Frequently Asked Questions

Apple Intelligence is Apple's on-device AI system, built into newer iPhones, iPads, and Macs. It includes a language model that can understand and generate text directly on your device — without sending anything to the cloud.

CodePaw uses Apple Intelligence to power its AI features: conversations with learning personas, voice mode, AI-guided lessons, and on-device image creation. Because the AI runs entirely on your device, your child's conversations stay completely private.

Apple Intelligence is available on:

• iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and all iPhone 16 models or later
• iPad models with an M1 chip or later
• Mac models with Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, M4, or later)

The device must also be running iOS 26, iPadOS 26, or macOS 26 or later, and Apple Intelligence must be enabled in Settings.

Plenty! Even without Apple Intelligence, your child gets full access to:

• Curated courses — Step-by-step lessons across coding, science, maths, history, geography, astronomy, and more
• JavaScript workspace — A real code editor with live console output and HTML preview
• Quizzes and progress tracking — Complete lessons, earn stars, and track progress across courses
• Themes and personalisation — Customise the look and feel of the app

The AI features (chat, voice mode, image creation, and AI-guided lesson walkthroughs) are the only things that require Apple Intelligence.

If your device supports Apple Intelligence but it isn't enabled yet, CodePaw will let you know during setup and guide you to the right place:

• On iPhone or iPad: Open Settings → Apple Intelligence & Siri, then turn on Apple Intelligence.
• On Mac: Open System Settings → Apple Intelligence & Siri, then turn on Apple Intelligence.

After enabling it, Apple Intelligence may take a few minutes to prepare before it's ready to use. CodePaw will show a preparing screen and let you know when everything is set.

There are a few things to check:

• Check your OS version — CodePaw requires iOS 26, iPadOS 26, or macOS 26 or later.
• Enable Apple Intelligence — It may be turned off in Settings. Go to Apple Intelligence & Siri and make sure it's switched on.
• Wait for preparation — After enabling Apple Intelligence for the first time, it may take a few minutes to download and prepare the on-device models.
• Check your language and region — Apple Intelligence may not be available in all languages or regions yet.

If you've checked all of the above and it still isn't working, try restarting your device. If the issue persists, feel free to contact us.

CodePaw requires macOS 26, which only runs on Macs with Apple Silicon (M1 chip or later). Intel-based Macs are not supported by macOS 26 and therefore cannot run CodePaw.

If you have an older Intel Mac, your child can still use CodePaw on a compatible iPhone or iPad instead.

All Macs released from late 2020 onwards use Apple Silicon. This includes any Mac with an M1, M2, M3, M4 chip (or later). Specifically:

• MacBook Air — M1 (2020) and later
• MacBook Pro — M1 (late 2020) and later
• Mac mini — M1 (2020) and later
• iMac — M1 (2021) and later
• Mac Studio — M1 Max/Ultra (2022) and later
• Mac Pro — M2 Ultra (2023) and later

All Apple Silicon Macs (M1 and later) get the same CodePaw features, including the full Apple Intelligence experience. The only practical difference is performance — newer chips are faster, but you won't miss out on any features with an M1.

Voice mode on Mac uses a high-quality neural text-to-speech engine (Kokoro) that runs on-device using the Mac's GPU. This works on all Apple Silicon Macs and delivers natural-sounding spoken responses.

Voice mode lets your child have a spoken conversation with CodePaw. They speak a question, CodePaw understands it using on-device speech recognition, generates a response with Apple Intelligence, and then reads the answer aloud.

Everything happens entirely on-device — no voice recordings are ever sent anywhere. Speech recognition uses Apple's built-in SFSpeechRecognizer in on-device mode.

It can. CodePaw includes a high-quality neural voice engine called Kokoro that produces natural, expressive speech. Kokoro is available on:

• iPhone — All models that support Apple Intelligence
• iPad — All models that support Apple Intelligence
• Mac — All Apple Silicon Macs

If Kokoro is not available on a particular device, CodePaw automatically falls back to Apple's built-in system voice, which is still clear and functional but sounds more robotic by comparison.

