Howcomet

The story

Howcomet is a curiosity app designed for children aged 5-14 that transforms questions into learning experiences. When a child asks a question—spoken or typed—the app provides an age-appropriate answer, followed by a quick game to verify understanding. Each completed question becomes a star in the child's personal sky.

The app organizes stars into constellations grouped by topic, creating a visual map of what the child has learned. Stars fade over time and glow again when revisited, encouraging ongoing engagement. Parents can see a weekly summary of questions asked and areas where their child's knowledge is fading.

Privacy and safety are central to the design. All questions are screened before answers are provided, and parents set up accounts on their own phones without their password appearing on the child's device. The app contains no ads, trackers, or in-app purchases. Speech processing stays on-device, and no third-party analytics are used.

Questions after the show

Is this just a chatbot with a cartoon font?

No. Howcomet answers questions, checks that the child understood through games, and keeps a persistent record. After a month, the child has a map of what they know, and parents can see what is fading. A regular chatbot answers and forgets.

Can the app get things wrong?

It can make errors. However, the games and pictures are not generated by the AI but built by the team, so anything that does not check out is removed instead of displayed. Parents receive a weekly page listing all questions their child asked so they can verify the content.

How much screen time does Howcomet require?

Less than expected. There is a daily limit on what a child can earn, so playing longer does nothing. Stars come back to life by returning tomorrow, naturally limiting daily usage.

Can siblings share the same account?

Yes, one grown-up account can have multiple children. Each child has their own sky, stars, reading level, and goals with no overlap.

What happens to the child's sky if we stop paying?

The sky remains accessible. Children can still view everything they have built, but they cannot ask new questions until payment resumes.