Two phones
Yours and your child’s. Keep both nearby: the code works for a limited time.
Set up Kid Security and Tigrow
Install Kid Security on your phone and Tigrow on your child’s phone. Create a code in the parent app, enter it in Tigrow and grant the permissions it asks for. There is no registration, setup takes 10 to 15 minutes, and then you see your child on the map and can set the rules. Before you start: Kid Security needs Android 7.0 or later, or iOS 16.4 or later. Tigrow needs Android 7.1 or later, or iOS 16.0 or later, on your child’s phone.
10–15 minutes · Both phones needed · Android and iPhone · No registration
10–15 minutes · Both phones needed · Android and iPhone · No registration
What you need before you start
Kid Security and Tigrow are two separate apps that work as a pair. Keep your child’s phone to hand: the pairing code is entered on it.
You do not need a separate account. Kid Security has no registration: download the app, go through the first screens and you get a code for adding your child.
Internet on both
Mobile data or Wi-Fi. Without a connection, pairing will not go through.
Google Play or the App Store
The apps install only from the official stores, so both phones need to be signed in.
10–15 minutes
Most of the time goes on permissions on your child’s phone.
Install Kid Security, the parent app
Start with your own phone. This is where the code for your child's phone appears. Kid Security goes only on the parent's phone. Your child's phone needs a separate app, Tigrow.
Download Kid Security
Download Kid Security from Google Play or the App Store on your phone.
Go through the first screens
Open the app and go through the first screens. A few questions about what matters most to you.
Fill in your child’s profile
Name and age, so the settings apply to that child.
Get the code for adding your child
The app shows it on screen. The code works for 60 minutes; if it runs out, create a new one in the parent app.
Install Tigrow, the child app
The second part happens on your child's phone. There is no separate consent screen for the child, though it works better when your child knows about it in advance.
Download Tigrow from Google Play or the App Store on your child's phone
Open the app and go through the first screens
Enter the code from the parent app
Add your child's name and age
Grant every permission on the screen that opens — Tigrow takes you to the right system settings itself
Wait for the main screen — when it appears, Tigrow is connected and working
How to pair Kid Security and Tigrow
Pairing is simple: you create a code in your app, and your child enters it in theirs. Both phones need to be online at that moment. There is no limit on how many children and parents you can connect: several parents can join one child, and one parent account can have several children. Each child has their own settings, and if your child sends an SOS, every parent connected to them gets it.
Code on your phone
Create a code in Kid Security.
Code on your child's phone
Enter it in Tigrow.
Check
Your child appears on the map in the parent app: you are connected.
If the code did not work
The code works for 60 minutes — create a new one in the parent app if time is up
Both accounts need to be in the same region to pair
Still not connecting? Contact support from the parent app
Each permission runs a specific feature: without one there is no map, without another no app limits. Tigrow asks for them during setup and opens the right system screens itself.
Android
| Permission | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Location, set to “Allow all the time” | The map shows where your child is now, not where they were last seen |
| Background activity, battery optimisation off | The system does not close the app, so updates arrive on time |
| Display over other apps | Shows the block screen when an app is on a limit |
| Usage access | The report on how long your child spent in each app |
| Accessibility | Tigrow sees which app has opened and applies the limit |
| Notifications | Alerts about arriving at school, leaving a safe zone and low battery |
| Notification access | Chat monitoring: supported incoming messages from messengers |
| Device admin, asked in the app password step | Works with the app password. If the password is removed, you are notified |
| Physical activity | Your child’s steps and activity during the day |
Setting names differ a little on Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei and other brands. Go by the description: Tigrow opens the right settings screen itself, so you do not need to search for it.
iPhone
| Permission | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Location, set to “Always” | Your child’s location on the map in real time |
| Screen Time | App statistics and app limits on iPhone, through Apple Screen Time |
| Notifications | Alerts about arriving at school and leaving a safe zone |
| Critical alerts | Important alerts come through even when the phone is on silent |
| Motion & Fitness | Your child’s physical activity |
On iPhone, limits are built on Apple Screen Time, so some settings look different from Android. For limits, your child needs a child Apple Account in Family Sharing, and you need an iPhone or iPad. Location, safe zones and alerts work with any combination of phones.
Set the rules: limits, safe zones and tasks
Once the phones are paired, your child is already on the map. Three things are left to set up, and each has its own page with the details.
