Google makes it easier to find kids apps with Teacher Approved badge

Google is making it easier for parents to find high-quality Android apps for their kids by introducing a new 'Teacher Approved' badge in the Google Play Store. With this, users can see which kids apps have been flagged as notable by educators, as well as the reasons that particular app was awarded the badge, including the ages it is for, the benefits it offers, and the type of education it provides.

Google has launched a Kids tab in the Google Play Store that features 'Teacher Approved' apps; these can be found by looking for the following badge on the app listing (below). A look through the Google Play Store's Kids tab doesn't show a filter specifically for Teacher Approved content, however. It's unclear whether Google plans to add this filter in the future.

Google says that it launched this Kids tab earlier than it had planned partially due to the fact that many kids are now being kept home from school over lockdowns. Google says that it is still adding apps to the Kids tab at this time, but that users will be seeing them arrive soon.

The Teacher Approved designation is bestowed to certain apps in partnership with teachers and other experts, according to Google. The apps must meet a certain quality standard and be highly rated by teachers to earn the new badge; influencing factors include things like the type of experience offered, how appropriate the app is for its target age groups, and how much 'delight' and 'enrichment' it offers.

Parents can review the influencing factors on each of the apps' listings within the Google Play Store. Android users located in the US will see the Kids tab arrive over the next few days, but international users will have to wait over the next handful of months.