A home screen with the apps you choose.
FamilyHome is the home screen for a child’s phone. It works like any Android home screen, and a parent chooses which apps are on it. No ads, no AI, and it can’t go online.
How it works
No account, no email, no password. FamilyHome works on its own; no other app is needed.
1. Set a Parent PIN
In Setup, make a Parent PIN for FamilyHome. With FamilyLock on the phone, you can use your FamilyLock PIN instead; the two choices are offered side by side.
2. Tick the apps
Behind the PIN, Apps on the home screen lists every app with a home-screen icon, all ticked at first. Untick the ones you don’t want on it.
3. A normal home screen
Your child gets pages to swipe between, a dock, an app drawer with search, folders and widgets, showing the apps you ticked.
What FamilyHome does
Everything a home screen does, with a parent’s choices behind a PIN.
Pages and a dock
Pages of 4 by 5 that you swipe between, page dots, a dock of 5 spots, and one wallpaper behind them all.
App drawer
Swipe up for all the apps on the home screen, and search as you type.
Press and hold to edit
Drag icons between pages and into the dock’s free spots, drop one app on another to make a folder, add a page, and remove icons, folders and widgets.
Widgets
Widgets from other apps, added with Android’s own “Create widget and allow access?” question.
The dock
Messages, Calls and Contacts, plus 2 free spots. They are FamilyPhone’s shortcuts when it is installed, otherwise the phone’s own texting, phone and contacts apps. A parent ticks which ones show.
Wallpapers
25 Harborline wallpapers, set separately for the Home screen and the Lock screen. A parent chooses the rule: Harborline wallpapers, any picture, or only parents.
Settings behind a PIN
Harborline’s gear icon offers Phone settings and FamilyHome settings, each behind a parent PIN. Android’s own Settings icon never shows in the app drawer.
A parent’s choices
Which apps show, the dock, who picks the free spots, the wallpaper rule, and whether moving icons and adding widgets is for “Child and parents” or “Only parents”.
What FamilyHome can’t do yet
It’s early, and we would rather you hear it from us.
Block apps
FamilyHome hides app icons; it doesn’t block apps. An unticked app can still open from a notification, a link or another app. For real blocking, use an app blocker as well, such as FamilyLock or Google Family Link.
Stop another home app being chosen
It can’t stop a child choosing another home app in Android’s Settings. Settings is behind the Parent PIN here, and with FamilyLock on the phone it is always locked.
Flip-style cover screens
The cover screen of a Galaxy Z Flip-style phone is run by Samsung’s own cover launcher, and no app can set its wallpaper or what shows there. The Cover screen wallpaper works only on book-style foldables such as the Galaxy Z Fold and Pixel Fold.
Always set the lock screen
On most phones the lock screen wallpaper is Android’s. Some makers, such as Samsung with its dynamic lock screen, may override it.
A few home screen extras
There’s no swipe down for notifications, no app shortcuts menu, no notification dots and no widget resizing yet.
A work tab
Work profile apps show with Android’s badge, but there’s no separate work tab.
Coming to Google Play
FamilyHome isn’t on Google Play yet. When it’s ready to install, this page will say how to get it.
Common questions
If I untick an app, is it blocked?
No. FamilyHome hides the app’s icon; it doesn’t block the app. It can still open from a notification, a link or another app. For real blocking, use an app blocker as well, such as FamilyLock or Google Family Link.
Do I need another Harborline app?
No. FamilyHome works on its own. If FamilyLock is on the phone you can use its PIN as the Parent PIN, and if FamilyPhone is on the phone the dock uses its Messages, Calls and Contacts shortcuts.
Can my child change the wallpaper?
That’s a parent’s choice: Harborline wallpapers, any picture, or only parents.
Can my child move icons and add widgets?
Yes, unless you choose “Only parents” for moving icons and adding widgets.
Report a bug or send an idea
This goes straight to the person who builds FamilyHome, and we reply by email. The app itself can’t go online, so it sends nothing; this form is part of our website.