Think about a phone in your hand, and think about what is on it. Apps are on it. An app is short for application. It is a software program. They can help people play games, read the news or find their way.

Here is a bit of history about getting them. Apple opened its App Store in 2008. People get them from an online app store. Here is something you can do on a touchscreen phone, with just your hand. You can pinch with your fingers to make a picture smaller.

Now think about what you may see when you use a phone. Some apps cost real money. Some things inside them cost real money too. Apps and games can have an age rating. Here is a thing to know about a phone that a child uses.

Here is how a parent can help with a phone that a child uses each day. Parents can block or allow certain apps on a child's phone. A parent can set daily time limits too. A parent can do these things on the phone itself.

Here is what a parent can do first. Parents can set up a phone so that a child has to ask a grown-up before getting an app. Some phones have settings that let a parent make a child ask permission before downloading or buying apps.

Words to know

• software: programs
• rating: age label
• permission: asking first