Maths practice that feels like exploring space.
Short, adaptive arithmetic practice for ages 4 to 14. Children write answers by hand, earn stars and unlock planets — with no ads, no accounts, and progress that never leaves the iPhone.
Coming to the App Store
How it works
Two minutes to the right starting point
A grown-up sets it up once. After that a child can open the app and practise without anyone finding the right level for them.
- 1
A grown-up picks an age range
Not a birthday — a broad band, which sets how big the numbers get. It is the only thing the app ever knows about the child.
- 2
Five questions find the level
About two minutes of Skills Check, and the app places the child on the world that matches what they can already do rather than starting everyone at zero.
- 3
Practise and collect stars
Short lessons, answers written by hand or typed, up to three stars each. Replaying only ever adds stars — a worse run never takes one away.
Features
What's inside
Short sessions, questions that fit the child in front of you, and a grown-up in charge of everything else.
Write answers by hand
Children answer by writing the number with a finger, and their own ink is what appears in the answer box. The writing is read on the device and the drawing is discarded straight after — and typing the answer instead is always one tap away.
A quick check picks the start
Five questions, about two minutes, and the app places the child on the world that matches what they can already do — rather than making everyone start at zero.
Four worlds to explore
Twenty-four lessons across four worlds. Questions are generated fresh from the skill each lesson teaches, so a repeat is practice rather than memory.
Stars, never taken away
Up to three stars a lesson, based on accuracy. Replaying can only add stars — a worse run never removes one a child has already earned.
A wrong answer gets taught
First a strategy hint. Miss it again and Orbi walks the answer out on a number line, hop by hop, then hands the question back so the child answers it themselves. If the handwriting was misread, typing it is always one tap away.
Learning to form the numerals
Number Writing traces each digit along its proper stroke path — starting where the dot is and travelling the way the numeral is actually written, not just landing in roughly the right shape.
Mistakes come back until they stick
Anything a child does not get right first time goes to the Repair Bay and returns on a spreading schedule — the next day, three days later, a week later — until they answer it correctly three times running.
Grown-ups in control
Settings and the subscription sit behind a parent gate — a written-number challenge a young child will not pass. Sound, haptics, reminders and the age range all live there.
The app
A look inside
Real screens from the app, captured on an iPhone. Tap any one to enlarge it.
Answers written by hand
A hint, not a frown
Five questions find the level
Four worlds to explore
Gentle streaks, no penalties
Grown-ups in control
Privacy
Handwriting stays on the device.
No account, no ads, no ad tracking, no server. Nova Numbers never asks for a name, a birthday, a photo or a location. Handwritten answers are read on the device and thrown away, and learning progress stays on the iPhone. Subscription status is checked through RevenueCat; configured releases use limited PostHog usage analytics without answers or drawings.
- No accounts, no sign-up, no email address. There is nothing to log in to.
- No ads and no ad tracking anywhere in the app.
- Handwriting is read on the device and discarded after each question. Drawings are never saved, shared, or used for analytics.
- We never ask for a name, birthday, photo, location or contacts — only a broad age range, so the questions are the right size.
- Progress, stars and streaks are stored only on the iPhone. There is no server to sync them to.
- Configured versions use limited PostHog usage analytics with a random installation ID, broad age bands and coarse buckets. No answers, drawings or session recordings are sent.
- Settings and anything involving money sit behind a parent gate.
What you get
Learning and subscription access
In version 1.0.1 and later, Nova Premium is required for the Skills Check and all learning. Monthly and annual plans unlock the same content, with no free trial.
Learning with Nova Premium
Premium required- The Skills Check and placement
- All four worlds — 100 arithmetic lessons
- Number Writing and the Repair Bay
- Handwriting and typed answers
- Stars, streaks and the progress report
Subscription plans
SubscriptionChoose the plan that suits you:
- Monthly and annual auto-renewing plans
- An active subscription is required for all learning
- Eligible annual welcome offer: 50% off the first year
- Welcome offer renews at the displayed full annual price
- Prices and eligibility are confirmed by the App Store
Premium is an auto-renewing subscription billed by Apple and bought by an adult behind a parent gate. Prices are shown before you buy and are set by the App Store in your local currency. There is no free trial and no advertising in the app.
Questions
Common questions
The things people ask before they download.
Ages 4 to 14. A grown-up picks a broad age range at the start, which sets how big the numbers get and where the Skills Check can place the child. The youngest band never starts further along than the second world, no matter how well the check goes.
No account, ever. The lessons and questions are built into the app, so practice works offline. An internet connection is needed to confirm an active subscription, buy or restore purchases, and evaluate configured onboarding variants. Lessons and questions are bundled on the device.
None, and no ad tracking or advertising identifiers either. The only purchase in the app is the Nova Premium subscription required for learning, and reaching it from the lesson map requires passing a parent gate first.
The app says what it read rather than just marking it wrong, and offers a button to type the answer instead. Nothing is penalised for it. Handwriting reading is experimental, which is exactly why the typed route is always available.
In version 1.0.1 and later, an active subscription unlocks the Skills Check, all four worlds with 100 arithmetic lessons, Number Writing, the Repair Bay and the progress report. Monthly and annual plans have the same access. There is no free trial. An eligible Apple Account may see a paid half-price first annual year, followed by the full annual renewal price shown before purchase.
Subscriptions are handled by Apple, not by us. On your iPhone open Settings, tap your name, then Subscriptions. Cancelling stops the next renewal and you keep Premium until the period you have paid for ends.
No. The Skills Check and lesson results are a practical guide for picking the right difficulty, not a formal or diagnostic assessment of a child’s maths ability. Treat them as a starting point, not a verdict.
Five questions to find the right starting point.
Nova Numbers is coming to the App Store. If you are a parent or a teacher with a question about how it handles children’s data, ask before you download — we would rather answer first.
Coming to the App Store