Facebook Brings Messenger Kids to India 3yjz Adds New Features for Young s

Messenger Kids app by Facebook is now available in 75 new countries globally. 1v2k5n

By Jagmeet Singh | Updated: 22 April 2020 15:58 IST

Facebook Brings Messenger Kids to India, Adds New Features for Young s

Messenger Kids was launched by Facebook in the US in late 2017 716z19

Highlights

Messenger Kids initially expanded to markets apart from the US in 2018
Facebook has brought a feature to let teachers add kids to a group
Messenger Kids has also made it easier for kids to connect with friends

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Messenger Kids by Facebook has debuted in India. Designed specifically for kids under 13, the messaging app was originally launched in the US back in December 2017. The social media giant on Wednesday announced the expansion of its Messenger Kids app to over 70 countries worldwide with an aim to expand its reach amongst young s. Apart from India, the expansion is applicable to Australia, Brazil, Colombia, and Indonesia among others. Messenger Kids has also received additional s as well as the ability to let kids connect with groups.

announced its deal with Reliance Industries to invest a total of Rs. 43,574 crores into Jio Platforms.

Messenger Kids was launched in the US in 2017, though Facebook expanded its presence to other markets in 2018 — initially with Canada and Peru and later added Mexico and Thailand. The latest announcement, however, has brought the app to a total of 75 new countries.

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In addition to the expansion, Messenger Kids has also been last announced in February this year. One of the major changes on the app is the addition of Supervised Friending that enables parents to choose to allow their kids to accept, reject, add, or remove s — all while maintaining the ability to override any new approvals from the Parent Dashboard. The new feature is initially rolling out in the US, though it will gradually reach other markets.

Messenger Kids has added a Supervised Friending feature

Facebook has also provided the option to allow kids to be added to a group from their teachers and coaches. Of course, parents need to approve adults to connect their child to a group on the Messenger Kids app. The addition is quite useful in current times as kids are staying at home and are mainly studying through virtual classes. So they can be a part of a group where their teachers can connect and provide learning materials.

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Parents will also be notified when new s are added for their child and can manage the list of s and approved adults directly from the Parent Dashboard. It is also worth pointing out that once ed a group, young s will be able to chat with each other individually — alongside interacting with the adults moderating the group. There is also an option to let kids leave any groups by their choice.

Additionally, the Messenger Kids app has provided the option to let kids easily find and connect with their friends. This sounds similar to the general expansion to the connection requests feature that was provided last year. The company said that parents had the option to make their kid's name and profile photo visible to friends of their kid's s and their parents, kids of the parent's Facebook friends, kids of people parents invite to the Messenger Kids app. Furthermore, the feature is initially limited to the US, Canada, and Latin America, though it will reach other markets in the coming weeks.

Messenger Kids makes it easier for kids to add friends on the platform

Facebook has provided various controls to parents to limit their child's access on Messenger Kids. However, the dedicated app through its core design and philosophy encourages kids to enter the world of social networks that could impact their lives just like adults are being affected by social media. Also, it gives the company a way to expand its base and get new datasets that would help improve its overall algorithms.

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