Knowing if apps are right for your kids can be tricky. To help you, we’ll show you what to look for when choosing apps for kids.
Tips for choosing apps for kids
Not long ago, letting kids play with apps was quite dangerous. They could come across ads with adult images and make in-app purchases that suddenly left parents with bills ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars. A few years ago, Apple therefore introduced special rules for app makers.
For example, apps specifically designed for children under the age of 13 may only show ads that are suitable for young users. Parents must also give permission to make in-app purchases. Still, it is smart to pay attention and to know where to find the right information. We help you with that.
1. First of all: set restrictions
You do not have to pay attention to many things, provided you have set restrictions on the device in advance. For example, it is possible to prevent children from downloading apps from other developers or simply making in-app purchases. Age restriction is also important. As a result, children can only download apps with an appropriate age rating. Learn how to set up parental controls in four steps.
Still, it can be much better. In the future, Apple will give parents more options to limit their children’s iPhone use. We already have some wishes. You can read more about this in our article which options for parents are already available in iOS and which are still to come. In addition to these restrictions, there are a few things to keep in mind. Especially when children ask for more freedom in the use of their iPhone or iPad.
2. Check the age rating
App pages in the App Store provide information for parents that you may not be aware of. For example, an age is listed under the download button of each app. This age is sometimes misinterpreted as a level of difficulty for a game, for example. That is not the case. This age indicates how suitable the content of the app is.
Tap this age to get more information about the specific parts that can be found in the app. Take, for example, the popular game Minecraft. This app has an age rating of 9+. If you tap this, you will read that this age rating is due to ‘content with mild animation violence’. Another popular game, Fortnite, has an age rating of 12+ for ‘intense animation violence’. A popular game like PUBG Mobile gets 17+ because it has realistic violence, including weapons and blood.
3. Keep an eye on in-app purchases
You can also check whether an application offers in-app purchases via the app page. This means that after downloading or purchasing an app, there are still options to buy extra parts or coins with real money. To check that, scroll all the way down the app page until you see the ‘Information’ heading. There you tap on ‘in-app purchases’, after which you will see what you can spend money on in the app and how much it costs.
Be aware of lootboxes
Many games nowadays offer lootboxes as a way to make money. These lootboxes contain items that players can use in their game. However, there is often only a small chance that a wanted item will come out of that loot box. Usually players first get lootboxes for free to get used to this system. After that, you have to pay with real money.
These lootboxes are a form of gambling and can therefore be quite addictive. Maybe that one object is just in the next box. Loot box providers nowadays have to indicate the probability that a specific item can be found in a box. This is usually shown in the relevant app, although it can be a bit hidden. Take, for example, the lootboxes from Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp in the screenshot above. There is only a three percent chance that a wanted item can be found in the lootbox.
5. Be aware of commercials
Although apps for children should not show ads that are not suitable for children, it is still wise to pay attention to advertising and to discuss with children what advertising is and how it can be dismissed. Certainly free games regularly interrupt the game with an advertisement.
These ads usually try to get children to download another app. However, if children play apps with a higher age rating, unexpected advertisements may also appear with, for example, violent or pornographic images. As a parent you may not realize this, because those advertisements pop up sporadically and are therefore not constantly visible. Communication with children about what they see therefore remains important.
In April, iPhoned will give extensive attention to the theme Family. Throughout the month, our articles focus on all things Apple and family. Keep an eye on iPhoned and sign up for our newsletter or download the iPhoned app to stay informed.
Read more articles on our monthly theme Family
- Apple Family Sharing: This is how you share apps and subscriptions with family members (4/22/2020)
- These are the 8 best free education apps for young children (3/17/2020)
- Tip: Download apps from other family members through Apple Family Sharing (11-12-2019)
- Monthly theme overview: we wrote this about Family in April (4/30/2018)
- This is what you need to know about the iPhone games your kids play (4/30/2018)