What is Finch app? What parents need to know

Finch is a wellbeing app that takes a gamified approach to self-care. Users receive a virtual pet bird, called a Finch, which they can then personalise and care for by completing self-care tasks and engaging in healthy behaviour.

Positive habits earn users points called rainbow stones, which they can spend on clothes and furniture for their bird.  Users can set their own custom goals or use one of the app’s suggestions, which include exercising, tidying and connecting with loved ones.

Finch is available on iOS and Android devices. It is free to download but a paid version called Finch Plus also exists.

Finch Plus costs £70.99/year, but users can sign up for a 7-day free trial before committing to paying for Finch Plus. The premium version gives addition customisation options for birds, more in-depth habit tracking and removes adverts. However, you can still use the app effectively with the free version.

The app is rated PEGI 3, meaning it is suitable for kids of all ages.

When starting to use Finch, users must first select the colour they would like their pet bird to be, name it and assign its pronouns. They then fill out a quick assessment about how they feel and what they’d like to get out of the app. Questions ask about the user’s mental health, age, gender and daily life challenges.

The app then presents users with a daily plan which includes easy goals such as drinking water, brushing teeth and doing something that makes them happy. These are simple goals but can be useful for children who might otherwise neglect some self-care tasks like teeth brushing.

Completing these goals earns users points that they can spend on cosmetic items like clothing for the bird and furniture for their coop. These items are very inclusive, with options such as pride flags and mobility canes.

Users can also earn rewards by logging in on consecutive days and building a streak. This encourages children to continue using the app, especially as they can see which rewards they would earn at different milestones like 7 days and 14 days.

Users can become friends with other users and share their goals and progress with them. There is no option to message other users though, so this is quite a safe approach to friends in the app.

Finch does not offer any parental controls. However, its PEGI 3 rating means that content is appropriate for children of all ages.

If you do want to set controls for the app, such as limiting screen time or stopping your child from purchasing Finch Plus without your permission, you must set controls directly through the device’s settings.

Read our Android parental control or iOS parental control guides to get step-by-step instructions on how to set these limits.

• Helps develop positive habits
• Free version has all essential features
• Child-friendly design and interface
• Gamified system encourages repeated use
• Inclusive, representation for all children
• Fun customisation

The Finch app is overall a great tool for children’s wellbeing. It is aimed at children and is a safe experience. However, there are still some things you should watch out for if your child starts using Finch.

Finch is gamified and encourages users to log on every day and complete a list of goals. For some users, this could cause feelings of stress, as they are pressured to complete these daily tasks.

If your child has these feelings, be sure to reassure and work with them to reduce the stress they feel about the app. This could include changing their daily tasks or using a less gamified wellbeing app.

Another risk of the gamified design is that children may spend an excessive amount of time on the app customising their Finch and viewing its progress. Placing a time limit on how long or when they can use the app through the device’s settings can help manage their screen usage. Visit our screen time advice hub for more advice on excessive screen use.