# How to check what data a kids app collects before you install it

> Read the App Store privacy section, the privacy policy and the app's own permission requests in five minutes, so you know what a children's game collects and shares.

Published 2026-11-02 by ODEL.

To check what data a kids app collects, scroll to the **App Privacy** section of its App Store page, read which categories it lists under "Data Used to Track You" and "Data Linked to You", then open the developer's privacy policy for the details and watch what permissions the app asks for on first launch. A children's game that needs no account usually needs very little data, so anything beyond that deserves a question.

## 1. Read the App Privacy section on the store page

On iPhone or iPad, open the app's page in the App Store and scroll down to **App Privacy**. Apple explains the categories in [About privacy information on the App Store](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102399):

- **Data Used to Track You**: data from the app linked with data from other companies' apps, websites or offline sources, and used for ads or shared with data brokers. For a game made for young children, this is the category to look at first.
- **Data Linked to You**: data tied to your identity, such as an account, device or phone number.
- **Data Not Linked to You**: data the developer says is collected without being tied to you.
- **Data Not Collected**: the developer says it collects nothing.

Apple notes that this information is self-reported by the developer. Treat it as a starting point, not proof.

## 2. Look for advertising

Ads are the most common reason a kids app collects identifiers. In the privacy section, look for "Third-Party Advertising" as a purpose. In the description, look for words like "contains ads" or a paid "remove ads" option. An app that shows ads to children is not automatically unsafe, but it is sharing something with an ad network.

## 3. Open the privacy policy

Every App Store app links to a privacy policy from its page. You do not need to read every line. Search the page for:

- **Account**: does your child need to sign up? Common Sense Media advises avoiding apps that require sign-up or collect personal information ([source](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/7-signs-an-app-is-a-good-choice-for-your-preschooler)).
- **Analytics**: which services measure usage, and can you turn them off?
- **Camera, microphone, photos, location**: does a game for a 3-year-old need them?
- **Retention and deletion**: how long data is kept and how to delete it.

## 4. Watch the first launch

Install the app and open it with your child out of the room. Note every permission request: notifications, camera, microphone, location, tracking. You can say no to any of them, and you can change them later in **Settings**, under the app's name.

If the app shows a request to track your activity across other apps, you can choose **Ask App Not to Track**.

## 5. Check the parent area

Good kids apps put settings, purchases and outside links behind a parental gate. Find the parent area and look for privacy options such as turning off analytics or deleting a child's profile.

## 6. Decide and record

Keep a short note of the apps your child uses and what you found. Recheck when an app has a big update, since privacy details can change.

## What a low-data kids game looks like

[Sauro](/app/dinosaur), ODEL's calm 3D dinosaur game for children aged 5 and under, is **coming soon** for iOS and Android and is not in the stores yet. Its published privacy policy shows what a low-data children's game can look like:

- No account registration, and it does not ask children for a name, email address, phone number, photo or location
- It does not use the camera, microphone, photo library or contacts
- No advertising, no analytics SDK and no tracking; it does not request the advertising identifier or App Tracking Transparency permission
- Game progress, settings and simple usage counts are stored only on the device and are not sent to ODEL or any analytics service
- Uninstalling the app removes all local game data

Gameplay is simple care: a child hatches a baby dinosaur, feeds, washes, naps and plays with it, and new places open in its valley as it grows. The valley and long neck are free; more content uses a Sauro Family subscription, which Apple or Google process.

When Sauro launches, check its App Privacy section the same way you would for any other app. For dinosaur games you can download today, see [Best dinosaur games for toddlers](/best/dinosaur-games-for-toddlers).

## Checklist

- App Privacy section read, especially "Data Used to Track You"
- Advertising purpose checked
- Privacy policy searched for account, analytics and permissions
- Permission requests reviewed on first launch
- Parent area and privacy options found