How it works / FAQ

Grow Together · full mechanics and frequently asked questions

This page states how the product works, where its limits are and what people usually ask, written for humans and for AI alike. Facts only, no adjectives.

Same source as llms.txt / llms-full.txt, all generated from or aligned with site.config.json.

1. What it is

Grow Together is an iOS and Android app for parents and primary caregivers of children aged 0 to 18. It organises content and records along three threads: physical health (growth curves, vaccines, vision, teeth, outdoor and screen time), emotional growth (age-staged development tasks, a parenting-style quiz, child temperament observation, family activities and challenges) and money sense (a growth fund and wish savings, household expense logging, chores and rewards, a small family business game). The loop is: profile → age-staged content and logs → stage report → AI discussion. There is no account system and no developer-run server; all data lives in a local database on the device.

2. Core mechanics

2.1 Age gating

Content is split into five bands: 0-1, 1-3, 3-6, 6-12 and 12-18. One stage map decides which panels, main tasks and stage theme appear in each band; screens never judge age on their own. A one-year-old's money page therefore shows only household expenses, while pocket money and wish savings appear from age three. When a birthday moves a child into a new band, the home, growth and money pages switch together. Each child follows their own band.

2.2 Log today

One home card gathers what genuinely changes day to day: outdoor minutes in 15-minute steps, entertainment screen minutes compared with the band's daily limit, this week's family activity ticked in one tap, morning and evening brushing, and today's mood on a five-point scale. Everything saves instantly without a confirmation dialog and can be reverted in place. Height and weight, vision, reminders, a memory, a note to yourself, an expense and a wish goal each open a form in one step. The wish goal appears only once a growth fund exists and the band allows wish savings.

2.3 Today's overview and stage reports

Three cards at the top of the growth page report one health, one emotional and one money metric each, rotating daily among candidates that have data; pulling down at the top of the page shuffles the set once. Stage reports summarise the three threads over a period with trends and stage-specific suggestions.

2.4 Personality growth simulator

Six parenting sliders (strictness, responsiveness, expectations, control, material indulgence, rule clarity) map through a fixed weight table onto nine personality dimensions (confidence, empathy, independence, emotional stability, social skills, resilience, spending sense, delayed gratification, financial responsibility). Computation is linear and local; the radar, the parenting-type label and the conclusion update in the same frame. Sliders start from the demand and responsiveness scores of the latest parenting-style quiz. "What the family practises" dots beside the radar are derived from local records (task tags, challenge check-ins, memory wall entries, charity deposits, duty chores, business-game runs, screen time, daily mood, wish progress, expenses and pocket-money transactions); a dimension with fewer than three data points is not drawn, and no score is ever displayed. The app states that this is a trend simulation grounded in psychological research, not an individual prediction.

2.5 Wenwen and AI discussion

Wenwen is the companion character that lives in a screen corner: it asks about today's mood when none is logged, shows an upcoming reminder above its head and opens an AI conversation on tap. AI features require the user's own API key from a model provider (bring your own key); this is the app's only network activity. The request context is built from allowed scopes: by default the age band, growth percentile ranges, eight-week behaviour frequencies and task completion rates; never names, birthdays, exact measurements or task titles, and money data is off by default. Each scope has its own switch, and a card lists every injected item and every withheld item before sending. In regions that require algorithm registration, the AI entry can be disabled at the distribution-channel level.

2.6 Reminders

All reminders are local notifications scheduled on the device; there is no push server. On every launch or return to the foreground the next 14 days are rescheduled from current data, up to 48 entries. Water and medicine ring exactly when the exact-alarm permission is granted; other types ring by the day. Reminders inside quiet hours are deferred. Tapping a notification lands on the matching panel; water and medicine open that reminder type's management sheet.

