Developers, this one's for you...
We’ve opened up our API as a digital playground: experiment, invent, and connect Yoto to the world around you - lights, calendars, voice assistants, and more. From code to card, your innovations can become educational, playable and maybe even collectable.
To celebrate, we are pleased to announce our Yoto Developer Challenge 2025 to help explore what’s possible when you experiment with our platform. There’s a combined prize pot of $10,000 USD!
About the competition
What we’re looking for
We’re looking for apps that could become part of a Yoto family’s regular routine. Things that add real value for families (whether usefulness, entertainment, or education) not just single-use novelties.
To get a sense of this, we will be looking at the number of distinct families actively using submitted apps each week.
The prizes
There will be several categories of prize:
Weekly Engagement
We will be looking at the usage data of the apps to determine which are used regularly by families over a period of time.
🥇The first place winner will receive $5,000 USD (or equivalent in local currency)
🥈The second place winner will receive $2,000 USD (or equivalent in local currency)
🥉The third place winner will receive $1,000 USD (or equivalent in local currency)
Yoto Panel
A separate $2,000 USD cash prize (or equivalent in local currency) will be awarded to one entry selected as the favourite by Yoto’s internal panel. This may be the same entry as a Weekly Engagement winner or a different one.
Community vote
The top 10 entries receiving the most community votes here on Yoto Space will each receive a goodie bag valued at approximately $120 USD, including a Yoto Player.
How to enter
Please note that the competition is open to residents of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the United States of America, Canada, Australia or New Zealand only.
Be sure to read the Terms & Conditions first!
Use this submission form (also available on the Yoto Space Developers Hub). As well as the app, entries will need a description and an image.
The deadline for submissions is 23:59 BST on 15 September 2025.
App eligibility criteria
Your app must fall into one of the following categories:
1. Yoto Card App
A card that includes dynamically generated audio or icons, tailored to the user or group of users (e.g. based on IP location, time of day, season, events).
2. Yoto API Integration
A live integration with the Yoto API that accesses user-specific resources (using JWT authentication), triggered by the user or external events (e.g. interacting with the user’s Yoto Player or MYO playlists).
Examples of non-qualifying apps
❌ Not Allowed
✅ Accepted Alternative
A card manually updated each day to show moon phases in the Northern Hemisphere
A card that automatically shows moon phase, sunrise/sunset based on Player location
A pixel icon editor for designing icons downloadable for MYO playlists
An icon editor that automatically syncs created icons to the user’s Yoto account
An app that scrapes the Yoto Card store to suggest content based on user input
An app that lets users connect their own Yoto Card Library to offer tailored suggestions
About the Weekly Engagement metric
Metric: The number of distinct families actively using your app each week.
Example: If a family with 2 Yoto Players plays your app on 5 days in one week, it counts as 1 family. If the same happens over 4 different weeks, that counts as 4.
Card Apps: Must deliver at least 10 seconds of audio playback per use. Playing Card Apps directly in the mobile app (even by families without a physical Yoto Player) qualifies if the accounts are genuine (i.e. not dummy accounts created solely for boosting stats).
Tips for winning apps
Add Real Value: Focus on apps that offer usefulness, entertainment, or education for Yoto families - not just single-use novelty tools.
Submit Early: We’ll showcase apps in the Yoto Space Developers Hub as soon as we’ve approved them. Early submission gives you a chance to gather feedback for further improvements and gain users traction sooner. You can update your app submission later if needed.
Promote Thoughtfully: Spread the word yourself or encourage others who are already enjoying your app, but avoid spammy or braggy posts, especially in communities you haven’t engaged with before. Spamming may lead to disqualification.
Explain your app: Make sure it’s easy to understand what your app does and how to use it. Use your app description, a dedicated webpage, or even a short video demo to showcase it and be sure to include this in your submission.
Get the Kids Involved! While the competition is for adults, kids can contribute ideas, draw icons, record audio, or even help with coding.
Multiple Entries Welcome: Got more than one idea? Submit them all! You can win multiple prizes - as long as each entry is a distinct concept, not minor variations of the same app.
Need inspiration for what to make?
Check out the examples from Yoto Labs and other developers
Read through the documentation on yoto.dev - you might be surprised by what's possible
Look at the feature ideas submitted by Yoto community members on the Ideas Wall - is there a need you could be meeting?
Good luck!
Remember, the submission deadline is 23:59 BST on 15 September 2025.
Yoto will review the Weekly Engagement data in the following weeks and winners will be notified by email by 24 October 2025.