Dad-Invented App Locks Kids’ Phones Until They Message Back

Having messages go unanswered can be frustrating for anyone, but especially for parents awaiting responses from their children.

Nick Herbert, a dad in the United Kingdom, may have found a solution to the problem with the development of ReplyASAP, a new mobile app that basically freezes a child’s phone until they respond to a text.

The app works by taking control of the phone screen and signals an alarm that sounds until the message is read, forcing the recipient to reply to regain control over their device.


Even if the phone is on silent, the app still works as normal. If a device is shut off, the alert will begin as soon as it is powered on.

While the child will be able to delete the app from their phone, their parent will be immediately notified if they do. 

Throughout the development process, Herbert showed his son Ben the designs and though process behind the program.

“He likes the idea because he will know that if he gets one of these messages, he will always hear it and will know it’s important,” Herbert wrote on the ReplyASAP website. 

With the app primarily known for being a parental tool, it can also be used in the sending of important messages to friends or colleagues, as well. 

ReplyASAP is currently available for Android, but there is no iOS version available at this time for Apple devices.

This is not the first parental app of its kind as in 2014, a Texas mom created IgnoreNoMore, an app that forces kids to return their parent’s phone calls.