Facebook rolls out Messenger Kids in India, expanding to over 70 countries

Facebook is rolling out its Messenger Kids to more than 70 countries globally and adding in new opt-in features for parents to help their kids connect with their friends. The app is now available for download by parents in India from the Apple App Store. The app will be available in the Google Play Store by the end of the week.

As many communities are managing response to COVID-19, with schools closed and people practicing physical distancing, parents are turning to technology more than ever to help their kids connect with friends and family, and looking to do so in a parent-controlled way.

Messenger Kids is a video chat and messaging app that helps kids connect with friends and family in a fun, parent-controlled space. The app is a result of Facebook closely working its Youth Advisors, a team of experts in online safety, child development and media, who have helped shape the Messenger Kids app. Facebook will continue to consult child safety advocates and educators to ensure a service that balances parental control with features that help kids learn how to connect responsibly online.

Made for Kids, Controlled by Parents

Messenger Kids is full of features for kids to connect with the people they love. Once their account is set up by a parent, kids can start a one-on-one or group video chat. The home screen shows them at a glance who they are connected with 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 express their personalities.

Messenger Kids gives parents more control, wherein they can manage the contact list and have visibility into how their kids are using the app. Parents control kids’ accounts and contacts through the Messenger Kids Parent Dashboard in their main Facebook iOS and Android app.

How to get started

Every child account on Messenger Kids must be set up by a parent, which can be done in four steps:

Download: First, download the Messenger Kids app on the child’s iPad, iPod touch, or iPhone. Messenger Kids will also be available in the Google Play Store and on Android devices.

Authenticate: Then, authenticate the child’s device using the parent’s own Facebook username and password. This will not create a Facebook account for the child or give them access to the parent’s Facebook account.

Create an account: Finish the setup process by creating an account for the child, where the parents will provide their name and opt-in to any additional features. The device can then be handed over to the child so they can start chatting with family and friends.

Add contacts: To add people to the child’s contact list, go to the Messenger Kids Parent Dashboard panel in the main Facebook app. To get there, click on “More” on the bottom right corner in the parent’s main Facebook app, and click “Messenger Kids” in the Explore section.

What’s Next?

There are no ads in Messenger Kids and the child’s information isn’t used for ads. It is free to download and there are no in-app purchases. Messenger Kids is also designed to be compliant with the Children’s Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA).

Facebook will continue to work with parents, safety and security experts to improve Messenger Kids and have also announced new ways to help parents connect kids with their friends. These new features will roll out globally in the coming months.