Can I use Moshi without a screen?

Sort of. While you need the screen to select the story, the app is designed to continue playing audio when the screen is locked or turned off. Many parents connect it to a Bluetooth speaker and keep the phone out of the kid's reach.

Is the NYU study legit or just marketing?

It was a real study conducted by researchers at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. While the sample size was small (30 kids), the results showed significant improvements in sleep latency and duration. It's more than most 'sleep' apps can claim.

Does it work offline for travel?

Yes, you can download stories and music tracks for offline use, which is a lifesaver for flights or areas with spotty Wi-Fi.

How many devices can I use under one subscription?

Typically, you can log in on multiple devices (phones, tablets) using the same account, which is great if you have multiple kids in different rooms.

Moshi – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Moshi

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

app2017

93%

WISE Score

4.7

App Store

The holy grail for parents of kids who treat bedtime like a high-stakes combat sport.

Moshi

app

Everyone, 2017

93%

WISE Score

4.7

App Store

The holy grail for parents of kids who treat bedtime like a high-stakes combat sport.

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Where to Find

App Store

Google Play

Screenwise Verdict

Moshi is the rare app that actually earns its keep. It’s not just another digital pacifier; it’s a utility that solves one of the most exhausting parts of parenting: the bedtime standoff. By pivoting from its roots as a chaotic 'collectible monster' game into a wellness platform, the creators found a way to make digital time feel productive rather than just consumptive.

If your kid is a night owl with a brain that won't turn off, this is arguably the best money you can spend in an app store. It’s high-quality, safe, and genuinely effective at teaching kids that a quiet mind is a superpower.

Age Fit

Perfect for the 3-to-8 crowd, though the sleep sounds and white noise work for literally anyone (even you). By age 10, the 'Moshling' aesthetic might start feeling a bit 'babyish' for some kids.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Explicitly designed to lower stress and promote emotional regulation. The tone is consistently gentle, calming, and focused on positive mental health habits like gratitude and breathing.

Imaginative

The 'Moshling' universe is a rich, creative world. Audio-only stories encourage kids to build the scenes in their minds rather than just staring at a screen.

Safe

Completely ad-free and COPPA compliant. There are no social features or unmoderated chat rooms where kids could stumble into trouble.

Enriching

Teaches actual clinical techniques for anxiety and sleep. The inclusion of guided meditations and 'body scans' provides kids with a toolkit for life, not just a way to kill time.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Clinically backed results from NYU researchers suggest kids fall asleep nearly half an hour faster.
Heavyweight narration features voices like Goldie Hawn and Patrick Stewart, which makes the stories feel like premium productions rather than cheap app filler.
Life-long skills are baked into the meditation tracks, teaching kids how to handle big emotions and anxiety through breathing and grounding.
Audio-first design means you can turn the screen off or lock it, letting the app run as a smart speaker replacement that doesn't keep them awake with blue light.

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What to Watch For

The subscription cost is steep; while there is a free tier, the 'good' stories are locked behind a recurring paywall that can feel like a surprise if you aren't tracking your trials.
The 'Play' section (puzzles and coloring) is the opposite of the sleep mission—it's interactive and stimulating. If you're using this for bedtime, you'll need to set a hard rule about 'audio only' once the lights go out.

Conversation Starters

"Which Moshling do you think you're most like today—one that's sleepy, or one that's a bit wiggly?"
"When we did that breathing exercise in the app, did your tummy feel like a balloon or a wave?"
"If you could create your own Moshling to help you sleep, what would it look like and what would its name be?"
"Did you notice how the story got quieter and slower at the end? How did that make your body feel?"

Deep Dive

From Monsters to Mindfulness

You might remember Moshi from its original incarnation, Moshi Monsters, which was all about frantic collecting and social gaming. That era is dead. The 2017 reboot into Moshi Kids was a brilliant pivot. They took that cute, established IP and applied it to the 'Sleep Tech' space, and the results are surprisingly high-brow.

What sets Moshi apart from generic YouTube 'sleep music' or basic white noise machines is the quality of the writing. These aren't just rambling stories; they are structured using melodic progression—starting with a bit of engagement and slowly, mathematically dropping the tempo and volume until your kid is out. It’s basically hypnosis for toddlers, but without the weirdness.

The 'Play' Paradox

The app has expanded recently to include interactive games like puzzles and coloring. While these are fine and 'safe' in the sense that there are no ads or creeps, they do create a bit of a conflict of interest. If you hand your kid a tablet for Moshi at 8:00 PM, they're going to want to play the memory game, not listen to the calming story about a sleepy sloth.

Pro-tip: Use the app on a tablet or phone that you keep on a nightstand, and treat it as an audio player. If you let them hold the device, you're defeating the purpose of the 'Relax' and 'Sleep' categories.

Is the Subscription Worth It?

At roughly $40-$60 a year (depending on the promo), it’s not cheap. However, when you compare it to the cost of a Toniebox or a Yoto player and the individual cost of those physical cards/figures, Moshi’s library is massive. It’s also a great alternative to the Calm app, which is fantastic but feels more 'adult-corporate' in its interface. Moshi is built for the kid's eye, and it shows.

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