🧑🏫 AI tutors and tutoring · 💬 Chatbots and assistants · 📝 Study and homework tools
Google Gemini
By Google. Visit Google Gemini
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
Gemini is Google's chatbot, built into Android phones, Chrome and the Gemini app. Teens with their own Google account can use it for questions, writing, images and study help, including Guided Learning, which explains step by step and gives clues. Children under 13 can use it only on a supervised Family Link account after a parent turns it on, with extra filters. Google tells parents to explain that Gemini is a tool, not a friend.
Our take: Usable for supervised homework help with a parent nearby; parents of young children should leave it off in Family Link unless they sit with the child.
| Ages it suits | under 13 with Family Link; 13+ on own account |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | You must be 13 (or the age in your country) to use Gemini with a personal or school account, 18 for a work account. Under 13 only on a Family Link supervised account, and only after a parent turns Gemini on. Not offered to supervised accounts in the EEA, Switzerland or the UK. (terms) |
| Price | Free, with paid extras. Free; Google AI Plus $4.99, AI Pro $19.99, AI Ultra $99.99 or $199.99 a month (Oct 2026); some paid benefits 18+ only |
| Works on | Web, iPhone and iPad, Android |
| Account | The child's own account |
| Ads | Not stated |
| In-app purchases | Yes |
| The AI in it | Gemini large language models chat, write, make images and act as the phone's assistant; Guided Learning acts as a tutor that gives hints and visuals. |
What's good
- Parent switch in Family Link, email when a child first uses it
- Extra filters for minors
- Guided Learning gives clues instead of answers
- No chat history kept for under-13s
Watch for
- Common Sense rates it high risk for kids and teens
- Human reviewers may read chats
- Answer-giving is one tap away
- Built into phones, so hard to avoid
Data and privacy
Google collects chats, uploads, and on phones data like contacts and screen content; trained human reviewers read some chats, and reviewed chats are kept up to three years even if deleted. Chat history storage (Keep Activity) is not available to under-13s; minors get added filters. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
Common Sense Media (Sept 2025) rated both Gemini for under-13s and Gemini with teen protections high risk, saying it still shares content young children aren't ready for and misses signs of serious mental health trouble. No independent study of Guided Learning was found.
In the Big Index
- On the list Top 20 AI sites for learning for kids (2026)
- On the list 12 AI tutors for kids, compared (with each one's age rules)
- On the list 10 AI reading apps and reading coaches for kids
- On the list 16 AI math helpers: the ones that teach and the ones that just answer
- On the list 14 AI tools for DIY projects and young makers
- On the list 11 AI art tools that are safer for kids
- On the list 11 AI story makers and storytelling apps for kids
- On the list 14 AI homework helpers for teens that build understanding
- On the list 13 AI language-learning apps for kids and teens
- On the list 14 AI study tools for high schoolers (flashcards, NotebookLM, quizzes)
- On the list 17 free AI tools a family can try this weekend
- The maker in the who's who: Google
Alternatives to Google Gemini
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
ChatGPT
OpenAI · ages 13-17 in the teen experience; adults
Most teens will meet it anyway, so link a parent account and turn on Study Mode; families wanting a tutor that never gives answers should look at a purpose-built one.
Desk researchFree, with paid extrasNo ads
Claude
Anthropic · ages 18+ (adults)
A tool for parents and adult students, not for children; families wanting a teen chatbot need one whose terms allow teens.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Curio plush (Grem, Grok, Gabbo)
Curio Interactive · ages about 3-12
One of the more careful AI plush toys on paper, but it is still an open chatbot for small children; suits parents who will read transcripts, while families who want no AI conversations should skip it.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
DIY.org (ChatDino, game builder)
DIY (AstroSafe family) · ages about 8-18 (the maker says 8 to 18)
Suits kids 8 and up who want to make and share games with a parent watching the portal; skip if you want kids learning to code by hand.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Echo Dot Kids (with Alexa+)
Amazon · ages 3-12
Fine for bedtime stories and quick questions if parents check and delete recordings; skip it if a microphone in the bedroom bothers you.
Desk researchPaid
Explore with Alexa
Amazon · ages young kids with an Amazon Kids profile
Fits families already on Echo and Prime who want voice-only curiosity chats; families wary of AI chat or always-on microphones should skip it.
Where these facts come from
- https://support.google.com/gemini/answer/16109150?hl=en
- https://support.google.com/gemini/answer/13278668?hl=en
- https://support.google.com/gemini/answer/16448384?hl=en
- https://support.google.com/gemini/answer/13594961?hl=en
- https://policies.google.com/terms
- https://policies.google.com/terms/generative-ai
- https://gemini.google/subscriptions/
- https://institute.commonsensemedia.org/risk-assessments/gemini-under-13
- https://institute.commonsensemedia.org/risk-assessments/gemini-with-teen-protections
Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.