Getting Started
This guide walks you through OpenChore based on your role. Find your section below and follow along.
You just installed OpenChore and opened it for the first time. Here's how to get your family up and running.
The setup wizard appears on first boot. Add your kids' names and pick a theme for each. You'll also set the admin PIN — this protects the management panel from curious little hands.
Tip: You can always add more kids later from the admin panel's People tab.
Tap Manage on the profile selection screen, enter your PIN, and you're in the admin dashboard.
Tap + Add Chore to open the creation wizard. For your first chore, keep it simple:
- Title: "Make Bed"
- Category: Required (these must be done before Core chore points count)
- Points: 5
- Schedule: Assign to your kids, pick "Weekdays" or "Every day"
That's it — the chore will appear on your kids' dashboards immediately.
Chore categories create a built-in priority system:
| Category | Purpose | Point Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Required | Non-negotiable daily tasks (brush teeth, make bed) | Must be completed before Core points are awarded |
| Core | Standard chores (dishes, take out trash) | Points held pending until all Required chores are done |
| Bonus | Optional extra-credit tasks (read, practice piano) | Points only count if all Required + Core chores are done |
Start with 2-3 Required chores, 3-4 Core chores, and 1-2 Bonus chores per kid. You can always adjust.
Go to the Rewards tab and create things your kids can spend points on:
- Small rewards (30-50 pts): Extra screen time, pick a snack
- Medium rewards (75-100 pts): Movie night pick, ice cream trip
- Big rewards (150+ pts): New book, special outing
Tip: Use the Stock field to limit redemptions (e.g., "Skip a Chore" with stock of 3 per week).
If you're running the AI stack (docker compose --profile ai up), you can turn on automatic photo review and text-to-speech audio. Go to Settings in the admin panel and enable AI Photo Review — chores that require photos will be reviewed automatically, giving kids instant feedback. You can also enable TTS to generate audio descriptions for younger kids. See AI Features for full setup details.
For the best experience, add OpenChore to your iPad's home screen:
- Open the app URL in Safari
- Tap the Share button → Add to Home Screen
- The app will launch fullscreen without Safari's address bar
Navigate to the profile selection screen and tap Wall Display to enter the ambient dashboard. This shows a live race graph of who's winning the chore race that day — great motivation.
Once you're set up, here's your typical daily flow.
Open the app, tap Manage, and glance at the Approvals tab. If any chores require approval, you'll see a red badge with the count. Review photos, approve or reject.
Need someone to bring in the trash cans today? Use Quick Assign — tap the blue + button in the bottom-right corner of any admin tab:
Pick the chore, tap the kid's name, and it's assigned for today. Done in 3 taps.
Switch to the Points tab to see balances, or the Log tab for the full transaction history. Made a mistake? The Log tab has an undo button on recent transactions.
Going on a trip? Open the People tab and tap the pause button next to a kid's name. Their chores are suspended without deleting any schedules. Unpause when you're back.
Tap your name on the welcome screen. You'll see your chores for today, organized by when they need to be done:
- Morning chores are at the top
- Afternoon and Evening chores appear below
- Your progress bar shows how many you've finished
When you finish a chore, swipe right on the chore card (or tap the circle). You'll hear a sound and see your points go up.
If you accidentally mark something done, swipe left to undo it.
At the top of your dashboard, you'll see four numbers:
- Balance — your total spendable points
- Streak — how many days in a row you've finished everything
- Today — points earned so far today
- Pending — points you'll get once your Required chores are done
Important: You need to finish all your Required chores before your Core chore points count. And all Required + Core chores need to be done before Bonus points count. Do the important stuff first!
Tap the Rewards tab to see what you can buy with your points:
When you have enough points, the Redeem button lights up. Tap it and your parent will know you earned your reward.
Your streak counts how many days in a row you've completed all your Required and Core chores. The longer your streak, the bigger the bonus:
- 3 days in a row: bonus points
- 7 days: even bigger bonus
- 14 days and 30 days: huge bonus
Missing a single day resets your streak to zero, so stay consistent!
Tap your profile picture to change your avatar — there are 12 different styles to pick from, and you can shuffle for a new look.
Tap the palette icon to switch your theme. Each theme changes the colors, sounds, and labels throughout the app.
Tap the sparkle icon to pick your line color — this is the color that represents you on the family race graph on the wall display.
Tap your picture on the screen to see your chores. Each chore has a picture and tells you how many points you'll earn.
See the speaker button at the top of the screen? Tap it to turn on read-aloud mode. Now you can tap any chore card and hear what it says.
When you're done with a chore, slide your finger to the right on it. You'll hear a fun sound — that means you did it!
If you made a mistake, slide your finger to the left to undo it.
The big number at the top is how many points you have. Do your chores every day to earn more and keep your streak going. When you have enough points, ask your parent to help you pick a reward from the Rewards tab.
Don't create 20 chores on day one. Begin with 3-5 essential chores per kid and add more as the system becomes routine.
- Required chores (brush teeth, make bed): 5 pts — these are expected
- Core chores (dishes, cleaning): 10 pts — these take real effort
- Bonus chores (reading, practice): 10-15 pts — reward going above and beyond
Time locks and deadlines are powerful but can feel punishing. Start without them and only add due_by times for chores that genuinely need to be done by a certain time (like setting the table before dinner).
Let your kids suggest what goes in the rewards store. They're more motivated when they're working toward something they actually want.
Mount a tablet somewhere visible (kitchen, hallway) running the ambient dashboard. The race graph creates friendly competition without anyone having to say "did you do your chores?"
Configure streak rewards generously — the first few milestones (3-day, 7-day) should feel achievable. The habit-building effect of streaks is the most valuable part of the system.
When a chore opportunity comes up naturally ("the recycling is full — can you take it out?"), use Quick Assign to make it official. Kids learn that effort is always recognized.