What's the Right Way to Get Parental Consent in My App?

Have you ever stopped to think about how many apps accidentally collect data from children without proper consent? It happens more than you might think—and the consequences can be pretty serious. I've worked with dozens of clients who had no idea their app needed parental consent systems until they were either flagged by app stores or, worse, contacted by regulators. Its not just about following rules; its about protecting kids and protecting your business at the same time.

Here's the thing—if your app attracts anyone under 13 (or under 16 in some places), you need parental consent. Full stop. And I mean actually getting consent, not just ticking a box that says "I confirm I'm over 13." The regulations around children's privacy have gotten much stricter over the years, and app stores are rejecting submissions left and right for getting this wrong.

Getting parental consent right isn't just about avoiding fines; it's about building trust with the families who use your app.

I get it...parental consent sounds complicated. You're probably thinking about long forms, verification processes, and frustrated parents who just want their kids to start using the app. But actually, when you understand what's required and why, it becomes much more manageable. The key is designing a consent flow that meets legal requirements whilst still being straightforward enough that parents don't abandon the process halfway through.

Throughout this guide, I'm going to walk you through everything you need to know about implementing parental consent in your app. We'll cover the legal stuff (COPPA compliance, age verification, and all that), the practical stuff (how to build consent flows that actually work), and the mistakes I've seen apps make that you definitely want to avoid. By the end, you'll know exactly what you need to do to keep your app compliant and your young users protected.

Understanding Why Parental Consent Matters for Your App

Look, I'll be honest with you—parental consent isn't just some legal checkbox you tick because someone told you to. It's actually a pretty big deal, and getting it wrong can cost you everything. I mean everything. We're talking fines that can reach millions of pounds, getting your app pulled from the stores, and—here's the worst bit—losing the trust of your users permanently. Once that's gone, its nearly impossible to get back.

The reason parental consent exists is straightforward: children can't legally agree to how their data gets used. They don't have the capacity to understand what it means when an app asks to track their location or collect their browsing habits or share their information with third parties. And lets be clear, if your app is aimed at kids under 13 (or under 16 in some places) you need their parents permission before you collect any personal data. Full stop.

But here's the thing—its not just about following the law. When parents trust you with their childrens data, they're putting an enormous amount of faith in your hands. They're trusting that you'll protect their kids, that you won't misuse information, and that you've built something safe. Break that trust and your app is finished, regardless of how good the features are or how much money you've spent on development.

What Counts as a Child's App

You might think your app isn't for children, but the regulators might disagree. If your app has colourful characters, cartoon graphics, or game-like features that appeal to young users then it could be classified as child-directed even if that wasn't your intention. Here are the things regulators look at:

• The visual design and whether it uses child-friendly themes or characters
• The subject matter and if its something that appeals to children
• Whether you use audio content or music that attracts younger audiences
• If your marketing or advertising targets children or their parents
• The age of your actual users based on analytics data

I've seen apps get caught out because they claimed to be for "all ages" but their user base was predominantly under 13. The regulators aren't stupid—they look at your actual usage data, not just what you say your target market is. So if kids are using your app in large numbers you need parental consent systems in place, period.

The Legal Requirements You Need to Know About

Right, let's talk about the legal stuff—because getting this wrong can cost you serious money. I mean, we're talking fines in the hundreds of thousands if you mess up children's privacy laws. Not trying to scare you, but its important to understand what you're dealing with here.

The main law you need to know about is COPPA in the United States. It stands for Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, and it applies to any app that collects personal information from kids under 13. But here's the thing—even if you're not based in the US, if American children can use your app, COPPA applies to you. There's no getting around it. The rules are pretty clear: you need verifiable parental consent before collecting, using or sharing a child's personal information. And when they say "verifiable" they really mean it; a simple checkbox saying "I'm a parent" won't cut it anymore.

