Apple has restored a parental control app, called OurPact, to the App Store after originally removing it back in February.
The makers of the app had criticized Apple for getting rid of it, saying Apple was deleting services which competed with its own Screen Time offering.
OurPact was restored to the App Store in the second part of last week. “We take this a positive sign that Apple is working in cooperation with us,” an OurPact spokeswoman told Reuters. “They realize device management solutions belong not only in the business world and in the classroom but in a family environment.”
OurPact’s challenges with Apple
A New York Times report claimed earlier this year that Apple had removed apps offering similar features to its own Screen Time tool. Apple then issued its own statement, saying that it removed them due to privacy and security risks. The makers of OurPact, however, disputed Apple’s claims.
OurPact is a screen time parental control app, app and website blocker, GPS locator, kid tracker and family locator app. It’s intended to let parents manage their family’s screen time and locate family members.
The latest update, version 7.0, includes location tracking improvements and device optimization upgrades. You can download it from the App Store here. It’s free to download, although it includes in-app purchases.
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
