How we rate apps and platforms.
Every app profile on The Rundown gets one of four risk labels. Here is what each one means.
Low
The app’s defaults are reasonable for most families. Small setup adjustments may be worth making, but there is no urgent action required.
Watch
The app is generally fine but has specific features or settings that commonly cause problems for tweens and teens. Worth reviewing before allowing it.
High
The app has meaningful risks that many parents will want to actively mitigate. Expect to change default settings, set limits, or have direct conversations.
Urgent
Active, ongoing harm patterns we recommend parents address immediately — often by blocking, removing, or closely supervising use.
How we decide
Ratings reflect the editorial judgment of The Rundown, informed by published research, the app’s own disclosures, observed behavior across our reviews, and feedback from the parent community.
We weight three things heavily: defaults (what does a typical 12-year-old encounter without any parental setup?), bypass surface (how easily can a motivated teenager defeat the controls that exist?), and parental visibility (can a parent see what their kid is actually doing on the platform?).
Ratings are reviewed quarterly and updated when the platform changes meaningfully — whether that’s a new feature launch, a defaults change, or new evidence from the parent community.
See the rated apps in the full app library. If a rating reads wrong to you, the fastest way to flag it is via the submit form.