In Europe, you've got GDPR which sets the age of digital consent at 16 (though individual countries can lower it to 13). The UK has its own version called the Age Appropriate Design Code, and honestly? Its one of the strictest children's privacy laws out there. It requires you to put childrens best interests first when designing your app, which sounds simple but has massive implications for how you build everything from notifications to data collection.

Keep records of every parental consent you collect and store them securely—regulators will ask to see these if they come knocking, and "we didn't keep track" is not an answer they want to hear.

What These Laws Actually Require

Let me break down the main requirements across these different regulations. You don't need to be a lawyer (thank goodness) but you do need to understand the basics:

• Get verifiable parental consent before collecting any personal data from children
• Provide clear privacy policies written in language parents can actually understand
• Only collect the minimum information necessary for your app to function
• Give parents the ability to review what data you've collected about their child
• Allow parents to delete their child's information whenever they ask
• Keep all children's data secure with proper encryption and access controls
• Don't use children's data for targeted advertising or building user profiles

The Verification Standard That Matters

Now, what does "verifiable" consent actually mean? The FTC (who enforce COPPA) accept several methods, but they all need to show that the person giving consent is actually an adult. Small transaction charges (like charging 50p to a credit card) work because children don't have cards. Email plus codes work too, where you send an email and require a response. Some apps use identity verification services that check government IDs. What doesn't work is just asking someone to tick a box saying they're over 18—that's what we call "self-certification" and regulators hate it because its too easy for kids to lie.

How to Verify a Child's Age Without Making It Complicated

Right, so this is where things get tricky—you need to know if someone's a child, but you also don't want to turn your app signup into some kind of interrogation process that scares everyone away. I've built age verification flows for all sorts of apps and the balance between security and user experience is genuinely hard to get right.

The simplest method is just asking for a date of birth during registration. Sounds obvious, but here's the thing—its easy to lie about. Kids know they need to say they're older, so they do. But legally speaking, asking for date of birth is often enough because you've made a reasonable effort to determine age; if someone lies, that's on them (though don't quote me in court on that!).

Age Verification Methods That Actually Work

You've got a few options here depending on how strict you need to be:

• Simple date of birth field—quick and easy, but not foolproof at all
• Age gate questions—asking what year someone was born instead of their full birthday makes it slightly harder to lie
• Neutral age screen—"Are you over 13?" type questions that don't collect actual dates
• Email verification for young users—if they enter an age under your threshold, require a parent email immediately
• Payment method verification—children typically can't verify credit cards, though this adds friction

What I've Seen Work Best

In my experience, a two-step approach works well. Ask for date of birth first, then if the user indicates they're under your age threshold (usually 13 or 16 depending on where you operate), immediately redirect them to a parental consent flow before they can access anything. Don't let them explore the app first—that's a compliance nightmare waiting to happen.

Some apps I've worked on use what I call "soft gates" where young users can browse but cant create content or interact until parental consent comes through. Others lock everything down completely. The right choice depends on your app's purpose and risk tolerance, but whatever you choose, make it clear and consistent throughout the entire experience.

Building a Parental Consent Flow That Actually Works

Right, so you've figured out your legal requirements and sorted your age verification—now comes the tricky bit of actually getting parents to complete the consent process. I mean, you could build the most technically perfect consent flow in the world, but if parents abandon it halfway through because its too complicated or takes too long, you've got a problem. And trust me, I've seen plenty of apps with consent flows that are so clunky they might as well have a sign saying "please go use our competitor instead".

The biggest mistake I see? Making parents create a full account with passwords, security questions, email verification, and all that before they can even see what they're consenting to. Sure, you need to verify the parent is actually an adult, but front-loading all the friction is a recipe for abandoned sign-ups. Start with the consent explanation first—show parents exactly what data you'll collect, why you need it, and how it'll be used. Then, once they've agreed in principle, collect the verification details. Its a small change that makes a massive difference to completion rates.

The best parental consent flows feel less like a legal hurdle and more like a helpful conversation about keeping kids safe online.

