Sixty-eight percent of kids 12 and under use a tablet, and 61 percent use a smartphone, according to a 2025 Pew Research Center survey. That's a lot of screens, and a lot of brands finding ways to become part of families' daily lives. From kids smartwatches and parental controls to bedtime audio and AI tutors, family apps are creating new ways for families to learn, connect, and unwind.
But as more products enter the market, it gets harder to see how the different categories connect. A kids audio player, meditation app, and smart night light might serve different purposes, but they can all play a role in the same bedtime routine.
That's why we started mapping family apps. The Family App Landscape 2027 maps more than 100 companies across nine categories to show where the market is growing and how brands can stand out. These findings will help shape the full report.
Why we created the map
Parents are paying closer attention to how their kids use technology. The same Pew survey found that 42 percent of parents with children 12 and under say they could do better at managing screen time. Yet families still use apps and connected devices for everything from homework to bedtime.
For brands in this space, the connections aren't always obvious. Products in different categories often support similar needs and reach the same families.
What the data revealed about family apps for kids
We started by looking at what parents are actually searching for. The findings show how family needs connect products across different categories.
Parents search for the job they need done. The term "family friendly" gets 9,900 monthly searches, but results range from travel destinations to entertainment. More specific searches like "yoga for kids" (8,100), "family calendar app" (3,600), and "internet safety for kids" (1,600) show what families are trying to accomplish. For marketers, that distinction can shape everything from SEO strategy to how products are positioned.
Search volume doesn't tell the whole story. "Kids smart watch" alone gets 18,100 monthly searches. But when we looked at keywords classified as informational, Wellbeing stood out with 18,750 monthly searches across topics like yoga, mindfulness, and sleep. That's a chance to reach parents earlier in their search.
Different products are shaping the same family routines. Take bedtime. Yoto and tonies offer screen-free audio experiences for kids, while Hatch uses connected devices and sound to support sleep routines. Each approaches a similar family need in a different way. For brands, looking beyond their own category can surface new ideas for reaching families.
Music and audio play a major role in wellbeing products. In Nurture, our category for kids' wellbeing, Companies like Moshi and Calm show how audio can support relaxation, mindfulness, and sleep. For many of these brands, sound is how they become part of a family’s everyday routine.
At Feed.fm, we see how family-friendly music shapes the experience for kids and parents, and our report The Sound of Trust shows why it matters. In an April 2026 survey of 500 U.S. parents of children under 13, 77 percent said they've heard explicit or inappropriate music in an app while listening with their child, and 84 percent said inappropriate music reduces their trust in a brand.
AI tutoring is gaining traction, but parents aren't necessarily searching for AI. According to Qustodio's Lost in the Scroll report, nearly one-third of kids used AI tools in 2025, mostly for homework. Yet none of the search terms we tracked specifically mention AI. Instead, parents search for terms like "helping homework app" (2,900 monthly searches) and "tutoring for kids" (1,300). For brands developing AI-powered learning tools, leading with the problem they solve may be more effective than leading with the technology.
What's next for the family app landscape
The full Family App Landscape 2027 report will take a closer look at more than 100 companies building family apps and kid devices across nine categories: Nurture, Protect, Connect, Learn, Listen & Watch, Organize, Play, Create, and Move.
We're also gathering perspectives from marketing leaders across the industry to understand what they're seeing from parents and where they believe the market is headed.
Building an app or connected device for kids and families? We'd love to hear from you. Reach out to be considered for inclusion in The Family App Landscape 2027, and stay tuned for the full report.
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