How to Choose Safe Apps for Your Preschooler

Choosing an app for your child can feel overwhelming. With so many options, it’s hard to know what’s truly safe. A helpful way to think about online risks is the 4Cs: Content, Contact, Conduct, and Contract. In simple terms, this means protecting your child from what they see, who can reach them, how they behave online, and what companies and other individuals might do with their data.

For young children, your goal is to find apps that feel like a safe playground: clean, age-appropriate, and designed with young kids in mind. Unfortunately, just because an app is labeled “for kids” doesn’t mean it necessarily prioritizes your child’s safety. You’ll need to use your own judgment and do a bit of homework to make sure it’s truly appropriate.

Below are practical checks and easy habits to help you choose confidently.

1. Look for Safe, Age-Appropriate Content

Make sure the app does not include:

• Any violence, aggression, or scary imagery
• Sexual or suggestive content
• Racist, hateful, or graphic material
• Misinformation or things that could confuse or frighten a preschooler

A quick way to check:

• Try it yourself first (more on this below)
• Read reviews from other parents (check app store reviews and do a quick Google search)
• Look up the app on trusted review sites like Common Sense Media
• Watch a short video preview in the app store if available

2. Make Sure There Are No Ads

Advertisements are distracting, confusing, and unsafe for this age group. Ads can expose children to inappropriate content they didn’t choose, lead to accidental clicks that take them out of the app, and use aggressive marketing tactics that young children can’t understand or resist.

Look for apps that are completely ad-free. These are often pay-once apps, subscription-based, or truly free apps from reputable sources.

3. Avoid Apps With Hidden Costs

Many apps advertise themselves as “free” but then pressure you to buy virtual coins, extra levels, or special features once you’re inside. These purchases can lead to accidental spending when your child taps the wrong button, add constant pressure to “buy more to continue playing,” and shift the focus from enjoying the app to earning rewards or unlocking content.

Look for apps that are pay-once with everything included, subscription-based with transparent pricing, or completely free without any purchase options at all.

4. Avoid Social Features

Preschoolers should not be in any environment where strangers can contact them

Avoid apps with:

• Chat, commenting, or messaging functions
• Open friend lists where anyone can connect
• Multiplayer modes with unknown users
• Voice messaging capabilities
• Photo or video sharing capabilities
• Links to social media

5. Look for Privacy and Safety Certifications

Some apps get certified to prove their commitment to safety and privacy.

Look for:

• Reputable third-party privacy evaluations like Common Sense Privacy with detailed reports about how the app handles your child’s data
• Compliance with laws such as COPPA (or equivalent laws where you’re based) showing the app follows legal requirements for children’s privacy
• Clear privacy policies on the website and in the app, written in simple language you can actually understand

6. Check for Parental Controls

Good apps let you stay in charge.

Useful features include:

• “Grown-ups only” areas behind a parent gate
• A parent dashboard where you can see settings and activity
• The ability to turn off certain features you don’t want
• Clear options to delete your account and all associated data if you decide to stop using the app

7. Test the App Yourself First

Download the app and spend 10-15 minutes exploring it yourself before giving it to your child. This is your most important safety check.

As you test, ask yourself:

• Does anything pop up unexpectedly?
• Does it request unnecessary permissions, like access to my camera or contacts, that don’t serve the purpose of the app?
• Is it possible to purchase anything within the app?
• Are there any links that could take my child outside the app?
• Could my child accidentally share information?
• Would I be comfortable if my child stumbled into any part of this app unsupervised?

Tap around randomly. This is exactly what your curious preschooler will do. If you find anything concerning, delete the app and move on to another option.

8. Check the Company and Their Reputation

Don’t just look at the app. Look at who made it. Visit the company’s website and social media accounts to get a sense of who they are.

Look for:

• Clear contact information and customer support
• Transparency about their team (real people with names and faces)
• A track record of creating content for kids (Be cautious of companies that primarily make apps for adults and suddenly release children’s content)

9. Start With a Supervised Trial Run

Even the safest app needs to be a good fit for your specific child. When introducing a new app:

Spend the first few sessions together:

• Sit with your child while they explore it and observe how they interact with it
• Watch for any unexpected content or features you might have missed
• Ask simple questions like “Does anything feel weird?” 

If your child seems comfortable, you’re in the right place. If something feels off (like if they seem anxious, frustrated, or you notice something concerning) trust that feeling and try a different app.

10. Keep Monitoring After They Start Using It

Your job doesn’t end once you’ve found a safe app and your child starts using it. Staying involved helps you catch new issues before they become problems.

Check in regularly:

• Watch what your child is doing with the app from time to time.
• Apps update frequently, and new features (or problems) can be added with updates. Read the update notes before allowing app updates to see what’s changed.

Keep talking to your child:

• Casually chat with them about what they’re doing, seeing, and feeling about the app (keep it light, not like an interrogation).
• Make it clear they should always tell you if they see something that makes them uncomfortable, and that they won’t be in trouble for speaking up

Stay involved:

• The safest app is one you use together when possible. It helps you catch any issues immediately.
• If you can’t sit with them every time, encourage them to use devices in the same room as you so you can keep an eye on what’s happening

You’ve Got This

You don’t need to be a tech expert to protect your child. You just need to be thoughtful, take a few extra minutes to investigate, and trust your instincts.

You’re doing a great job by taking the time to research this. Your child is lucky to have a parent who cares enough to make thoughtful choices about their safety and privacy.