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“Dad, can I have the app?”, “Mom, can you please buy me this mobile game here?” – If you have an Android device, you can’t get around the Google Play Store. It entices users with numerous apps, games, and media content from a seemingly endless selection. Find out what the Play Store is all about and how you can make it childproof in this article.

In a nutshell:

App for downloading games, media content and apps
App for Android mobile devices and web app for browser
Pre-installed on all Android devices, linked to Google account
Provider: Google
the app itself is free of charge, the offered apps are partly chargeable

Digital bazaar

The Google Play Store is an app marketplace for all smartphones, tablets, smart TVs and smartwatches with the Android operating system. The offer can also be used via the browser. Anyone who wants to use the Google Play Store needs a Google account.

There is a huge selection of free and paid apps, games and media content such as books, music, movies and series in the app. The apps are divided into categories from entertainment and shopping to science and news to health and sports.

Anyone who clicks on an item will be shown the detail page. Here you will find the following information:

Provider
Number of downloads
Age rating
Game description
Data security
Ratings and reviews
Contact details of the developer

Apps, games and media content can be downloaded via the green “Install” button. For this, sufficient storage space and a connection to the Internet are required for free offers. If you want to buy paid apps, you click on the button with the price and also have to enter a payment method in the Google Play Store, such as a credit card or a credit card.

Browse, play and have fun

Children and young people are curious, hungry for knowledge and love to try new things. Through their peer group, they find out what apps are hot at the moment and also want to install them in order to pass the time with apps and games, deepen a hobby or acquire knowledge. The Google Play Store offers numerous options.

What does the provider think?

Many apps in the Google Play Store have age labels. Because numerous new apps are added every day, not all apps are tested. That’s why there are apps without age ratings. They are treated the same way as adult apps.

Under the “Kids” tab, you’ll find apps and games that educators recommend. They are divided into three age categories and are intended to make it easier for parents to find their way through the wide range of apps. These apps usually come without ads and in-app purchases and are educational.

What should parents pay attention to?

When dealing with the Google Play Store, three points are important: choose age-appropriate offers, weigh the costs, and pay attention to data protection.

If your child is using your unsecured device, do not leave your child alone with it. It could download paid apps through the Google Play Store, make in-app purchases, or download offers that aren’t safe or age-appropriate.

If your child uses their own device, set up the Google Play Store to be child-safe:

Age ratings: Together with your child, decide which apps he or she is allowed to install on his or her smartphone. Find out about age-appropriate offerings and pay attention to the apps’ age labels. Under “Settings”, select the “Family” category and “Parental control settings”. Here you can activate a PIN and select an age level.
Cost: Many apps are free for now, but add fun by paying for new levels or advanced features. Talk to your child about in-app purchases and agree if and how much money your child is allowed to spend. Avoid putting a payment option in the Play Store of your child’s device. If this has already been done, you can remove the indication. On medien-kindersicher.de you will find detailed instructions on how to do this under point 4.2. A gift card has the advantage of allowing your child to budget how much money they want to spend in the Play Store and learn to be responsible with budgets.
Privacy: many apps are data-hungry and want access to smartphone features that are not strictly necessary to use the app. Educate your child about app permissions and go through the settings on the smartphone together. Apps in the Google Play Store are verified by Google. Nevertheless, there could be malicious apps among them that steal personal data or smuggle viruses onto your own device. Before downloading, check carefully if it is a reputable app by checking the provider, ratings and number of downloads. Make your child aware of the topic of data protection and set up rules together on whether and how your child is allowed to download apps on his or her own.