The Play Store has a crap-ton of content, much of which you might not want your kids to access. Google is aware of this, and at I/O 2015 the company has announced a new set of tools specifically designed to help parents find age-appropriate content, plus a few extras to help kids engage with the content itself. It's all being introduced to the Play Store under the "Family Star" label and logo.

Family Star extends across apps, games, video, and book content, but it's primarily intended for games. Searches specifically for kid-friendly content filter out everything else, and content under the Family Star logo is separated by age range. Right now the division is 5 and under, 6 to 8 years old, and 9 to 12 years old. Content will be labeled with third-party ESRB ratings, and apps that include advertising and in-app purchases will be clearly labeled. New and more powerful password and IAP controls will be implemented.

In addition to the tools for Mom and Dad, content can also be searched based on properties. Characters from partners like Cartoon Network, DreamWorks, Nickelodeon, LEGO, Mattel, and Sesame Street will get their own sections on the Play Store, putting all of those grouped apps and games in the same place. It's almost like a kid-friendly roundup right on the Play Store - Google's shoving on Android Police turf.

According to the post on the official Android blog, at least some of this functionality will be rolling out in the next few weeks. Since it's all server-side in the Play Store, an upgraded version of Android probably won't be necessary to access Family Star.

Source: Official Android Blog