Keep your language simple and clear; no legal jargon that requires a law degree to understand. I always recommend adding a progress indicator so parents know how many steps remain—nobody likes endless forms that seem to go on forever. And here's something that actually matters: make sure the consent flow works perfectly on mobile. Most parents will complete it on their phone while they're sitting next to their kid who's waiting to use the app, so if your flow is only optimised for desktop, you're making life harder than it needs to be. Test it thoroughly, make sure every button works, and for goodness sake check that email verification links open properly on mobile devices because that's where the majority of parents will click them.

What Information Can You Collect From Children

Right—so you've got parental consent sorted, but now comes the tricky bit; what data can you actually collect from kids? The short answer is: only what you absolutely need. I know that sounds vague, but hear me out—data minimisation isn't just a legal requirement, its good practice that protects both you and your young users.

COPPA and GDPR are really clear about this. You can't collect personal information from children unless it's necessary for your app to function. That means you need to think hard about what "necessary" really means in your context. An educational app might need a child's first name and progress data to personalise learning. A game probably doesn't need their location, email address, or even their real name at all.

Types of Data and When You Can Collect Them

Personal identifiers like names, email addresses, and photos require explicit parental consent every single time. Location data? Same thing—and honestly, you should avoid collecting it unless your app literally cannot work without it. Persistent identifiers like device IDs are also considered personal information when they can be used to track a child across apps or websites.

Heres what you need to remember: if you can make your app work with anonymous user IDs instead of real names, do that. If you can store progress locally on the device instead of on your servers, even better. The less data you collect, the less you have to worry about protecting and the fewer regulations you need to navigate.

What You Should Never Collect

Some data is just off-limits for children's apps unless you have a really compelling reason and full parental consent. This includes:

• Social security numbers or government IDs
• Precise geolocation data
• Photos or videos of the child
• Contact lists from their device
• Behavioural tracking data for advertising purposes
• Any data that could be used to contact the child directly

And please, for the love of all things good—don't use childrens data for targeted advertising. Many app stores will reject you outright for this, and the fines can be massive. I mean genuinely massive. We're talking hundreds of thousands in penalties that can sink your entire business.

Managing Parent Accounts and Verification

Once a parent has given consent, you need a system to manage that relationship—and this is where things get interesting, because its not just about getting the yes, its about maintaining that trust over time. I've seen so many apps nail the initial consent flow but then completely drop the ball on parent account management, and honestly? It causes more support headaches than you'd think.

The best approach is to create a proper parent account that's separate from the child's profile. This gives parents a dashboard where they can review what their child is doing, update permissions, and revoke consent if needed. Sure, it's more work upfront, but it saves you from angry emails down the line when a parent cant figure out how to manage their kids account. And believe me, those emails come fast when parents feel locked out of their child's digital activity.

What Parents Actually Need to Access

Your parent portal doesn't need to be fancy—it needs to be functional. Parents should be able to view what data you've collected about their child, download that information (GDPR makes this pretty much mandatory anyway), and delete the child's account entirely if they want to. I mean, that last one is required by law in most places, but you'd be surprised how many apps make it nearly impossible to find. You know what? Make the delete button easy to locate. It builds trust.

Send parents a yearly reminder email asking them to review their child's account permissions; this keeps you compliant and shows you're taking privacy seriously without being intrusive about it.

Verification Doesn't Stop After Sign-Up

Here's something that catches developers off guard—you might need to re-verify parents at certain points. If a parent wants to change significant settings or download all their child's data, asking them to re-enter that credit card or confirm their identity again isn't just good security, its good practice. It prevents situations where a child has accessed the parent account and is making changes they shouldn't be making.

Common Mistakes That Get Apps Rejected or Fined

Right, let's talk about the mistakes I see time and time again—because honestly, some of these could've been avoided with just a bit more attention to detail. The thing is, app store reviewers and regulatory bodies are looking specifically for certain red flags when it comes to childrens apps, and if you trip any of these wires you're in for a world of pain.

