Facebook’s New Messenger Kids

Facebook declared the launch of a new app – Messenger Kids. It will be available in more than 70 countries along with new features, which will slowly roll out in various markets. Facebook has taken this initiative as schools are now closed because of coronavirus pandemic. Besides, the new features are planned in such a way that it will let the kids increase their contacts under parental supervision.

What are the features?

The first new feature is called Supervised Friending, and it will launch today in the US before other countries. Before Supervised Friending, the parents must approve their Messenger Kids contacts. This feature will let the parents turn on an option, which will allow their kids to reject, accept, remove, or add contacts. Also, the parents will be notified via Messenger and will be allowed to nullify any approvals via their dashboard.

The second feature will allow the parents to authorize other adults, such as teachers, to add their children to group chats. The third feature is now available in the United States, Latin America, and Canada. This feature will allow the parents to make the profile name of their kids, along with a photo that will be apparent to a circle of users. It will include friends of their children’s contact, children of parents’ Facebook friends who have this “Messenger Kids” app as well, and the children of parents invite to download this app.

In the announcement, Facebook revealed that the new features had been developed with the Youth Advisors, which is an advisory team created of child development, online and media safety experts. In February, Facebook introduced new features and tools that will give parents more control over the activity of their kids on Messenger Kids, which will also include an activity log of the kids.