CodePaw is rated 13+ on the App Store under Apple’s age-rating guidelines.

Children under 18 should use CodePaw with a parent or guardian’s permission. Courses and coding are designed for structured family learning, and AI features should be used with adult oversight where appropriate.

Not for day-to-day use. All AI features, courses, lessons, and the JavaScript workspace run entirely on-device with no internet required.

The only time CodePaw needs a network connection is for App Store subscription verification (handled automatically by Apple). Once the app is installed and set up, your child can use it completely offline.

Yes. CodePaw was built with children's safety as a core design principle:

• 100% on-device — No data is ever sent to any server. No cloud, no third-party services.
• No accounts, no tracking, no ads — There is nothing to sign up for and nothing is collected.
• Age-appropriate AI — Every AI persona is guided to keep responses child-friendly, and Apple Intelligence includes its own on-device safety filters.
• Clear limits — AI features can still make mistakes or give uneven answers, so families should use them with appropriate supervision.
• Parental gate — Subscriptions are protected by a parental consent gate that must be completed by an adult.

For full details, see our Privacy Policy.

CodePaw offers curated courses across a growing range of subjects:

• Coding — JavaScript, algorithms, CSS, app design, Git & GitHub
• Science — Biology, physics, chemistry, and the natural world
• Mathematics — Number sense, geometry, problem-solving
• History — Key periods, civilisations, and events
• Geography — Countries, landscapes, and how the world works
• Astronomy — Space, planets, stars, and the universe

New courses are added regularly, and more subjects are on the way. On devices with Apple Intelligence, children can also chat about any topic with eight specialist AI personas.

Yes. CodePaw is a universal app that works on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. If your child has access to more than one Apple device, they can use CodePaw on all of them.

Curated courses and the JavaScript workspace are available on every device, regardless of Apple Intelligence support. Your child can start a lesson on one device and continue on another.

CodePaw Premium unlocks the full library of curated courses across all subjects. This includes every course available today and every course added in the future — all for one annual price.

CodePaw Premium also supports Apple Family Sharing, so one subscription can be shared across your family group.

Premium courses work on every device, including those without Apple Intelligence. No AI is required to access the course library.

Free users can try a selection of sample lessons in each course before subscribing.

CodePaw Premium costs £9.99 per year — that's less than 83p a month for the whole family with Apple Family Sharing support. Pricing may vary by region and is displayed in your local currency in the App Store.

All AI features (chat, voice mode, image creation) are free on devices with Apple Intelligence. The subscription only unlocks the full course library.

All subscriptions are managed through Apple. To cancel:

• On iPhone or iPad: Go to Settings → [Your Name] → Subscriptions, find CodePaw, and tap Cancel.
• On Mac: Open the App Store, click your profile, choose Account Settings → Subscriptions, and cancel from there.

You'll keep access to Premium features until the end of your current billing period. Cancellation must be made at least 24 hours before the renewal date.

Yes. CodePaw Premium supports Apple Family Sharing, so one subscription can be shared with eligible family members in your Apple family group.

Family Sharing availability and access are managed by Apple and depend on your Apple account settings.

No. CodePaw collects absolutely no personal data. There are no accounts, no analytics, no crash reporting, no advertising SDKs, and no tracking of any kind. We have no way of knowing who uses the app or how they use it — and we designed it that way deliberately.

All data (conversations, lesson progress, settings) is stored locally on the device using Apple's SwiftData framework. Deleting the app removes everything.

For full details, read our Privacy Policy.

No. CodePaw uses Apple Intelligence, which runs the language model entirely on your device. Conversations are processed locally and are never sent to Apple, to us, or to any third party. This is one of the key reasons we chose Apple's on-device AI — your child's conversations are truly private.