What This Prank Police Call App Actually Does
Kids Police – Fake Call (Sharlat Al-Atfal) is an Arabic-language parenting app from Oub Apps built around a single gimmick: it simulates an incoming phone call from a ‘police officer’ who scolds children for misbehaving. Parents are meant to trigger the fake call when a kid refuses to eat, study, or behave, and the voice on the other end plays along as an authority figure warning them to shape up. The app includes multiple Arabic dialect options, including Syrian, Egyptian, and Saudi, plus a mix of stricter warning calls and some more encouraging ones aimed at reinforcing good behavior rather than just scaring kids.
Where It Works as Intended
Reviewers who grew up with this kind of prank call describe it fondly, with one saying it mirrors their own childhood memories of being tricked into thinking the police were actually coming to the house. Several parents report it gets immediate results, with one noting a younger sibling drops the phone and starts studying the moment the call comes in. Users also like that it is not purely punitive, mentioning that it reinforces honesty and discourages bad behavior like stealing, which suggests the encouragement-style calls do land for some households.
The Ad Load Is a Real Problem
By far the most common complaint across reviews, including from people who otherwise rate the app 5 stars, is the sheer volume of advertising. One reviewer flatly states the app is good but ‘contains tooo much ads’ and asks the developer to fix it, while another describes getting an ad in their face roughly every minute. This is not a minor annoyance mentioned in passing; it is the single most repeated criticism in the review data, and it undermines the experience even for people who like the core concept.
The Bigger Concern: Psychological Impact on Kids
Beyond the ads, there is a more serious thread of criticism about what this app actually does to children. Multiple reviewers call it emotionally abusive, with one stating outright that ‘the words and the used style will verbally abuse children’ and another urging the developer to take the app down entirely, arguing that irresponsible parents use it to scare kids rather than discipline them constructively. A separate reviewer makes the specific point that teaching children to fear the police is not a healthy lesson, regardless of short-term compliance. Notably, the developer’s own store description includes a warning to use the app properly so it does not cause psychological harm to children, which is a tacit admission that this is a genuine risk rather than a hypothetical one.
Who Should Actually Download This
This app will appeal to Arabic-speaking parents looking for a quick, dialect-specific scare tactic to get kids to behave in the moment, and the huge install count shows it has found a large audience for exactly that use case. But the review evidence points to two dealbreakers: an aggressive ad load that frustrates even fans, and a real possibility of frightening kids in ways that stick with them, as described by adults recalling genuine fear from being pranked this way as children. Parents who want a lighthearted deterrent should go in cautious, use it sparingly, and think twice before relying on fear of law enforcement as a parenting tool.
