FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything parents, educators and SLPs ask us most!
JDIV Studios
Who is JDIV Studios?
An independent software studio in New Jersey. We build software around real problems, starting with Stug, a free speech practice app for kids. Stug went live on the App Store on May 4, 2026.
Who's behind it?
Joe Daloisio, our founder. He was born with a stutter and was in speech therapy until about age 15, and he built Stug to help others like him. The full story is on our Our Story page.
Are more products on the way?
Yes. We can't say much yet, but Stug is not the last thing JDIV Studios will make. Follow us on Instagram to hear about it first.
How do I get in touch?
For anything about the company, email support@jdivstudios.com. For help with Stug, email support@jdivstudios.com and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
About Stug
Is Stug really free?
Yes, all of it, permanently! There is no subscription, no in-app purchase, no premium tier and nothing locked behind a paywall. Adventure, the AI Speech Tutor, Playground, Mini Games, Daily Activities and Mini Mart are all included. Credits are earned by practising, never bought.
What age is Stug designed for?
Ages 2 and up. Stug asks once during setup and then adapts: Ages 2 to 5 leads with pictures, reads every word aloud and asks one thing at a time; Ages 6 to 9 pairs reading with speaking; Ages 10+ uses word searches, ranks and longer words so it doesn't feel like an app for little kids. You can change the mode later in Settings.
What devices does Stug work on?
iPhone and iPad running iOS 17.6 or later. Android and other platforms aren't available today, though they may be considered in future.
Does Stug replace a speech-language pathologist?
No, and it isn't trying to. Stug is a practice tool that sits alongside professional therapy. It makes the daily repetition more engaging and more consistent, which is the part that usually slips between sessions. We actively encourage families to work with a licensed SLP, and our Resources page is there to help you find one.
Privacy & Safety
What actually leaves my child's device?
Almost nothing. Speech recognition and photos are processed on the device and are never transmitted. No recording of your child's voice is ever uploaded, stored or shared. Progress, streaks, cosmetics and settings live on the phone, not on a server. The one exception is the AI Speech Tutor: the messages in that conversation are sent to our server so Stug can reply. Anonymous crash diagnostics are also collected, and they don't identify your child. Our Privacy Policy sets all of this out in full.
Is Stug COPPA compliant?
Yes. COPPA compliance was designed in from the start: no advertising, no data sold or shared for marketing, a PIN-protected parent gate on anything that leaves the app, and a parental consent step during setup. Parents can review everything held about their child (all of it is visible in the app itself) and delete the profile outright at any time.
Does Stug have ads?
Zero, and there never will be. Advertising has no place in a children's app. There is also no analytics or tracking SDK of any kind in Stug.
Does my child need an account?
No. There is no sign-up and no login. A profile is created on the device during setup and stays there. Parents set a PIN during onboarding, which gates the AI Speech Tutor and anything that would take a child out of the app.
How do I delete our data?
Settings → Delete My Account removes the profile and everything associated with it from the device. Deleting the app does the same. Because progress is stored on the phone rather than on our servers, that really is the end of it. There is no copy for us to keep.
Using Stug
How does the AI Speech Tutor work?
Your child talks to Stug, by voice or by typing, and Stug answers in his own voice, warmly and briefly. The conversation is sent to a secure server to generate each reply; the microphone audio itself never leaves the device. It's a companion to talk to, not a grader: it won't score your child on how they speak. It's behind the parent PIN, and there's a daily message limit so it stays a small part of the day.
What are the Mini Games?
Five of them. Stug Run: run, grab letters, say the word! Rhyme Time: find the word that ends the same way. Sound Sorter: drop each word on its starting sound. Fill the Blank: say the word that finishes the sentence. Talking Photo: make your own photo say anything! They're practice that doesn't announce itself as practice.
What happened to Journey?
Journey was replaced by Mini Games in version 1.3. The quiet corner became a hub of five games, which is where that part of the app was always heading. Nothing was lost from your child's progress, and the new section does far more.
Do the mini games actually help, or are they just games?
They each target something specific. Rhyme Time works on rhyme awareness, one of the strongest early predictors of reading ability. Sound Sorter works on initial-sound identification. Fill the Blank puts a target word in the context of a full sentence rather than in isolation. Stug Run and Talking Photo are lighter, and they exist because a child who is enjoying themselves practises for longer. All five ask your child to say words out loud.
How do Streaks, XP and Credits work?
Finishing levels, daily activities and playground sessions earns XP to level up, and Credits along the way. Credits are spent in the Mini Mart on outfits, skins and sidekick companions for Stug. Streaks count consecutive days of practice, and Daily Activities refresh at midnight. Between them, there is always a reason to come back tomorrow!
Can I use Stug offline?
Nearly all of it. Adventure, Playground, Mini Games, Mini Mart and Daily Activities all work with no connection, and speech recognition runs on the device so it works offline too. Only the AI Speech Tutor needs internet, because each reply is generated on a server.
Is my child's screen time going to get out of hand?
Stug is built to be finished, not scrolled. A level takes a few minutes, Daily Activities are a short set that completes, and the tutor has a daily message cap. There is no infinite feed, no autoplay, and nothing that punishes a child for closing the app.
Still need help?
Send us an email and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
Email support →