PresenceOS — Early Access Survey

Survey progress

About you

Q1 of 12

Do you have children or dependants whose device usage you're responsible for?

Yes — at least one under 13 Yes — at least one aged 13–17 Yes — an adult with specific support needs No — but this area interests me

Q2 of 12

Which devices are in your household right now?

Select all that apply.

iPhone / iPad Android phone / tablet Windows PC / laptop Mac Chromebook Game consoles (Switch, PlayStation, Xbox…)

The status quo

Q3 of 12

How would you rate the parental control tools available to you today?

1 = completely useless, 5 = works well for our family

Useless Works well

Q4 of 12

What's the single most frustrating thing about how parental controls work today?

Be as blunt as you like. I won't be offended.

Q5 of 12

Have you ever tried to set up parental controls and just… given up?

Yes — more than once, honestly Yes — once, and I haven't gone back Almost, but I pushed through eventually No — they've worked fine for us I've never tried — seemed too complicated to begin with

Trust and privacy

Q6 of 12

When you use Screen Time, Family Link, or a similar tool — your child's usage data passes through Apple or Google's servers. How much does that bother you?

A lot — it's part of why I avoid those tools Somewhat — I'm uneasy but use them anyway because there's no alternative Not much — I broadly trust Apple / Google with this I hadn't really thought about it before now

Q7 of 12

If a supervision tool worked entirely device-to-device — no company server in the middle, no data leaving the family's own devices — would that make you more or less comfortable trusting it?

Significantly more comfortable — that's exactly what I'd want Slightly more comfortable, but I'd still want to understand how it works Neutral — I care more about whether it actually works Less comfortable — a company server feels safer to me (backups, support, etc.)

Q8 of 12

Should a child always be able to see exactly what supervision is active on their own device, even if they can't turn it off?

There's no wrong answer here. Reasonable people split on this one.

Yes — always. Hidden supervision erodes trust more than it protects. Mostly yes, but there are edge cases (young kids, crisis situations) where I'd make exceptions Depends entirely on age — under 10 is different to a 16-year-old No — parents should have the option to monitor without the child knowing

How PresenceOS actually works

Q9 of 12

Reaction time — here's a real difference between PresenceOS and the tools you've used.

The reveal

PresenceOS supervision sits beneath the operating system, not as an app inside it. In practice that means a kid can't bypass it with a VPN, a private browser, a different DNS, an alternate user account, or by reinstalling the OS. Whatever you've configured is what applies.

How does that land for you?

Reassuring — that's exactly what I want. The current cat-and-mouse is exhausting. Mostly good — but I'd want to be sure I can't lock myself out as the parent Mixed — that level of control feels heavy. I'd want it dialled down for older teens. Concerning — kids should have some room to push back. That feels like too much.

Q10 of 12

And one more thing — what early access actually looks like.

The offer

It's a new operating system, not an app. That's the only reason supervision can sit below everything else and hold. An app inside iOS or Android can never offer this, whatever its marketing says.
Nothing else in your house changes. You don't reconfigure the router, buy extra hardware, or stack another subscription on top of your ISP. The device handles everything itself.
The parent has the final say on every rule. Rules aren't set by a community guideline, an algorithm, Apple, or me. You set them; the OS enforces them.

Direct line to founder 24-hour response Pilot programme

If you join the pilot, you talk to me — the founder — directly, and I respond within 24 hours, every time. There is no ticket system, no support tiers and no call centre, because there's no one here but me.

Knowing all that — where do you sit?

I'm in — count me in for the pilot (I'll leave my email below) Interested — but I'd want to see more before committing Curious, but I'm not the early-adopter type. Ping me when it's stable. Not for me — too much commitment, too early

Big picture

Q11 of 12

Have you ever bought a device specifically because of its family or parental control features — or specifically avoided one for the same reason?

Q12 of 12

If you could change one thing about how families manage technology together — not just parental controls, but the whole dynamic — what would it be?

