{"id":80048,"date":"2026-04-14T00:11:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T04:11:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=80048"},"modified":"2026-04-14T00:11:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T04:11:08","slug":"google-promotes-teacher-approved-apps-for-kids-heres-what-parents-should-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/google-promotes-teacher-approved-apps-for-kids-heres-what-parents-should-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Google promotes \u2018teacher approved\u2019 apps for kids. Here\u2019s what parents should know"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

As school holidays continue around Australia, many parents are looking for educational ways to keep their children entertained.<\/p>\n

If you own an Android device and have young children, you may find yourself browsing Google Play for educational and age-appropriate apps. If you go to the\u00a0children\u2019s section<\/a>, you will be led to a page with \u201cTeacher Approved apps & games\u201d featuring apps for children under 13 according to different age ranges and themes.<\/p>\n

Popular \u201cTeacher Approved\u201d apps such as learning app\u00a0Lingokids<\/a>\u00a0and the game\u00a0Bluey: Let\u2019s Play<\/a>\u00a0have been downloaded more than 50 million times.\u00a0YouTube Kids<\/a>, another \u201cTeacher Approved\u201d app, has been downloaded more than 500 million times.<\/p>\n

Google says<\/a>\u00a0\u201cteachers and specialists\u201d rate the \u201cTeacher Approved\u201d apps. But in\u00a0our research<\/a>\u00a0we argue it\u2019s unclear who exactly those teachers and experts are. The educational value of Google Teacher Approved apps can also be unclear at times.<\/p>\n

What is \u2018Teacher Approved\u2019?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Google launched the \u201cTeacher Approved\u201d program\u00a0in 2020<\/a>\u00a0to set a quality standard for apps for children aged under 13.<\/p>\n

To be included in the\u00a0\u201cTeacher Approved\u201d section<\/a>, an app needs to adhere to\u00a0Google\u2019s family policies<\/a>, which includes having an easy-to-understand interface and content that is appropriate for children. Any ads, in-app purchases or cross-promotion \u201cmust be appropriate<\/a>\u201d too.<\/p>\n

Google has an\u00a0online course<\/a>\u00a0for developers who want to be included in the Teacher Approved section. We took this as part of our our research.<\/p>\n

In the course, Google states \u201can app doesn\u2019t have to be educational\u201d as long as it is \u201cenriching\u201d and \u201csupport(s) a child\u2019s healthy development\u201d. At the same time, Google says teachers are assessing apps for \u201clearning impact\u201d. However, it is not clear how learning is assessed, especially for apps that are not educational.<\/p>\n

Our research<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In our study<\/a>, we analysed how apps were presented in the\u00a0children\u2019s section<\/a>\u00a0on Google Play to make them seem educational.<\/p>\n

We also interviewed five industry stakeholders (three founders\/chief executives and two design specialists) from different companies developing apps for children.<\/p>\n

We chose to involve industry rather than parents, as anecdotal evidence suggests parents have little understanding of the \u201cTeacher Approved\u201d program.<\/p>\n

Confusing labels and categories<\/strong><\/h3>\n

We found \u201cTeacher Approved\u201d apps are often categorised with vague or interchangeable labels such as \u201cenriching apps\u201d, \u201cenriching games\u201d and \u201cgames for kids\u201d. This can make it difficult to understand the purpose of the apps, or to know whether they are educational or not.<\/p>\n

We also found some apps with a \u201cTeacher Approved\u201d badge were labelled by the app developer as entertainment rather than \u201ceducational\u201d. For example,\u00a0Paw Patrol Rescue World<\/a>\u00a0was \u201cTeacher Approved\u201d, despite being labelled as \u201caction-adventure\u201d by the\u00a0developer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

With the Teacher Approved badge Google creates the impression of educational value and trustworthiness for all sorts of apps. As one of the developers we interviewed explained:<\/p>\n

how many people would look at a little graphical badge and go \u2018oh, I trust this now, because they\u2019ve got this badge\u2019.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Who approves the apps?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Teachers Approved badge implies teachers are used to evaluate the apps that appear in the children\u2019s section on Google Play.<\/p>\n

However, on\u00a0the developer\u2019s section<\/a>\u00a0of its website, Google notes it is not exclusively teachers who assess the apps. It says \u201cteachers and children\u2019s education and media specialists recommend high-quality [Teacher Approved] apps for kids on Google Play.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2020, Google\u00a0shared<\/a>\u00a0the names of two experts who were \u201clead advisers\u201d at the time \u2013 a developmental psychologist and an education and media expert. But it is not clear who the \u201cteachers\u201d and \u201cspecialists\u201d who currently rate the apps are and how many of them are actually teachers.<\/p>\n

The Conversation asked Google where the teachers or specialists are located, whether they are paid, and what criteria non-teachers need to meet to be included in the program. The company did not respond before deadline.<\/p>\n

What can parents do?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Our research suggests the current situation is confusing for parents. In the meantime, there are some things parents can do if they are not sure about apps their kids are using:<\/p>\n