Posted by Mindy Brooks – Senior Director, Android Platform
App builders play a significant function in shaping how folks of all ages work together with expertise. Whether or not your app content material is particularly designed for youths or just attracts their consideration, there may be an added duty to make sure a protected and trusted expertise. Google is right here to assist you in that work. At this time, we’re sharing some vital reminders and updates on how we empower builders to construct high-quality, partaking, and age-appropriate apps throughout the Android ecosystem.
Assist Decide Android Consumer Age with Digital IDs
Understanding a person’s age vary will be essential for offering minors with safer and extra acceptable app experiences, in addition to complying with native age-related rules. Android’s new Credential Supervisor API, now in Beta, addresses this problem by serving to builders confirm a person’s age with a digital ID saved to any digital pockets software. Importantly, Android’s Credential Supervisor was constructed with each security and privateness at its core – it minimizes knowledge publicity by solely sharing data essential with builders and asks the person for specific permission to share an age sign. We encourage you to check out the Beta API for your self and stay up for listening to your suggestions.
Whereas digital IDs are nonetheless of their early days, we’re persevering with to work with governments on additional adoption to strengthen this resolution. Android can also be exploring how the API can assist a variety of age assurance strategies, serving to builders to soundly verify the age of their customers, particularly for customers that may’t or do not wish to use a digital ID. Please take into account that ID-based options are only one software that builders can use to find out age and one of the best strategy will rely in your app.
Protect Younger Customers from Inappropriate Content material on Google Play
As a part of our continued dedication to making a protected and optimistic setting for kids throughout the Play Retailer, we just lately launched the Limit Declared Minors (RDM) setting inside the Google Play Console that enables builders to designate their app as inappropriate for minors. When enabled, Google Play customers with declared ages under 18 won’t be able to obtain or buy the app nor will they be capable of proceed subscriptions or make new purchases if the app is already put in.
Past Play’s broader youngsters security insurance policies, this new setting provides builders an extra software to proactively forestall minors from accessing content material which may be unsuitable for them. It additionally empowers builders to take a extra proactive function in making certain their apps attain the suitable viewers. As a reminder, this characteristic is just one software of many to maintain your apps protected and we’re persevering with to enhance it primarily based on early suggestions. Builders stay solely accountable for compliance with related legal guidelines and rules. You’ll be able to be taught extra about opting in to RDM right here.
Develop Instructor Authorised Apps and Video games on Google Play
Nice content material for youths can take many types, whether or not that’s sparking curiosity, serving to youngsters be taught, or simply plain enjoyable. Google Play’s Instructor Authorised program highlights high-quality apps which can be reviewed and rated by lecturers and little one growth specialists. Our group of lecturers and consultants internationally overview and fee apps on components like age-appropriateness, high quality of expertise, enrichment, and delight. For added transparency, we embrace data within the app itemizing about why the app was rated extremely to assist dad and mom decide if the app is true for his or her little one. Apps in this system additionally should meet strict privateness and safety necessities.
Constructing a teacher-approved app not solely helps elevate app high quality for youths – it might probably additionally enhance your attain and engagement. All apps on this program are eligible to look and be featured on Google Play’s Children tab the place households go to simply uncover high quality apps and video games. Please go to Google Play Academy for extra details about easy methods to design high-quality apps for youths.
Keep Up to date With Google Play’s Households Insurance policies
Google Play insurance policies present further protections for kids and households. Our Households insurance policies require that apps and video games focused to kids have acceptable content material, present advertisements appropriate for kids, and meet different necessities together with ones associated to personally identifiable data. We ceaselessly replace and strengthen these insurance policies to make sure that Google Play stays a spot the place households can discover protected and high-quality content material for his or her kids. This contains our new Little one Security Requirements Coverage for social and relationship apps that goes into impact in January.
Builders can showcase compliance with Play’s Households insurance policies with a particular badge on the Google Play Knowledge security part. That is one other good way that you would be able to higher assist households discover apps that meet their wants, whereas supporting Play’s dedication to offer customers extra transparency and management over their knowledge. To show the badge, please go to the “Safety practices” part of your Knowledge Security type in your Google Play Developer Console.
Further Sources
Defending youngsters on-line is a duty all of us share and we hope these reminders are useful as you put together for 2025. We’re grateful in your partnership in making Android and Google Play improbable platforms for pleasant, high-quality content material for youths and households. For extra sources:
- Watch our interactive Play Academy programs on complying with Play’s Households insurance policies, together with SDK necessities, choosing your goal age and content material settings, and extra.