Ask us anything
If your question isn't here, email hello@zupelo.com. A person answers, usually within a day.
For parents
What age is Zupelo for?
Four to fifteen. The app changes as your child grows: Sprouts (4–6) has no reading and speaks every instruction out loud, and Masters (13–15) looks closer to a study tool than a game. You set the age once and Zupelo adjusts from there.
How long should my child use it each day?
Ten to fifteen minutes is the sweet spot, and that is what our default limits are set to. You can change the daily budget in the parent portal. When the time is nearly up, Zupelo finishes the current lesson and winds down rather than cutting off mid-question.
Will my child actually learn, or just collect points?
This is the right question to ask any learning app. Two things keep Zupelo honest. Shells are only awarded for answering, explaining or trying again, never for watching or waiting. And every fortnight a challenge leaves the screen entirely: measure something, build something, teach it to a grown-up. Your weekly email tells you what your child can now do that they could not do last month, in plain words.
My child gets frustrated and gives up. What then?
Zupelo notices. Three wrong answers in a row and the buddy stops the lesson, switches to something easier that the child already enjoys, and comes back to the hard thing tomorrow with a different explanation. Nothing is ever marked as failed.
Can I use it with more than one child?
Yes. The Family plan covers up to six children for $39 a year, each with their own profile, buddy, streak and progress, all visible in one portal. Siblings can play in a private league together.
For kids
These answers are for you, not the grown-ups.
What happens if I miss a day?
Nothing bad. You get one free streak rescue every month, so one missed day is fine. If you miss more, your streak starts again at one, and honestly? Starting again is fine too. Pelo has started again lots of times.
Can I play with my friends?
Yes. Ask a grown-up to approve them first, then you can duel them in quizzes, race them in maths, or play chess. You can also join a team quest where five of you work on one goal for a week.
Can I change my buddy?
Any time. Tap your buddy, then Swap. You can dress them up with shells you have earned, and give them a hat. Pelo likes hats a lot.
What are shells for?
Shells unlock new arms, new outfits and new games. You earn them by learning, and you cannot buy them with real money. That is on purpose, so the person with the most shells is always the person who practised most.
Safety and AI buddies
What exactly is an AI buddy?
A character your child talks to that is powered by a large language model. Buddies explain a question a second way, ask what your child is thinking, read prompts aloud and give feedback on spoken answers. They are teaching assistants with a personality, not open-ended chatbots.
Can my child chat with the buddy?
No, and that is deliberate. There is no chat in Zupelo. The buddy cheers, hints and explains a question a second way, from lines we write in advance and the engine chooses between. There is nothing off-topic to go to: the buddy speaks only about the activity. If a child says something that suggests they are upset or unsafe, the buddy responds gently, points them to a trusted adult, and it is flagged in your portal immediately.
Can I read what they said?
Every hint the buddy offered is listed in the parent portal. You can read it, export it, or switch buddies off completely and use Zupelo with no AI at all. Spoken instructions can be turned off separately.
Can strangers contact my child?
No. There is no open chat, no public profile, no follower count and no way for an adult to find your child. Friends are added by a six-letter code that a grown-up on both sides must approve. Leagues only include approved friends and classmates.
Privacy
What we collect
A first name, an age band, a parent's email, and what your child does in lessons. That is what we need to teach well and to bill you.
What we never collect
Location, contacts, photos from the camera roll, surnames, or any advertising identifier. There are no third-party trackers in the children's app.
Voice recordings
Speech is processed to score pronunciation and then deleted within 24 hours. It is never used to train models and never leaves our processors.
Your controls
Export or permanently delete everything from the parent portal in two taps. Deletion is completed within seven days and confirmed by email.
Zupelo is built to COPPA, the GDPR including its children's provisions, the UK Age Appropriate Design Code, the Student Privacy Pledge and equivalent rules worldwide. Read the full privacy policy.
For teachers
Is the free classroom plan really free?
Yes, permanently, for up to 35 students per teacher. No purchase order, no trial clock, no feature that stops working in week three. School Pro at $2.50 per student a year adds whole-school reporting, roster sync and single sign-on.
Do my students need email addresses?
No. You can print a code sheet and hand it out. Students log in with a class code and a picture password, which works well with younger year levels and shared devices.
Is it aligned to my curriculum?
Every lesson is tagged to the major school frameworks, including Common Core, England's National Curriculum, the Australian Curriculum, CBSE, Singapore Maths and the IB. Pick yours and the console shows coverage against the goals you report on.
How much of my time does it take?
Setting an assignment takes about twenty seconds. The console does the marking and groups students by the misconception they showed, so your prep is reading one screen before the lesson.
Billing and help
How do I cancel?
Parent portal, Plan, Cancel. Two taps, no phone call, no retention flow. You keep access until the end of the period you paid for, and we email you seven days before any renewal.
Do you offer refunds?
Yes. If you cancel within 30 days of an annual payment we refund it in full, no questions. After that we refund the unused months on request.
What if we can't afford it?
Request hardship pricing in the portal and your plan drops to $6 a year immediately. No evidence, no interview. Our mission does not have an income test.
Does Zupelo work offline?
On Plus and Family, yes. Download a week of lessons over wi-fi and your child can keep going on a plane, a bus or anywhere the signal drops. Progress syncs when you reconnect.
How do I get help from a human?
Email hello@zupelo.com or tap Help in the parent portal. We answer within one working day, and schools get a named contact.