About you

Q1 of 12

How old are you (roughly)?

Helps me read your answers in context. Pick the closest range.

Under 13 13–15 16–17 18+, but I was being supervised until recently

Q2 of 12

Which of your devices have parental controls or restrictions on them right now?

Select all that apply. "None" is a totally valid answer.

iPhone / iPad Android phone / tablet Windows PC / laptop Mac Chromebook (probably school-managed) Game console None of my devices have controls on them

How it actually works

Q3 of 12

How well do the parental controls on your devices actually work — from your point of view?

1 = totally broken / pointless, 5 = fair and reasonable

Pointless Fair

Q4 of 12

What's the single most annoying or unfair thing about parental controls on your devices?

Be honest. Nobody's reading this who knows you.

Q5 of 12

Have you ever found a way around the controls on your devices?

No judgement. I just want to know how leaky these things are.

Yes — more than once, with different tricks Yes — once, and it still works I've tried but couldn't figure it out I've never bothered trying There aren't any controls on my stuff to bypass

Trust and privacy

Q6 of 12

When parents use Screen Time or Family Link, your usage data goes through Apple or Google's servers. How does that sit with you?

Bothers me a lot — I don't want big tech seeing my activity either Somewhat — I'm uneasy but I figure it's already happening with everything else Don't really mind — it's just data Honestly hadn't thought about it before now

Q7 of 12

If supervision worked only between your device and your parent's device — no company in the middle, nothing leaving your home — would you feel better or worse about it?

A lot better — that actually sounds way more reasonable A bit better, but I'd want to know exactly what my parent can see No difference — supervised is supervised either way Worse — at least with a big company there's some oversight

Q8 of 12

Should you always be able to see exactly what's being monitored on your own device, even if you can't turn it off?

No wrong answer. I want your real take.

Yes, always. Secret monitoring would actually break my trust more than the rules themselves. Mostly yes — I should at least know the categories, even if not every detail It depends on age — younger kids maybe don't need to see all of it I don't really care if I know or not

How PresenceOS actually works

Q9 of 12

Heads up — here's how PresenceOS is different from Screen Time and Family Link.

The reveal

PresenceOS supervision lives below the operating system — not as an app inside it. So a VPN won't get around it. Neither will a private browser, a different DNS, an alternate account, or even reinstalling the OS. Whatever rules your parent set, they apply.

How does that land?

Fair enough — at least it's honest. No pretending the rules are stronger than they are. A bit uneasy — feels really locked down, even if I weren't planning to bypass anything I don't really care — I wasn't going to try to bypass anyway Not great — kids should have some room to push back or figure things out

Q10 of 12

Two more things you should know about how PresenceOS works.

The reveal

Only your device is affected. Your parent doesn't touch the home router or block stuff on the Wi-Fi. Your siblings' phones, guests' laptops, the smart TV — all completely untouched.
Your parent can spin up a temporary fresh workspace (a "VM") for you on demand. Think of it like a sandbox. They could open one to let you try a specific game, website, or tool that's normally restricted — without touching your main setup, then close it when done.

How does that combination feel?

Honestly? Way more reasonable than the usual "block it for the whole house" approach. OK — but the on-demand VM thing only works if my parent actually uses it. Otherwise it's just a promise. Mixed — flexible, sure, but it still feels surveillance-y at the core I'd rather just have a normal device. Asking for a "workspace" sounds awkward.

Big picture

Q11 of 12

Has parental control stuff ever gotten in the way of something legitimate — schoolwork, friends, an emergency?

Q12 of 12

If you could change one thing about how parents and kids handle tech — not just controls, the whole dynamic — what would it be?

One last thing — stay in the loop?

Entirely optional. I'll only use it to send early access details. No newsletters, no spam.

Your responses come directly to me. I don't sell data or share it with third parties. By submitting you agree to the privacy policy.

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