Buddy
Open Buddy

Get Buddy on your child's device

Simple steps for a Mac, a Windows PC and an iPad or tablet. Do these once, as the grown up. It takes about 15 minutes.

MacBook or iMac

1. Give your child their own Standard user (no admin)

  1. Click the Apple menu at the top left, then System Settings.
  2. Click Users & Groups, then Add User. Type your Mac password when asked.
  3. Choose Standard (not Administrator). Type your child's first name and make a simple password you both know.
  4. Keep your own account as the only Administrator, so only you can install apps or change settings.

2. Turn on Screen Time with Family Sharing

  1. On your iPhone or Mac, open Settings, tap your name, then Family. Add your child. Apple makes a child Apple Account for kids under 13.
  2. On the Mac, sign in to your child's user with that child Apple Account.
  3. Open System Settings > Screen Time and pick your child. Turn on Screen Time and choose Use Screen Time Passcode.
  4. Under Content & Privacy, set web content to Limit Adult Websites or Allowed Websites Only. With Allowed Websites Only, add buddyai.fun, youtubekids.com and any sites on your Buddy list.
  5. Set Downtime and App Limits if you like. Buddy also has its own daily time and allowed hours on your parent page.

3. Add Buddy to the Dock with Safari

  1. Still in your child's user, open Safari and go to buddyai.fun.
  2. Create your parent account (or sign in), make your PIN and add your child's nickname.
  3. In the menu bar click File > Add to Dock, then Add. Buddy now opens like its own app from the Dock.
  4. Open Buddy from the Dock once and sign in again if it asks. You stay signed in after that.

4. Allow the microphone

  1. In Buddy, press the big red button. When the Mac asks to use the microphone and speech recognition, click Allow.
  2. Clicked Don't Allow by mistake? Open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone and Speech Recognition, and switch on Safari or Buddy.
  3. In Safari you can also click Safari > Settings > Websites > Microphone and set Buddy to Allow.

Good to know: Brave and Firefox do not offer voice typing to websites, so in those browsers your child types to Buddy instead. Safari, Edge and Chrome support the microphone.

Windows PC or laptop

1. Make a child Microsoft account with Family Safety

  1. Go to family.microsoft.com (or install the Microsoft Family Safety app on your phone) and sign in with your own Microsoft account.
  2. Choose Add a family member > Member and create a child account for your child.

2. Add your child as a Standard user (not admin)

  1. On the PC open Settings > Accounts > Family. On older Windows it is called Family & other users.
  2. Click Add someone and pick your child's account. Windows adds family children as Standard users.
  3. Check it: click your child's name > Change account type and make sure it says Standard User, not Administrator.

3. Screen time and content filters

  1. In Family Safety, open your child, then Screen time. Set daily limits for the device.
  2. Open Content filters and turn on Filter inappropriate websites and searches. You can also choose Only use allowed websites and add buddyai.fun, youtubekids.com and the sites on your Buddy list.
  3. These filters work in Microsoft Edge, so use Edge as your child's browser. Family Safety can block other browsers.

4. Install Buddy as an app and pin it

  1. Sign in to Windows as your child. Open Microsoft Edge and go to buddyai.fun. Create your parent account or sign in, and set things up.
  2. Click the ... menu at the top right > Apps > Install this site as an app, then Install.
  3. When Buddy opens in its own window, right click its icon on the taskbar and choose Pin to taskbar.
  4. Using Brave? Click the install icon at the right of the address bar, or the menu > Install Buddy (in some versions under More tools or Save and share). Voice typing does not work in Brave, so your child types there.

5. Allow the microphone

  1. Press the big red button in Buddy. When Edge asks to use the microphone, click Allow.
  2. Not working? Open Windows Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone and turn on microphone access for apps and for Microsoft Edge.
  3. In Edge you can also click the icon left of the web address > Permissions for this site > Microphone > Allow.

iPad or tablet

  1. Turn on Screen Time for your child (Settings > Screen Time) with a Screen Time passcode, like the Mac steps.
  2. Open Safari and go to buddyai.fun. Create your parent account or sign in, and set up your child.
  3. Tap the Share button (the square with an arrow), then Add to Home Screen, then Add.
  4. Open Buddy from the Home Screen. Allow the microphone when it asks.
  5. On an Android tablet, open Chrome, go to the same address and tap the menu > Install app or Add to Home screen. Use Google Family Link for screen time and filters.

Good habits

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