parents. Ripple counts time since the phone started, so moving the clock back does not reset the limits.
If the family uses an iPhone
iPhone v0.1.5 can block apps by schedule, block deleting apps, protect against clock changes and use an unlock code, so meal, nap and bedtime schedules work. Open limits, daily limits, 0 minutes, one-tap focus, strict mode, Channels allowance and website blocking are Android only for now. See the parental control page.
Setup steps (Android v0.1.13)
Install or update to the latest version
Download the latest Android APK and turn on accessibility when asked. If you have an older build, update in Settings › About › Check for updates. On iPhone install v0.1.5, which needs iOS 16 or later.
Parent phone: daily limits, open limits and a night schedule on short video and short drama
Leave the feeding tracker, alarm, calls, messages and music off the list. Use one-tap focus while putting the baby down.
Child device: daily limit on cartoons, 0 minutes on short video
Add meal, nap and bedtime schedules, and leave video call apps off the list.
Set unlock codes and Anti-Uninstall on the child's device
Give your own code to your partner or family, and keep the code on the child's device with parents. Turn on Anti-Uninstall on Android, with strict mode if you want a firmer lock. On iPhone turn on the block on deleting apps.
FAQ
I scroll short video during every night feed and keep going after the baby is asleep. What helps?
On Ripple for Android v0.1.13, set daily limits and open limits on short video and short drama, and add a night schedule so those apps will not open then. Use one-tap focus while putting the baby down. The feeding tracker, alarm, calls and music still work. For a firmer rule, turn on strict mode and give the unlock code to your partner.
My toddler cries when I take the tablet away and watches longer every day. What can I set?
On the child's old Android phone or tablet, give cartoon apps a daily limit so they stop opening when time is up, and you do not have to pull it away. Add meal and bedtime schedules. Short video apps can be set to 0 minutes. Keep the unlock code with parents and turn on Anti-Uninstall.
How much screen time is right for a small child?
Ripple gives no parenting or medical advice; please ask your pediatrician. Once you decide, Ripple enforces the rule.
How is this different from the bedtime and kids by age pages?
The bedtime page covers scrolling every night before sleep, and kids by age covers settings for children of different ages. This page covers the baby and toddler years: parents scrolling during night feeds, and small kids who will not stop watching cartoons. More answers are on the FAQ.
Does the iPhone version have these features?
iPhone v0.1.5 has schedules, the block on deleting apps, clock change protection and an unlock code. Daily limits, open limits, 0 minutes, one-tap focus, strict mode, Channels allowance and website blocking are Android only.
Does it cost money or need an account?
It is free with no ads and no account.