No. FamilyLock has no accounts, no servers and no sign-up. Everything happens directly between your two phones over your local network.
To enforce screen time, app limits, screenshot blocking and uninstall protection, an app must hold the Device Owner system role. Android only grants this through the official dpm command line tool while a computer is attached via USB — it is a one-way change and cannot be granted by the child app on its own. This is the same approach other serious parental controls use, and it's the key reason FamilyLock can offer strong protection without a cloud service.
No. The parent and child phones must be able to reach each other, which normally means the same Wi-Fi / LAN. Pairing uses your local network only. If the child leaves the network, the devices simply can't be reached until they're connected again.
Yes. Control messages are protected with a key derived from your pairing code and signed with HMAC-SHA256, so another phone on the same Wi-Fi can't impersonate your parent app. No internet traffic is involved.
No. As Device Owner, FamilyLock blocks its own uninstallation and blocks uninstalling via Settings. Remotely, the parent app can also lock or fully wipe the device as a last resort.
In blocklist mode only the apps you turn off are suspended. In allowlist mode all apps are suspended unless you explicitly allow them — a stricter setup that keeps only approved apps available.
Screen time is counted as the time the device display is actually interactive. During bedtimes and after a budget runs out, the apps you've restricted are suspended immediately.
Yes — the parent app has an Extra time feature that pauses enforcement for a set number of minutes, and a Pause / Resume toggle for planned breaks.
Not right now. Downloading the APKs from this site is the official distribution method. Because it runs entirely on your network, FamilyLock can't offer the app through an app store.
Both apps check this site for a newer release on startup and show a banner with an Update button. Installing the child update only requires re-running the adb install -r command; the Device Owner role is preserved on re-install of the same signing key.
FamilyLock is meant for devices you own. Don't install the child app on school- or employer-managed devices, and check the Terms of Use before installing anywhere.
Something else? The full legalese lives on the Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and Legal pages.