Coming soon to the App Store

Halftime Buddy

Calm Breaks

It's halftime, not game over. Gentle heads-ups, a calm break with a friendly flying robot, and something new to learn, so screen-time transitions feel predictable instead of sudden.

Get launch updates Coming soon to theApp Store

For iPhone and iPad. Made for autistic kids and any kid who needs predictable transitions.

Halftime, the friendly flying robot
Halftime Buddy break screen with a 9:06 countdown and a list of break tasks
  • Built by a dad for his son
  • No ads. No selling data.
  • Routines, not messages or browsing
  • Works across iPhone & iPad
Features

Everything a calm halftime needs

Clear warnings, a kind companion, a little learning, and simple controls for the grown-ups.

Staged warnings

Heads-ups, not surprises

Sound and on-screen heads-ups arrive before a break or bedtime (15, 10, and 5 minutes before bedtime), so the stop never comes out of nowhere.

Child home screen showing the countdown until the next halftime
Calm breaks

A calm break with Halftime

When it's time, a calm full-screen break takes over, with Halftime the flying robot cheering your child on with voice and friendly moods.

Break time screen with a countdown and break tasks
Bedtime

Bedtime without the battle

A gentle wind-down leads into sleep mode. Selected apps rest until wake-up time, and the screen tells your child exactly when that is.

Sleep mode screen showing a 7:00 AM wake-up time
Break Learning

Breaks that teach something new

Every halftime can be a small learning moment. A short tip, then practice with jigsaws, connect-the-dots, or a quiz, then a check question with a kid-friendly “why,” and a “What you learned” wrap-up.

  • Tip
  • Practice
  • Check
  • What you learned

“Today's learning” shows on your child's screen and on yours, so you can talk about it together.

A sea turtle jigsaw puzzle with one piece left to place
Parent home showing Break Learning: tip, practice, check, and today’s learning
Parent dashboard

Call halftime from your phone

See each device at a glance (free time, on break, or bedtime) plus “How today went.” Quick actions are one tap away.

Parent dashboard with device cards, How today went, and quick controls
QR pairing

Set up in minutes

Halftime walks you through setup. The child's device shows a one-time pairing code; scan it from your phone. No account needed on the child's device.

Child device setup: pairing code and private by design
Routines

A rhythm that fits your family

Choose how long apps stay open before a break and how long breaks last. Plan school days, weekends, and bedtime, and pick exactly which apps pause.

Set the break rhythm setup screen
Gentle by default

Easy on the senses

Thoughtful touches for kids who need things calm and clear.

  • Low-stimulation modeFewer sounds and less motion. Warnings stay on.
  • Age-right break activitiesFor younger kids, school age, and teens.
  • Large text & VoiceOverBuilt with native, scalable layouts.
Meet Halftime

A familiar face at every pause

Halftime is a friendly flying robot who keeps your child company. Halftime speaks encouragement out loud, shows the weather, and changes mood with the moment, from calm and curious to cheering and sleepy at bedtime.

Same buddy, same steps, every time. That predictability is the whole point.

Halftime looking calmCalm
Halftime looking excitedExcited
Halftime looking happyHappy
Halftime looking curiousCurious
Halftime cheeringCheer
Halftime looking sleepySleepy
How a halftime works

The same four steps, every time

Kids who find transitions hard do better when they know what comes next. Halftime Buddy makes every break follow the same calm pattern.

  1. 1
    Heads-up

    A friendly warning

    Staged heads-ups count down, so your child can finish the level or the episode.

  2. 2
    Halftime

    A calm break with Halftime

    Selected apps pause and Halftime takes the screen with a gentle, encouraging break.

  3. 3
    Learn

    Something new

    A tip, a puzzle or quiz, and a quick check, plus off-screen ideas like stretching or a glass of water.

  4. 4
    Back to play

    Game back on

    When the break ends, play picks up again. It was halftime, not game over.

Parent dashboard showing Maverick’s iPad on free time and Emma’s iPad on break
For parents

Your sideline dashboard

Halftime Buddy pairs your iPhone with your child's iPhone or iPad using Apple's Screen Time framework, so you can guide the day without hovering.

  • Status for every deviceFree time, on break, or bedtime, with when you last heard from each device.
  • “How today went”Breaks done, learning done, and Today's learning at a glance.
  • Quick actionsOne tap when plans change, with confirmation from the child's device.
    Start BreakBedtime NowPause Limits−5 min+5 min
  • Routines that fit your weekSet the break rhythm, school days and weekends, bedtime and wake-up, and the apps that pause.