Screen time limits
In the limits section, create a limit, choose the days of the week and set the time for each day. On Android, the shortest limit is 20 minutes. Each app can be blocked, put on a limit or left without limits, and on Android there are also schedules for school time and sleep.
On Android, limits need the permissions above, the app password on your child’s phone and Premium. On iPhone, limits need Premium and a child Apple Account in Family Sharing, and you need an iPhone or iPad too. A limit starts working once you choose apps or categories.
In the limits section, create a limit, choose the days of the week and set the time for each day. On Android, the shortest limit is 20 minutes. Each app can be blocked, put on a limit or left without limits, and on Android there are also schedules for school time and sleep.
On Android, limits need the permissions above, the app password on your child’s phone and Premium. On iPhone, limits need Premium and a child Apple Account in Family Sharing, and you need an iPhone or iPad too. A limit starts working once you choose apps or categories.
Screen time limits
In the limits section, create a limit, choose the days of the week and set the time for each day. On Android, the shortest limit is 20 minutes. Each app can be blocked, put on a limit or left without limits, and on Android there are also schedules for school time and sleep.
On Android, limits need the permissions above, the app password on your child’s phone and Premium. On iPhone, limits need Premium and a child Apple Account in Family Sharing, and you need an iPhone or iPad too. A limit starts working once you choose apps or categories.
In the limits section, create a limit, choose the days of the week and set the time for each day. On Android, the shortest limit is 20 minutes. Each app can be blocked, put on a limit or left without limits, and on Android there are also schedules for school time and sleep.
On Android, limits need the permissions above, the app password on your child’s phone and Premium. On iPhone, limits need Premium and a child Apple Account in Family Sharing, and you need an iPhone or iPad too. A limit starts working once you choose apps or categories.
Safe zones on the map
Open places on the map, move the map to the address and set a radius from 100 metres to 1 km. Name the zone and save it — you get an alert each time your child arrives or leaves. Zones cannot overlap, and on the free plan alerts work for one zone.
Tasks and rewards
In your child’s achievements, add a task, set a reward and send it. Your child sees it in the family category, completes it and marks it done, and you confirm it.
Open places on the map, move the map to the address and set a radius from 100 metres to 1 km. Name the zone and save it — you get an alert each time your child arrives or leaves. Zones cannot overlap, and on the free plan alerts work for one zone.
Tasks and rewards
In your child’s achievements, add a task, set a reward and send it. Your child sees it in the family category, completes it and marks it done, and you confirm it.
- Screen time limits
- Safe zones
- Tasks and rewards
Most support requests are solved by checking one item. Find your symptom in the table.
| Symptom | Possible cause | What to check or do |
|---|---|---|
| Your child’s location does not show on the map | Location is not set to “Allow all the time”, there is no internet, or the system has closed the app in the background | On your child’s phone: Settings → Apps → Tigrow → Permissions → Location → “Allow all the time”. Turn off battery optimisation for Tigrow |
| No alerts about arriving at school or leaving a zone | Notifications are off, or battery saver is on | Check the notification permission for Tigrow and Kid Security on both phones, and turn off Do Not Disturb |
| Limits on games and apps do not work | On Android, Accessibility and Usage access are not granted. On iPhone, no apps are chosen or there is no child Apple Account | Android: grant both permissions and set the app password. iPhone: choose apps or categories in the limits section first |
| Kid Security and Tigrow do not pair | The code has expired, one phone is offline, or the accounts belong to different regions | Create a new code, it works for 60 minutes. Check that both phones are online and in the same region |
| The app “falls asleep” and stops sending updates | The phone’s own software closes apps in the background, most often on Xiaomi, Huawei and Samsung | Follow the steps for your phone’s brand below the table |
| Your child pressed SOS, but no alert came | There is no internet on your child’s phone, or permissions are missing | Check the internet connection and permissions on your child’s phone |
| Settings or pairing dropped after an update | The parent and child app versions are too far apart | Install the latest versions as soon as updates appear |
| The map shows that location is off | Location services are turned off on your child’s phone | Ask your child to turn location back on in the phone’s settings. You do not get a push alert when this happens: the map shows it. |
If the app falls asleep: steps by brand
- Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO: Settings → Apps → Permissions → Background autostart → turn on Tigrow. Then set Tigrow’s battery usage to “No restrictions”.