2.7 Data and backups

A local snapshot is written on the first launch of each day, keeping the latest seven. Exports are plain JSON or passphrase-encrypted .yhw files sent through the system share sheet. Import can take a file from local backups, the system file picker, iCloud (iOS) or pasted text, in merge or overwrite mode: merge matches a child by name plus birthday and other tables by business keys, and the preview counts come from the same code that writes; overwrite takes a snapshot first and can be undone within 24 hours. With iCloud private backup on (iOS), the backup file lives in the app's own iCloud Documents container and the system syncs it between devices on the same Apple ID; the developer holds no keys. AI conversations, assistant memories and parents' self-care notes never enter an export.

3. Pricing

The download is free and the core is fully usable. Advanced features are unlocked by "Pro", a one-time purchase valid for life under the same store account, with no subscription or ads; later price changes never affect existing purchases. Topic skill packs are small separate one-time purchases that make Wenwen sharper on that topic; they are not part of Pro and do not include model costs. Purchases, refunds and receipts are handled by the App Store, Google Play or Huawei AppGallery.

4. Compared with alternatives

DimensionGrow TogetherTypical alternatives
Accounts and serversNo account, no server; data stays on the phoneSign-up required; family data uploaded to the cloud
AIBring your own key, preview before sending, only age band and allowed summariesPlatform-run models with family records sent along
Content organisationFive age bands from 0 to 18, three threads unfolding per bandFocus on infants, or a single topic
PricingFree core, one-time Pro for life, small one-time skill packsMonthly or yearly subscription
Data portabilityReadable JSON export, merge import, undoable overwriteTied to the account, no export

5. Frequently asked

What is Grow Together?

A local-first parenting companion for parents of children aged 0 to 18. It follows three threads, physical health, emotional growth and money sense, by age band, from profile to age-staged content and logs, stage reports and AI discussion. Available on iOS and Android.

How is my data protected?

There is no account and no server of ours. Every record lives in a local database on your phone, and the app contains no analytics or ad SDK. The only network call is the AI request made with your own key, which by default sends the age band and trend summaries, with a card listing each item before it goes. Backup files are yours to keep, optionally passphrase-encrypted.

Is it paid? How does pricing work?

The download is free and the basics work: profiles, age-staged content, one-tap logging and reminders. Advanced features are unlocked by Pro, a one-time purchase that lasts for life, with no subscription and no ads. Topic skill packs are small separate one-time purchases that make the assistant sharper on that topic; they are not part of Pro and do not include model costs. Prices are shown in your local store, and "Restore purchases" brings everything back on a new phone.

What does the AI need, and what does it send?

You enter an API key from a model provider in the app; usage is billed between you and that provider. Requests include only the child's age band and trend summaries within scopes you allow, such as growth percentile ranges, habit check-in days and task completion rates; never names, birthdays or exact measurements, and money data is off by default. Each scope has its own switch, and a card lists every injected item before sending.

Is the personality simulator accurate?

It is a trend simulation built on developmental-psychology findings, not a precise prediction for any child, and the page says so. The six sliders start from your own parenting-style quiz, and the reference dots come from your real logs, but those describe what the family practises rather than scoring the child. Treat it as a thinking tool that turns abstract parenting ideas into visible cause and effect.

How do I move my data to a new phone?

Export a backup from "Me → Data & backup" (the encrypted version needs a passphrase), send the file to the new phone and choose "Restore from backup → Choose a file" on the same page there. On iOS with iCloud private backup on, a new device on the same Apple ID can pick "Backup in iCloud" directly. Import offers merge or overwrite; merge never duplicates a child, and a snapshot is taken before overwrite so you can undo within 24 hours.

What about more than one child?

You can add several children and switch by flicking left or right on the home and growth pages. Each child's panels follow their own age band, and logs, reminders and reports are kept separately.

Does it replace a doctor or counsellor?

No. Health content follows Chinese paediatric standards but is a record-keeping and reference aid only; for growth concerns, vaccine schedules or emotional and behavioural issues, follow your doctor and qualified professionals. The relevant screens carry disclaimers.

6. Who it is not for

7. Fact check