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Cyber Expert Reviewer:
Reviewed on Nov 25, 2022
Messenger Kids branches off from Facebook’s standard Messenger app, and is designed for younger kids to communicate with family and friends via video chat and messages. With a range of age-appropriate GIFS, stickers and drawing tools available, the app is entertaining and appealing to kids.
Key features of Messenger Kids include the app being controlled via a parent’s Facebook account so therefore does not require any information about the child other than their name. With advanced parental controls like the parent dashboard and sleep mode available, the app is a good alternative to some other video calling apps.
Within the app is an in-built “sleep mode” which allows parents to set a specific off-time each day. Parents can set up recurring sleep mode times, to have the same controls for every night of the week. This setting can be activated by the parents Facebook account, by heading to Messenger Kids under the settings.
Parents are able to download all of their child’s data from the app. This includes a list of contacts, text messages both sent and received as well as any videos or photos sent or received. Furthermore, children are unable to delete or remove any messages, only parents can do this.
Parents are notified when a child blocks someone, which may help prompt conversations about friendships and who the ‘problematic’ children are that your child is interacting with. Children are also able to unblock a contact and parents can review the chat history with this person.
Make your phone calls more exciting by adding child-friendly GIFS, stickers and filters to the call.
If someone is bothering you on the app, or saying things that aren’t making you feel good, you are able to block them! This means that they won’t be able to make contact with you anymore. You can do this by selecting the photo of the person that you wish to block, tap the setting gear and press block.
The Gold Standard: COPPA [Implemented globally, legally enforced only in the U.S.]
California: CCPA
U.K and Europe: GDPR-K
Australia: Online Safety Act 2021