The biggest mistake? Collecting data before getting consent. I mean, this should be obvious but you'd be surprised how many developers I've worked with who put analytics tracking or advertising SDKs in their app that start collecting information the moment a child opens it. That's a massive no-no. Everything—and I mean everything—needs to happen after parental consent is verified, not before.

Another common error is making the consent process too vague or complicated. Parents need to understand exactly what they're agreeing to in plain English, not legal jargon that requires a law degree to decipher. If your privacy policy uses phrases like "we may collect certain information for legitimate business purposes" without explaining what that actually means...well, you're asking for trouble.

The Most Frequent Compliance Failures

Here's a quick list of what gets apps rejected or fined most often:

• Using third-party advertising networks that serve behavioural ads to children
• Including external links that bypass parental controls
• Collecting location data without a clear, specific reason thats explained to parents
• Allowing in-app purchases without proper parental gates
• Using social features that let children communicate with strangers
• Failing to respond to parent requests to delete their child's data
• Not updating your privacy policy when you add new features or data collection

One more thing that catches people out—assuming that because your app is free, the rules don't apply as strictly. They do. Actually, free apps sometimes get scrutinised more because reviewers know they're likely monetising through ads or data, which raises additional concerns when children are involved.

Keeping Your App Compliant as Rules Change

Here's the thing about childrens privacy laws—they don't stay still for long. What was compliant two years ago might not be compliant today, and that's something I've had to learn the hard way whilst working on apps that collect data from younger users. Privacy regulations are constantly evolving as governments and regulators catch up with how technology actually works; and honestly, it can feel like trying to hit a moving target sometimes.

The biggest mistake I see app owners make? They build their parental consent system once and then forget about it. They assume its done and dusted. But COPPA gets updated, new state laws pop up (looking at you, California), and international regulations like GDPR keep shifting their requirements. If you're not paying attention, you could wake up one day to find your app is suddenly non-compliant—and the fines for that aren't pretty.

Set Up a Regular Compliance Review

I recommend reviewing your consent processes every six months at minimum. Check what data you're collecting, how you're storing it, and whether your age verification methods still meet current standards. Subscribe to updates from the FTC if you're in the US, or the ICO if you're dealing with UK users. These organisations publish guidance whenever rules change, and its free information that could save you thousands in legal fees.

The apps that survive long-term are the ones that treat compliance as an ongoing process, not a one-time checkbox

You know what? I also keep a compliance calendar now. It sounds boring, but it works. Every quarter I block out time to review our privacy policies, test our consent flows, and make sure everything still aligns with current regulations. And whenever we add new features that collect data, we go through the compliance checklist again from scratch. It's a bit of extra work upfront, but its nothing compared to the cost of getting it wrong.

Conclusion

Getting parental consent right isn't just about ticking boxes—it's about building trust with families who are letting your app into their childrens lives. And honestly? That's a big responsibility. I've seen too many apps rush this part, treating it like an afterthought, and then wonder why they're facing compliance issues or worse, losing the trust of their users.

The thing is, parental consent doesn't have to be this massive headache that slows down your development timeline. Sure, it adds complexity to your app's flow, but when you design it properly from the start it becomes just another part of your user experience—one that actually makes parents feel more confident about using your app. Think about it; would you rather spend time building a solid consent system now, or deal with regulatory fines and angry parents later?

What I always tell clients is this: start simple but build it properly. You don't need fancy biometric verification or complicated multi-step processes unless your app is collecting really sensitive data. Most of the time, a clear age gate, straightforward consent request, and basic parent verification through email or credit card will do the job. But whatever method you choose, make sure its transparent. Parents need to understand exactly what data you're collecting and why—no hidden surprises buried in lengthy terms and conditions that nobody reads anyway.

Look, the rules around children's privacy are only going to get stricter as time goes on; thats just the reality of where we're headed. But if you build your app with genuine respect for children's privacy from day one, you won't need to panic every time a new regulation comes along. You'll already be doing the right thing, and that's what matters most.