page.title=Opt-In to Designed for Families meta.tags="families", "guidelines", "quality" page.tags="families", "addendum" page.metaDescription=Join Designed for Families in just a few simple steps. @jd:body

If you're building an app designed for kids and families, there are a few things you need to do before you’ll be ready to opt-in to the Designed for Families program:

Now that your app is ready to publish, you can opt-in to Designed for Families directly from the Developer Console. Opt-in means that you want your app to be made available on the family-friendly experience on Google Play in addition to the category you’ve selected on the Google Play Store.

Opt-in also confirms that your app complies with Google Play Developer Program Policies and the Developer Distribution Agreement, including the Designed for Families DDA Addendum. If you are not familiar with these policy documents or the Addendum, make sure to read them before opting-in.

Once you're ready, here's how to opt-in to Designed for Families for a specific app:

  1. In the Developer Console All Applications page, click the app you want to opt-in. Under Pricing and Distribution, scroll down to find Designed for Families and the opt-in checkbox.
  2. Start the opt-in flow and confirm that your app meets the eligibility requirements.
  3. If your app has ads, confirm that it meets the ads policy.
  4. Choose your target age groups from: Ages 5 & Under, Ages 6 to 8, Ages 9 to 12, or General Audience (for apps which target children and older audiences). You can choose up to two adjacent age groups only if your app targets more than one age group. Apps with an ESRB 10+ rating can only choose an age target of 9-12 or General Audience.
  5. Choose a category for your app for the new family-focused experience on Google Play. Your app will also be discoverable in its existing category in Google Play.
  6. Review and agree to the linked documents and then click Opt-In. Finally, click Submit update on the Pricing & Distribution page to publish or update your app.

Once you opt-in your app, it will be thoroughly reviewed before being accepted into the Designed for Families program.

Note: Published apps in the Designed for Families program are also available to all users on Google Play.

If you opt-in an app that you're publishing for the first time and it doesn't meet the Designed for Families program requirements, it won't be made available on Google Play until either you update the app to meet the program requirements or you uncheck the opt-in box and pass Google Play's standard review process.

If you opt-in an app that's already published on Google Play and it doesn't meet the program requirements, it will remain available to all users but won't be added to the family experience until you update the app to meet the program requirements.

If you publish an update to an app that's opted-in to Designed for Families, the app update needs to pass the Designed for Families review before it will become available to all users on Google Play.