App Privacy Review Checklist

Run this checklist the first time your kid installs any new app. With practice it takes 60 seconds — and it catches most of the problems that bite families later.

Before installing

• ☐Read the age rating in the app store — and look up real reviews from parents (not the app store stars).
• ☐Find the privacy policy. If it doesn't have one or you can't load it, don't install.
• ☐Check the app store's "Data the app collects" section. Anything that surprises you is worth a question.
• ☐Search the app name plus "kids" or "controversy" to see recent news.

During first launch

• ☐Set the account to PRIVATE by default.
• ☐Turn off location sharing.
• ☐Turn off contact syncing.
• ☐Deny camera and microphone access unless the app's core feature needs them.
• ☐Deny notifications, then re-enable only what's truly useful.
• ☐Use a username that doesn't include your kid's real name, school, or birth year.
• ☐Profile photo is not a clear face shot.

Inside the app

• ☐Find any "Who can message me" setting — set to friends only (or off).
• ☐Find any "Suggest me to others" setting — turn it off.
• ☐Find any "Personalised ads" setting — turn it off.
• ☐Find any "Use my data to train AI" setting — turn it off.
• ☐Look for an in-app chat or DMs. Decide together whether it stays on.

Family agreements

• ☐The kid knows what to do if a stranger messages them (don't reply, screenshot, show a parent).
• ☐The app is on the home screen, not hidden in a folder.
• ☐You'll do a follow-up check together after two weeks.

If anything on this list isn't possible

If you can't lock down basic privacy settings, the app may not be designed for kids at all. That's a strong signal to skip it and look for an alternative.