Parents and guardians of younger children will soon find a kid-friendly section on Play Store. Google says this section is curated and its apps are those that have been recommended by teachers.
Google's upcoming Kids tab will show apps that have met its quality standards. It will also show reasons why a certain app is highly rated by teachers and also includes a description of what the app is all about and how kids can learn from it.
Some apps on the Play Store now come with a "teacher-approved" badge. Google Play Pass subscribers, meanwhile, can see some apps that teachers have given their stamp of approval in the Apps and Games for Kids section.
According to Google, the Kids section has been in the works for a while but its rollout is actually ahead of schedule "because parents who have tried it out told us that it's been helpful, especially now with their kids home from school and spending more time with screens." That's all due to the COVID-19 pandemic, obviously.
While the Kids section will be released earlier than the intended schedule, it will be missing some apps originally planned for inclusion. However, the search giant has reassured that it will add more content as soon as possible.
The shutdown of schools has caused a surge in demand for content aimed at kids. This has prompted many tech companies to release kid-friendly programs and applications, like YouTube's Learn@Home hub for parents looking for educational videos.
Google's tools for teachers have increased in demand due to the pandemic as well. Google Classroom, for example, now has 100 million users. Earlier this month, the search giant donated 4,000 Chromebooks to students in California with the help of State Governor Gavin Newsom.
Distance learning is now being encouraged by governments worldwide in an effort to cope with the coronavirus crisis. There is no proper timeline as to when students will be able to return to a classroom setup, so for now, parents are given the responsibility to help their kids continue their studies.
Many online educational tools and video conferencing apps are currently being offered for free, while some institutions have launched their own programs in order for their students to complete the school year.
The new Kids tab feature will be available in the US in the coming days and the rest of the world in the coming months.
