Why does The Commons need these permissions?
Some permissions requested during setup can sound broader than how The Commons actually uses them. Each has a specific purpose in making School Mode work.
Embedded Files
LOCATION
LOCATION
Helps School Mode know when to turn on and off.
Your phone uses location services to recognize when you've arrived at or left school.
What it doesn't do:
The Commons and BSD7 do not track your GPS location, location history, or where you go.
SCREEN TIME
SCREEN TIME
Makes distracting apps unavailable during School Mode.
The Commons uses Apple's Screen Time technology to apply BSD7's phone policy while School Mode is on.
What it doesn't do:
The Commons and BSD7 do not see your Screen Time activity, messages, photos, or what you do inside your apps.
VPN
VPN
Keeps restricted online content from loading.
The VPN supports BSD7's policy while School Mode is active.
What it doesn't do:
The Commons and BSD7 do not track your browsing history or use the VPN to monitor your web activity.
Need help?
Need help?
School Mode didn’t turn off. What should I do?
Occasionally, your phone may not immediately recognize that the school day has ended or that you've left the school area. Open The Commons app and swipe down to refresh. This prompts the app to update your current School Mode status.
An approved app isn’t working. What should I do?
Sometimes a phone setting or permission can change and unintentionally interfere with how an approved app works during School Mode. If an app you believe should be available isn't working, contact The Commons Support team and we'll help identify what's happening.
Calls or text messages aren’t working. What should I do?
Based on BSD7’s phone policy, calls and text messages are intended to remain available during School Mode. Occasionally, phone settings can unintentionally restrict this access. Contact The Commons Support team and we’ll help you get it resolved.
School Mode didn’t turn on when I arrived at school. What should I do?
Open The Commons app and swipe down to refresh. We may also send reminders or notifications if your phone needs attention, which we recommend opening when you receive them. If School Mode still doesn’t turn on, contact The Commons Support team so we can help troubleshoot.
GET HELP FROM THE COMMONS → support@the-commons.app or visit our knowledge base: https://support.the-commons.app/
Why BSD7 chose The Commons
Why BSD7 chose The Commons
A different approach to student phone management — built around what students need today and the skills they'll need tomorrow.
1. Built from experience in thousands of schools
The Commons' founders bring years of experience working directly with students, educators and thousands of schools around the world navigating the shift toward phone-free learning environments.
2. Grounded in behavior change
The Commons incorporates behavioral science and habit-formation principles because lasting change takes more than simply making an app unavailable.
3. Separates distraction from utility
Phones aren't inherently good or bad. The Commons is designed to restrict the distractions that interfere with learning while preserving access to the tools students genuinely need.
4. Goes beyond compliance
A successful phone policy isn't just about whether a student followed the rule today. The Commons pairs technology with education, positive reinforcement and behavioral supports designed to help students build healthier habits.
5. Builds skills that last beyond school
Students will eventually enter colleges, workplaces and careers where their phones won't be taken away. The goal is to help them develop the self-regulation and intentional technology habits they'll need long after graduation.
Your Kid Has Questions About The Commons. Here's What to Know.
A practical guide for separating fact from fiction and talking about phone boundaries at home.
Your Kid Has Questions About The Commons. Here's What to Know.
A practical guide for separating fact from fiction and talking about phone boundaries at home.
"The Commons tracks me after school."
FACT: The Commons does not receive or store your child's location. The phone's operating system uses location permission only to determine whether the device has entered or left the school's designated area. Neither the school nor The Commons can open a map and see where your child is.
In rare cases, School Mode may not turn off right away after your child leaves school — that's usually the phone's operating system being slow to recognize the device has left the school zone, not a tracking issue. Opening the app and pulling down to refresh usually fixes it.
"I got a notification outside of school hours — does that mean it's tracking me?"
FACT: No. Notifications are built to run during school hours, but because The Commons doesn't track location in real time, they can occasionally trigger outside that window if the app hasn't synced. These are typically just reminders. For example, if a setting got turned off or the app hasn't been opened in a while. Like most apps, it sometimes just needs to be reopened to reconnect.
"The Commons can see everything on my phone."
FACT: The Commons does not access your child's photos, messages, browsing history, passwords, or what they're doing on their phone. The technology is designed to restrict access to distracting apps during the school's designated times. Our app was never designed to monitor personal activity.
"They're collecting my data."
FACT: The Commons collects only the limited information necessary to run the school program and confirm the app is set up and working. It does not sell student data or use student information for advertising.
Your school can see whether School Mode is running properly on your device. The school nor The Commons can see what you're doing on it.
The Commons is designed specifically for schools and follows applicable student data privacy requirements. Unlike many consumer apps students use every day, student information is not used for advertising or sold.
"It's not working, so I should delete it."
FACT: Don't delete it. If School Mode doesn't turn on or off when expected, open The Commons and refresh. If something still isn't right, contact the school or The Commons support so we can troubleshoot it: support@the-commons.app
"My phone is already restricted at home. Why do I need this?"
FACT: Your family's settings and the school's phone policy serve different purposes. The Commons helps the school apply its policy consistently across all students during the school day. If your family's restrictions already meet the school's guidelines, you're welcome to raise that with the school — some may allow an exception in that case.
"I need certain apps for health/school/etc."
FACT: Schools can approve specific tools, and The Commons is designed to preserve access to important medical, educational, accessibility, and communication needs. If something your child legitimately needs is blocked, tell the school rather than working around or deleting the app.
WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOUR CHILD PUSHES BACK
WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOUR CHILD PUSHES BACK
Student: "They're tracking me."
Parent: "I understand why that would bother you. I checked with the school and district — they can't see where you are. Let's look at what the app actually does, together."
Student: "Everyone says it steals our data."
Parent: "What specifically are you worried they can see? Let's verify that instead of going by what people at school are saying."
Student: "It doesn't work. I'm deleting it."
Parent: "If it isn't working correctly, we'll get help fixing it. Deleting it isn't the solution."
Student: "Nobody else is doing it."
Parent: "I'm responsible for what we decide in our family. Your school has a phone policy, and we agree that social media and entertainment apps don't have a place during the school day. We like The Commons because it still allows you to call or text us if necessary — it's a better compromise than having your phone locked away."
Further Family Resources
Further Family Resources
Phones and technology are part of everyday life — at school, at home, and everywhere in between. Helping students develop healthy, responsible habits with technology works best when schools and families support the same skills together.
The Commons has developed further family resources to discuss screentime and digital citizenship.
Together, these small actions help you and your student practice the skills for life beyond the classroom.
For resources such as:
Student Workbook - For Life Beyond The Scroll
At Home Family Challenges - Co-developed by an adolescent psychiastrist
Expert Content Video Clips on screentime, social media and digital health
Email: support@the-commons.app and indicate which resource you would like.
Graph adapted from Apps that Track You
How can schools best manage phones? There’s a lot to suggest that bans can help. But there are big questions about how these will fare over time and the best ways to cultivate good habits in students.
AI, cell phones, the internet... Our world is changing more rapidly than ever before as new technology disrupts the ways we work and live.
Why willpower isn't a phone policy — and what behavioral science says works instead.
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