Guide to apps

Learn about different apps, along with the risks and benefits for children and young people.

What apps do children and teens use?

Thousands of apps are available on smartphones and other devices. From health trackers to silly games, anyone can find an app for them. However, not all apps are appropriate for children.

Our app guides include information and guidance for parents to help support children’s digital wellbeing. Choose from app guides that help support balanced screen time, skill-building and wellbeing. Or, learn about different types of apps that could lead to harm related to contact from others, data or privacy concerns and in-app spending.

How to support balanced screen time with apps

Too much screen time is a top concern among parents. However, there isn’t any official guidance on how much is too much. Instead, it’s more important to consider how children spend their time on devices. Are they spending 3 hours mindlessly scrolling through social media? Or is that 3 hours divided into skill-building, homework, talking to friends and playing a video game?

Our app guides feature a range of apps to help children explore new interests and balance their time online in positive ways.

Choose a guide below to start exploring.

Learn about the apps your child already uses

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Apps parents should know about

This section features guides on a range of different apps children and parents use. Learn about potentially harmful anonymous apps as well as useful parental controls apps.

The apps your child uses is unique to their age, development, maturity and abilities.

Choose a guide to learn more.

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