Facebook has just announced a new version of Messenger that is catered to kids. Messenger Kids will not require an account, parents will have to manage their child’s app from their Facebook account which gives them control to choose the friends and family that the child can contact.
The important thing that Facebook has to emphasize is that the child’s information will not be collected or used for ads as the kid version of the app does not contain any ads. Messenger Kids will offer features like video and text chat alongside masks and filters which are already present on Instagram and Facebook Stories. There are also specially chosen GIFs, frames, stickers, masks and drawing tools that allow them to decorate their content. Parents can download it from the App Store and must authenticate it with their Facebook account, then only can they create an account for their kids to use. Users that have a Facebook account can also create a Messenger Kids account to chat with the kids and they can control who they approve for their child to interact with.
Facebook is launching the app today in preview and there will be a limited rollout on iOS. The app is only available in the US but they are planning to expand the app to Android and the world in the next few months.
