Messenger Kids is an instant messaging platform from Meta. It offers a secure protocol for kids to stay in touch with friends and family. It’s designed around kids’ safety and parental control to keep little ones safe from unknown contacts. Messenger Kids is built on the standard Messenger app, and Facebook made several changes to make it kid-friendly. Messenger Kids is available for iPhone and Android phones. Before setting up Messenger Kids, check the guide below to learn about Facebook’s offering.
Why did Facebook create Messenger Kids?
Facebook talked with thousands of parents, associations like the National PTA, and parenting experts. It found a growing need for a safe communication platform for kids with parental control. Here’s where Messenger Kids comes into play.
Whether your little one wants to chat with a cousin or grandparent or share vacation photos with classmates, they can use Messenger Kids to compose messages or group video calls.
Messenger Kids availability
Facebook launched Messenger Kids in December 2017. While the initial rollout was limited to the US, the company made it available in Canada and Peru the following year. Facebook expanded Messenger Kids in 2020 to more than 70 regions worldwide. Anyone with a Facebook account can download the Kids app and create a separate inbox for their kids.
Does your kid need a Facebook account to use Messenger Kids?
Messenger Kids is an ideal platform for children between the ages of 6 and 12. It doesn’t need a Facebook account. According to US Federal law, children under the age of 13 are prohibited from creating a Facebook account.
How does it work? What separates the Messenger Kids from the standard Messenger app? Let’s set it up and glance over some of the noteworthy functions and parental control features for Messenger Kids.
Set up Messenger Kids
Setting up Messenger Kids is easy. It only takes a couple of minutes. The company’s apps are available on the App Store, Google Play Store, and Amazon App Store. You can create an account for your child on the web or through mobile apps.
Download Messenger Kids on iPhone and Android. Confirm your identity as a parent or guardian, enter your Facebook account password, and follow the on-screen instructions to add your child’s details and connect with their friends’ parents. From now on, when your little one wants to chat with relatives or friends, open Messenger Kids and hand over your phone.
Messenger Kids features
Messenger Kids is a stripped-down version of Messenger with some fun add-ons. Here are some of the headline features of Facebook’s kid-friendly platform:
- No in-app purchases or ads in Messenger Kids.
- Messaging features like stickers, emojis, and drawing tools to spice up conversations.
- Doesn’t require a phone number or other personal details (other than a birth date).
- Kid-friendly fun filters and sound effects for engaging video calls.
- Question templates to send to friends so that they can answer.
- Multiple theming options.
- Privacy features to tweak friends list visibility and block annoying friends.
Parental control features for Messenger Kids
Facebook Kids has a solid parental control dashboard to manage your kid’s profile and other settings.
Sleep mode
Sleep mode is a neat add-on to prevent your kids from using the service. You can set start and stop times and apply it on your child’s device. Parental control dashboard is available on your main Facebook app > More > Facebook Kids menu.
Supervised friending and list visibility
Based on feedback from parents, Facebook offers more control to your kids to invite and manage their friends list. Previously, it was up to parents to approve friends for their kids. You can also invite your partner as a parent or guardian to help manage your kids’ account, tweak online status, download information, and more.
Concerns with Messenger Kids
Although Facebook offers neat privacy controls for kids, child development experts, advocates, parenting organizations, and the FTC have raised concerns. They accused Facebook of targeting younger children with a new product. The group also raised concerns about the mental health and well-being of young minds.
Should my kid use Messenger Kids?
Facebook is notorious for showing ads and using user information for ads. However, the company removed both options on Messenger Kids. You decide whether it’s the right time for your kid to have a presence on Messenger. Speaking of pros, your kid can learn communication skills, how to respect elders, interact with others, and more.
Set up a communication platform for your little ones
Messenger Kids offers sufficient messaging features, fun add-ons, and robust parental control features for your kids. Since most of their friends’ parents are on the platform, connecting your child to friends shouldn’t be a problem.
The standard Messenger app is feature-rich. However, it has issues. If you have issues using Messenger, check our troubleshooting guide to fix the issue.
