Google launches Kids Space, a hub for child-friendly apps and videos on tablets.
The search giant Google, on Monday, unveiled a new kids mode on selected Android tablets that features apps, books, and videos for your children to explore, learn and have fun as they stay home.
Google Kids Space will be available globally on certain Lenovo tablets first, including the new Lenovo Smart Tab M10 HD Gen 2, and will arrive on more Android tablets soon. “Kids Smart is designed with your kids at the center of the experience and made for them to become explorers of the things they love,” Google said in a statement.
The interface is colorful and cute and looks easy to navigate. Kids can sort content by topic such as animals, princesses, cooking, vehicles, etc. and can swap between tabs. Under the Watch and Make tabs, kids can view creative and fun videos from YouTube Kids that are engaging and encourage off-screen activities. Parents can download additional content from Google Play if they are looking to customize even more.
The apps will be certified with a “teacher-approved” badge. The content is rated by teachers who work with Google to pick the apps, based on criteria covering age-appropriateness (meant for kids under 9 years old), learning, and positive messages.
Google said in an interview it worked with publishers to provide a library of more than 400 free books. Its content will be personalized for each user, but no data from the service will be used to target ads to children.
Kids Space is a follow-up to Google’s Family Link, a parental control app for all Android devices, which allows parents to create and monitor Google accounts for their kids. You can set regulations on screen time, select what apps they can use, remotely lock their devices, and keep tabs on their activity. Parents will be able to use Family Link controls to manage their children’s use of Kids Space.
Kids Space requires a Google Account for your child. Currently Google Assistant is not yet available in Kids Space.