Apple asks developers to classify apps by age range for new 'Kids' App Store category
An email sent out by Apple on Friday asked developers who are making apps for children under the age of 11 to classify their software in one of three age ranges, which will make it easier for parents to discover age-appropriate titles when a new "Kids" App Store category debuts with iOS 7.
Email provided by AppleInsider reader Gregg.
After announcing plans for the new "Kids" category at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple is taking steps to have that section curated before it launches in the iOS 7 App Store this fall.
With the category's addition, children's apps will still be assigned a primary and secondary category, such as Games and Lifestyle, but may also carry designations for specific age groups. According to the email, developers can choose from three ranges: ages 5 and under, ages 6-8 and ages 9-11. Only one age range can be selected per app.
The note comes as Apple makes various modifications to its existing iTunes usage policies as they specifically pertain to children.
Motivated by its iPad in eduction initiative, the company is for the first time allowing minors under the age of 13 to open and manage Apple IDs to be used on the iTunes Store, App Store, iBookstore and Mac App Store. Approved educational institutions can apply for the student accounts only after gaining permission from parents or guardians.
Earlier this week, Apple also redrew its App Store Review Guidelines to comply with changes made to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The federal statute, which limits the scope of data websites and similar entities can harvest from children under the age of 13, was updated to prohibited the collection of photos, video and audio from underage users.
In line with the adjustments made to COPPA, Apple added a new section to the Review Guidelines document, laying out what app developers can and can't include in apps made for children. For example, developers are prohibited from using targeted ads.
With its policy changes, Apple is looking to further the iPad's domination of the lucrative education market. The company has already inked a deal to supply all 640,000 students in the L.A. Unified School District with iPads by the end of 2014.
Email provided by AppleInsider reader Gregg.
After announcing plans for the new "Kids" category at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple is taking steps to have that section curated before it launches in the iOS 7 App Store this fall.
With the category's addition, children's apps will still be assigned a primary and secondary category, such as Games and Lifestyle, but may also carry designations for specific age groups. According to the email, developers can choose from three ranges: ages 5 and under, ages 6-8 and ages 9-11. Only one age range can be selected per app.
The note comes as Apple makes various modifications to its existing iTunes usage policies as they specifically pertain to children.
Motivated by its iPad in eduction initiative, the company is for the first time allowing minors under the age of 13 to open and manage Apple IDs to be used on the iTunes Store, App Store, iBookstore and Mac App Store. Approved educational institutions can apply for the student accounts only after gaining permission from parents or guardians.
Earlier this week, Apple also redrew its App Store Review Guidelines to comply with changes made to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The federal statute, which limits the scope of data websites and similar entities can harvest from children under the age of 13, was updated to prohibited the collection of photos, video and audio from underage users.
In line with the adjustments made to COPPA, Apple added a new section to the Review Guidelines document, laying out what app developers can and can't include in apps made for children. For example, developers are prohibited from using targeted ads.
With its policy changes, Apple is looking to further the iPad's domination of the lucrative education market. The company has already inked a deal to supply all 640,000 students in the L.A. Unified School District with iPads by the end of 2014.
Comments
Lame. Yes, excellent thing they're doing here. I presume Android has this already, as they're the Checkbox Software Platform
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhilBoogie
No in-app purchase options, I take it ¿
Lame. Yes, excellent thing they're doing here. I presume Android has this already, as they're the Checkbox Software Platform
The Play Store doesn't have this. They use a rating system of 4 'maturity levels' in order to restrict access when needed (thru the use of checkboxes
A good step on Apple's part. Doesn't really warrant turning into an 'Android's system is better' or 'Apple was first' argument as I believe Kmart has had this system in place for the last 30 years or so =p They could improve it further by adding controls so parents can set what 'age range' apps an account can download.
With the advanced precision, security, and veracity of fingerprint scanners on iOS devices, it would seem to be feasible that Apple could offer parents the ability to control their children's access as well as spending allowances within the App Store. These settings could all be set by the parents and associated with each child's prints.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DanielSW
With the advanced precision, security, and veracity of fingerprint scanners on iOS devices, it would seem to be feasible that Apple could offer parents the ability to control their children's access as well as spending allowances within the App Store. These settings could all be set by the parents and associated with each child's prints.
Not gonna happen. No multiple user accounts on iOS devices. Each person must have their own iDevice. No sharing allowed.
IMO children should not be allowed to buy anything online, but that is just me...
Agreed, not until they learn the value of money.
That highlights another area where iOS and Android differ. Android rolled out user profiles sometime back. What that meant is you could have two or more people, each with their own set of applications, data, etc both using the same tablet. With Android 4.3x they took it a step further.
More than one AI member has commented about children using iDevices and the need for either parents to be more vigilant or Apple to offer some kind of restrictions or both. The developers of Android recognize the issue applies to that platform just as much. They've begun to address it with a new 4.3x feature called Restricted Profiles.
As Ars describes it:
"The new "restricted profiles" aren't quite their own dedicated user profiles. Instead they're a special kind of profile that can give logged-in users access to a subset of the owner's downloaded applications and (in some cases) accounts. Want to let your kid play games but not access the Internet, download their own apps, or set up a Facebook account? This gives you more granular control over that. . .
Restricted users can't add their own applications or change account settings, nor can they use apps that require location information unless that setting is enabled by the tablet owner. Some of Google's built-in features—the Google Play Music and Books libraries, for example—will allow the restricted user to access the owner's credentials to browse those libraries. Others, like the Netflix and Kindle apps, require a separate sign-in from within the restricted account if you'd like to use them. Still others, like Gmail and the Email app, can't be used from within restricted profiles at all."
And this sentence pretty well explains all you need to know if you don't want to read the whole thing:
"As of Android 4.3, you can share an Android tablet between multiple adults (or otherwise responsible people) who need to be able to install their own applications and between children (or otherwise irresponsible people) who want to be able to use the tablet but can't be trusted."
Whether you agree or disagree on Apple's apparent opinion that every user should have their own tablet and not share, the truth is that many iPads probably get shared and oft-times that will include teen or pre-teen family members. IMO Android did the right thing by admitting and dealing with it and Apple may begrudgingly be moving towards that same admission. User Profiles and Restricted Profiles don't negate the need to monitor your children's tablet use but it's a big step in the right direction.
EDIT: It looks like Chrome will also start offering Restricted Profiles. I think that's a great help for parents.
http://browserfame.com/2056/chrome-supervised-account-preview