How To Use Messenger Kids

Update on January 10, 2018: Messenger Kids is likewise bachelor for Fire tablets.

Update on February fourteen, 2018: Messenger Kids is also bachelor on the Google Play Store.

Original post published December 4, 2017:

Today, in the Us, we're rolling out a preview of Messenger Kids, a new app that makes it easier for kids to safely video chat and message with family and friends when they tin't be together in person. After talking to thousands of parents, associations like National PTA, and parenting experts in the U.s.a., we found that there'south a demand for a messaging app that lets kids connect with people they love only besides has the level of control parents want.

To requite kids and parents a fun, safer solution, we congenital Messenger Kids, a standalone app that lives on kids' tablets or smartphones just can exist controlled from a parent's Facebook account. Whether information technology'due south using video chat to talk to grandparents, staying in touch with cousins who live far away, or sending mom a decorated photo while she'southward working late to say hi, Messenger Kids opens up a new world of online advice to families. This preview is available on the App Store for iPad, iPod affect and iPhone. (Update: As of January 10, 2017, Messenger Kids will also available be available for Burn tablets and every bit of February xiv it will be available on the Google Play Store).

Co-Developed With Parents, Kids and Experts

Today, parents are increasingly allowing their children to use tablets and smartphones, but ofttimes accept questions and concerns about how their kids utilise them and which apps are appropriate. So when nosotros heard almost the need for ameliorate apps direct from parents during inquiry and conversations with parents, we knew nosotros needed to develop it aslope the people who were going to use information technology, as well as experts who could assistance guide our thinking.

In addition to our enquiry with thousands of parents, we've engaged with over a dozen expert advisors in the areas of child development, online safe and children's media and technology who've helped inform our approach to building our first app for kids. We've also had thought-provoking conversations effectually topics of responsible online communication, parental controls and much more with organizations like National PTA and Blue Star Families, where nosotros heard firsthand how parents and caregivers approach raising children in today's digitally continued world.

And for the past several months, many families at Messenger and Facebook accept used the app and helped come up up with some of the key features like the easy-to-use parental controls.

More than Fun For Kids, More than Command For Parents

Messenger Kids is full of features for kids to connect with the people they dearest. Once their account is fix past a parent, kids tin starting time a one-on-i or group video chat with parent-approved contacts. The home screen shows them at a glance who they are approved to talk to, and when those contacts are online.

Playful masks, emojis and sound effects bring conversations to life.

In addition to video chat, kids can send photos, videos or text messages to their parent-approved friends and adult relatives, who will receive the messages via their regular Messenger app.

A library of kid-appropriate and specially chosen GIFs, frames, stickers, masks and drawing tools lets them decorate content and limited their personalities.

Messenger Kids gives parents more command. Parents fully control the contact listing and kids tin't connect with contacts that their parent does not approve. Parents control kids accounts and contacts through the Messenger Kids Controls panel in their principal Facebook app:

How to Get Started

Every child account on Messenger Kids must be prepare by a parent. For parents, setting your kid upwards with a Messenger Kids account is done in four steps:

Download: Outset, download the Messenger Kids app on your child'south iPad, iPod touch, or iPhone from the App Store. Update: Every bit of January 20, y'all can as well download the app from the Amazon Appstore.
Authenticate: And then, authenticate your child's device using your own Facebook username and password. This will not create a Facebook account for your kid or give them access to your Facebook business relationship.
Create an account: Finish the setup process by creating an account for your child, where all you'll need to do is provide their proper noun. Then the device tin be handed over to the child so they tin can start chatting with the family and friends y'all approve.
Add together contacts: To add people to your child's approved contact list, go to the Messenger Kids parental controls console in your primary Facebook app. To become there, click on "More" on the bottom correct corner in your master Facebook app, and click "Messenger Kids" in the Explore section.

More than Data and What's Side by side

There are no ads in Messenger Kids and your child'southward information isn't used for ads. Information technology is free to download and there are no in-app purchases. Messenger Kids is likewise designed to be compliant with the Children'due south Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA).

This preview of Messenger Kids is merely available in the US at this time on the Apple App Store, and will be coming to Amazon App Store and Google Play Store in the coming months.

We've worked extensively with parents and families to shape Messenger Kids and we're looking forward to learning and listening as more children and families start to utilize the iOS preview.

To learn more about Facebook's approach to building technologies for kids and the questions nosotros've asked ourselves and discussed with others forth the way, read our Hard Questions weblog post.

For more specific information most the app, visit messengerkids.com.

For the latest on how to use Messenger Kids, visit our Assist Center.

National PTA does not endorse any commercial entity, product, or service. No endorsement is implied.