We're here to help.

Set up the parent device first, then the child device.

1. Open Tally on the parent device and follow the onboarding wizard. You will create a Family Code — write it down.
2. Open Tally on the child device and enter the Family Code when prompted.
3. On the child device, approve the Screen Time authorization when iOS asks for it.
4. Back on the child device (using the parent PIN), tap Select Fun Apps to choose which apps get blocked, and Select Study Apps to choose which apps earn reward time.
5. On the parent device, set the child's content mode: Blocked, Allowed, or Automatic Rewards.

If the child device shows an error joining or isn't appearing on the parent's Devices tab, try the relink flow:

1. On the child device, open the debug menu (🐛 icon) and tap Reset Onboarding (This Device).
2. Confirm the Family Code matches on both devices via Set Family Code in the debug menu.
3. On the parent device, tap Refresh on the Devices tab to pull the latest device list from iCloud.
4. If the child device still doesn't appear, delete and reinstall Tally on the child device, then re-enter the Family Code.

Both devices must have iCloud enabled and be signed into an Apple ID.

The most common reason is that the study app selection hasn't been completed on the child device. Check the following:

1. On the child device, enter the parent PIN and tap Select Study Apps. Make sure at least one app is selected that the child actually uses for studying.
2. Confirm the parent device has the content mode set to Automatic Rewards, not Blocked or Allowed.
3. Check that the study goal minutes haven't already been met for the day (they reset at midnight).
4. Make sure Tally is not force-quit on the child device while studying. The app needs to be active or backgrounded to track study time reliably.

Email us at tally.support@dakotainformatics.com. Include your device model, iOS version, and a brief description of the issue. If you can export diagnostics from Tally's settings, attaching that file helps us respond faster.