- Huawei, Honor: Settings → Apps → App launch → Tigrow → turn off “Manage automatically” and turn on Auto-launch, Secondary launch and Run in background. Then turn off battery optimisation for Tigrow.
- Samsung: Settings → Battery → Background usage limits → Never sleeping apps → add Tigrow. Make sure Tigrow is not in Sleeping apps or Deep sleeping apps.
- OPPO, realme: Settings → Apps → App management → Tigrow → Battery usage → Allow background activity. Then Settings → Apps → Auto launch → turn on Tigrow.
- vivo: Settings → Apps → Tigrow → Battery → allow background activity. Then turn on Autostart for Tigrow and switch off Power saving mode.
Menu names vary by model and Android version.
How to agree on it with a teenager
An agreement, not surveillance
Tell a teenager “I’m installing an app to keep an eye on you” and it lands as a declaration of war. What works is talking before you install, not after, and framing it as safety and a family agreement rather than total control.
How to start the conversation
Explain the reason plainly: not “I don’t trust you” but “I need to know you’re OK, and I want us to have a clear rule about it”. Start with the parts that are clearly on your child’s side: safe zones, the SOS button, tasks and rewards in Tigrow.
Age matters
With children aged 7 to 10, care and play work better than safety arguments. With teenagers aged 13 to 16, an agreement between equals matters more — discuss the limits together and offer to review the rules as trust grows.
If your teenager refuses or removes the app
Do not turn it into a punishment. Talk calmly about why they refused, start with a minimal setup — only safe zones and SOS, no limits — and add rules gradually.
“That’s spying!”
It's about safety: I can see that you're OK. I'm not reading your messages for no reason.
“I’m not installing it!”
Then it’s harder for me to let you go out or get to school on your own. The agreement works both ways.
“I’ll delete it the first chance I get!”
If the app password is removed, I get a notification. Let's agree open rules instead of trying to outsmart each other.
Questions about setting up Kid Security
How do I set up Kid Security on my child's phone?
Download Kid Security to your phone and Tigrow to your child's phone. Create a code in the parent app, enter it in Tigrow, add your child's name and age and grant the permissions it asks for. There is no registration. The step-by-step guide is above on this page.
Do I need to install an app on my own phone too?
Yes. Kid Security is the parent app and has to be on your phone so you can see location, screen time and alerts. Your child's phone gets a separate app, Tigrow. One does not work without the other.
Kid Security is installed but not working: no location and apps are not blocked. What should I check?
Usually the permissions on your child’s phone. Location has to be set to "Allow all the time", and on Android app limits need Accessibility and Usage access. Another common cause is battery saver, which makes the system close the app in the background. The full checklist is above.
How can I talk to my teenager about installing it so it doesn't feel like spying?
Talk before you install, not after, and present it as safety and a family agreement rather than total control. Start with what is on their side, such as safe zones, SOS and tasks. A fuller script with answers to common objections is above on this page.
How do I set up Tigrow on my child's iPad so they cannot remove it themselves?
Tigrow installs on an iPad the same way as on an iPhone. Removal is handled by Apple, not by Kid Security: when your child uses a child Apple Account in Family Sharing, deleting an app asks for the parent's Apple Account password. Without a child Apple Account, this condition does not apply.
What happens if my child removes the app password or deletes Tigrow on Android?
If your child removes the app password in Tigrow, you get a notification that the password was removed and Accessibility was turned off. After that the app can be deleted. There is no separate notification that Tigrow was deleted, because the app cannot track its own removal.
How long does the pairing code work, and what if it does not?
The code works for 60 minutes. If it has run out, create a new one in the parent app. If the code is correct but the phones will not pair, check the internet on both and make sure both accounts belong to the same region.
How many children can I connect to one account?
There is no limit. One parent can add several children, and one child can have several parents, for example both mum and dad. Each child's settings are separate.
Do my child and I need the same type of phone?
Not for location: the map, safe zones and alerts work in every combination of Android and iPhone. App limits are different. If your child uses an iPhone or iPad, you need an iPhone or iPad too, because limits run through Apple Screen Time. Chat monitoring works only when your child uses Android.
How do I update Kid Security and Tigrow?
Updates come from Google Play or the App Store, like any other app. Install the latest versions as soon as you see them. The parent and child apps usually do not need to be updated at the same time, and in the rare case they do, support will tell you.
