A new app called Screenable is revolutionizing the way parents introduce their children to technology. Designed to grow with a child, the app offers different modes for kids of different ages, starting with a "Dumb Phone" mode that turns an iPhone or iPad into a classic flip phone. This mode allows kids to access only the Phone, FaceTime, and Messages apps, with parents able to restrict interactions to specific numbers using Apple's parental controls.

As kids grow older, the app's "Screen Trainer" mode enables a collaborative approach to parental controls, allowing kids to use other apps while parents receive notifications about their activities. A forthcoming "Social Trainer" mode will introduce kids to social media, allowing parents to set time limits and in-app controls for individual social media apps.

The app is the brainchild of a family-founded startup, created by brothers Tom and Stevie Clifton, and their wives, Scarlet Clifton and Hannah Kwon. The founders, who previously founded cloud-based video maker startup Animoto, wanted to create a solution that would help parents introduce technology to their kids in a healthy and gradual way.

Screenable operates on a freemium model, with the "Dumb Phone" mode available for free, and additional modes accessible for a monthly fee of $7. The startup believes the app will allow parents to repurpose old smartphones, reducing the need for new device purchases. With plans to expand the app's capabilities to enable families to disconnect from technology together, Screenable is poised to make a significant impact on the way we approach tech introduction and usage.