What is Peekafold?
Peekafold is an app of paper pop-up books for children aged 3 to 5, on iPhone and iPad. Each book is a subject and each page is a small game: count strawberries for Foldy the hippo, stamp a word with letter stamps, bring each baby animal to its mommy. The big moment comes when the book closes: Foldy chomps, the stamp prints, every pair hugs. It is made by Paul Nguyen, a solo developer in Vietnam.
Is it a story or reading app?
Not quite. There is no narrator and nothing your child has to read. Peekafold is pop-up books to play with: tap, drag, fold and see what happens. Pictures, music, a little hint hand and Foldy’s pantomime show the way, so a child who can’t read yet can play alone or on your lap.
What ages is it for?
Ages 3 to 5. Peekafold is made for the App Store’s Kids Category, in the 5 and under band. There is no clock and no score; a wrong answer gets a giggle and a hint, and the next try is a little easier, so younger children don’t get stuck.
Which devices does it run on? Do I need an iPhone Duo?
Peekafold runs on iPhone and iPad with iOS 16.4 or later, in landscape. You don’t need an iPhone Duo: on any iPhone or iPad your child closes the book by dragging the right page over the spine, or by tapping the paper fold button, and every surprise works the same way. On an iPhone Duo, folding the phone closes the book, and the cover display becomes the book’s cover with a little peek window.
Is Peekafold free?
Two whole books are free for good: 123 and Animal Friends, every page, with no ads and no time limit. The Library Card opens the other books (ABC and Art & Music) and every new book as it joins the shelf, seasonal ones too. It comes as a monthly or yearly subscription, or a one-time Lifetime purchase. It costs $4.99 a month, $24.99 a year or $59.99 once in the US App Store; other countries have their own prices.
Purchases happen only in the App Store, behind the parental gate: your child never sees a price.
Are there ads?
No, and there never will be. The app has no ads and no ad networks, and nothing to watch before a page opens. It sends no notifications and has no streaks or countdowns to pull your child back. Purchases, settings and links out of the app sit behind a question only a grown-up can answer.
Does it need the internet?
No. Every book plays with no Wi-Fi or cellular data: in the car, on a plane, at grandma’s. You only need a connection to download the app, to buy the Library Card, or to sync the optional family account.
What happens to my child’s data?
Your child plays as a guest, with no account. The first name you may type for the book’s cover stays on the device and is never sent anywhere. There are no third-party analytics and no tracking. The app sends only a few anonymous counts of which games get played (no name, no IDs, once a day), and you can turn them off in the grown-ups’ corner.
If you choose to sign in with Apple to sync between your devices, Peekafold stores your email and your child’s stickers and pages, never the child’s name, age, photo or voice. The privacy policy has every detail.
Which languages does it speak?
Seven: English, Vietnamese, Spanish, German, Japanese, Korean and Simplified Chinese. The app follows your device’s language, and you can switch in the grown-ups’ corner. The letter games in the ABC book use the English alphabet and English words (C-A-T, “cat”) in every language. Most games need no words at all: pictures and sounds tell the story.
What will my child play with?
Four books and ten games, each built around something little ones meet every day:
- 123: counting and shapes (Foldy’s Lunch, Shape Bakery)
- Animal Friends: memory, baby animals and feelings (Who’s Hiding?, Hug Time, Magic Mirror)
- ABC: letters and the alphabet (Stamp a Word, Letter Train)
- Art & Music: symmetry, color mixing, music and listening (Butterfly Prints, Paint Pots, Animal Band)
Peekafold is a game, not a teacher, and no substitute for reading together.
When does it launch?
Soon, on the App Store. I haven’t set a date yet, so I won’t promise one. Join the waitlist below and you’ll hear the day it’s out.
How do I hear when it’s out?
Add your email to the waitlist. You’ll get one email to confirm the address, then one when Peekafold is on the App Store. No spam, never shared, and I delete your address whenever you ask. The waitlist is for grown-ups: please don’t sign up a child.