Guardians & caregivers

Invite a co-parent, grandparent, or caregiver. Guardians can manage breaks and schedules with you. Temporary caregivers get view-only access that ends automatically, so parents stay in charge.

Included in your membership. Invited guardians never need to buy their own.

Invite a guardian screen

Optional location sharing

Off unless you turn it on. When enabled, you can see the child device's last known location. It's not continuous tracking, and the child's device must grant permission too.

Private by design

Halftime Buddy manages routines, not messages, photos, or browsing history. Apple keeps your app choices private, the child's device needs no account, and parent controls lock with Face ID or a PIN.

Pricing

One membership for your whole family

One membership covers your family's devices and the guardians you invite. Choose monthly or yearly, billed securely by Apple.

Monthly

Flexible family membership

$4.99

7-day free trial, then auto-renews. Cancel anytime in Settings.. Renews monthly until canceled.

Get launch pricing

Yearly

One payment for the whole year

$49.99

7-day free trial, then auto-renews. Cancel anytime in Settings.. Renews yearly until canceled.

Get launch pricing

Every membership includes

  • Breaks & limits with staged heads-ups
  • Daily routines and bedtime wind-down
  • Break Learning activities
  • Calm breaks with Halftime
  • Parent dashboard and quick actions
  • Shared care: invited guardians at no extra cost
  • All of your family's paired devices
  • Restore purchases anytime

Payment is handled by Apple; Halftime Buddy never sees your card number. Subscriptions renew automatically until canceled. Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple Account subscription settings. Deleting the app doesn't cancel a subscription. Prices will be shown in the App Store and in the app before you subscribe.

Why I built it

Why I built Halftime Buddy

“I built Halftime Buddy for my son. Sudden stops were hard for him, and I wanted pauses that felt predictable and kind.”

My son is on the autism spectrum. When screen time ended out of nowhere, it was hard for him. I wanted something that gave him a heads-up, a friendly face, and a clear “what happens next.”

So I built Halftime Buddy from scratch, around him. Now he gets his three warnings and heads to bed without a fuss, and his breaks have led him to learn new things and even pick up a few chores. Every family is different, but if your kid needs predictable transitions too, I hope Halftime Buddy helps your home feel a little calmer.

Kyle Ramsey · Dad and maker of Halftime Buddy
FAQ

Questions parents ask

Is Halftime Buddy available yet?

Not yet. It's coming soon to the App Store. Leave your email and we'll let you know the day it launches.

What devices do I need?

Halftime Buddy runs on iPhone and iPad. Most families use a parent iPhone paired with a child's iPad or iPhone. There's also a Single Device Mode that sets everything up on one device without pairing.

Does my child need an account?

No. The parent creates the family account. The child's device just shows a one-time pairing code that you scan from your phone.

Can Halftime Buddy see my child's messages or browsing?

No. Halftime Buddy manages routines: breaks, bedtime, and which apps pause. It doesn't collect messages, photos, passwords, browsing history, or what happens inside other apps. Apple's Screen Time framework keeps your app choices private, even from us.

How much does it cost?

Halftime Buddy uses one family membership, monthly or yearly, billed through Apple. Invited guardians are included at no extra cost. Prices will be announced at launch and shown in the App Store before you subscribe.

Can a co-parent, grandparent, or caregiver help?

Yes. Invite guardians to manage breaks and schedules with you, or give a temporary caregiver view-only access that ends automatically.

Does it track my child's location?

Only if you turn on optional location sharing. When it's on, you see the child device's last known location, not a continuous track. The child's device also has to grant permission.

Can my child talk to Halftime?

Halftime speaks encouragement out loud using built-in sayings. An optional chat feature lets Halftime give short, age-appropriate replies. It's off by default and only a parent can turn it on. See the Privacy Policy for how it works.

Is this a therapy or medical tool?

No. Halftime Buddy is a routine helper that makes everyday transitions more predictable. It doesn't diagnose, treat, or replace care, therapy, or medical advice.

What happens if the internet goes out?

Breaks and bedtime run on the child's device itself, so existing routines keep working. Changes sync when the device reconnects, and nearby paired devices can sync over your local network.

Coming soon

Be first to know when Halftime Buddy launches

Halftime Buddy is finishing up with Apple. Leave your email and we'll send one note the day it's ready. No spam, ever.

Opens your email app with a short note to [email protected].