Messenger Kids
Facebook-created app appeals to kids but collects data.
Parents say
Based on 6 reviews
Kids say
Based on 36 reviews
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Messenger Kids
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this app.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Messenger Kids is a kids' messaging app created by Facebook that's targeted at kids under 13. After downloading, a parent (or anyone with an existing Facebook account) must log in with their own Facebook credentials; that person can then approve all contacts in the Messenger Kids app. Parents can also add contacts to their kid's account via the grown-up version of Messenger. If kids want to add a contact (and parents have enabled this feature), they can share a four-word passphrase with their friends. After that kid enters the passphrase into the app, parents will get a message to approve (or not approve) that connection. Parents can also allow for Supervised Friending which allows kids to control their contacts (parents can still see and control them, too). Also, to help kids connect with more friends, parents can allow kids to connect through groups, which enables approved adults to connect kids who have the same approval. And, parents can make their kid's name and profile photo visible to friends of their kid's contacts, kids of the parent's Facebook friends, and the kids of parents invited to download the app. Within a message, kids can send kid-appropriate GIFs, stickers, emojis, and live filters, and they can also access all of the photos and videos on the device. Kids can also have live video chats with their approved contacts. Since kids can't delete messages, parents can monitor what their kids send through the app. An update in early 2020 gave parents new options for monitoring kids' use of the app, including a list of recent contacts, recent images and videos shared in chats, a chat history, and a list of reported and blocked contacts. Plus, parents can now remotely log kids out of the app on any device, and they can download their kid's information with a feature similar to the same option for adults on Facebook. Pledge Planets is a feature that aims to teach kids about digital citizenship and includes varied activities.
Though there are no ads or purchases, the privacy policy states that all content (message content and app usage details) is stored and that the information is used to develop new products, which could mean that data will follow your kid into Facebook/Instagram use later on. Parents will want to weigh the pros and cons of introducing their kids to social media environments, given concerns about kids' health and well-being in relation to social media use. Therefore, though Facebook designed the app for kids ages 6-12, our recommended age is 13+. Read the developer's privacy policy for details on how your (or your kids') information is collected, used, and shared and any choices you may have in the matter, and note that privacy policies and terms of service frequently change.
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What’s It About?
MESSENGER KIDS is an app that lets parents approve all of their kids' contacts so that kids can send messages or have live video chats with approved people. Essentially, it's social media training wheels for the next generation of Facebook users. After downloading, someone with an existing Facebook account has to log in. That account is then linked to the kid's and becomes the gatekeeper for approval of all contacts. The kid or parent needs to enter a name and provide a photo for the kid's profile, though the photo doesn't need to be of the kid. If kids want to request a specific contact, they can send a request to their parent, who can approve or deny it; parents can also just add to their kid's contacts from their own Facebook contacts list. Kids can also share an app-generated, four-word passphrase for their friend to enter, but parents still need to approve the connection. Once they have contacts, kids can send text, photos, videos, and GIFs and access filters, similar to Snapchat. As the app learns how kids use it, their contact list will show the people they connect with most often on top, and kids can create groups. Kids can use the app on their own device or on their gatekeeper's phone. If kids are using it on their own phone, parents can't see what kids send in a separate app or in their own feed; they can, however, look in Messenger Kids to see what kids send, since there's no way to delete messages. If kids are using Messenger Kids on their parent's phone, they'll have access to all the photos and videos on that device. Within the Facebook app Explore section, parents can find the Messenger Kids area, where they can add contacts and switch between kids' accounts. It's unclear how many accounts a parent can create, but they can add another parent. When people contact a kid through Messenger, they don't have access to all of the GIFs and content that they would normally; they can only send photos and video from their own devices. There's also a Sleep mode that parents can set so that kids don't have access to the app during set times, and parents can remotely log kids out of the app on any device.
Is It Any Good?
Approving all contacts in a kid-safe messaging app sounds appealing, but there's probably more to consider. Messenger Kids has all the fun features that tweens can't wait to use: live photo filters like Snapchat, video chatting, GIFs, and more. And since parents get to approve and add all of the contacts, it's relatively low-risk in terms of chatting with strangers or encountering really iffy content. That said, there are other things to consider. There's a missed opportunity to help kids navigate social media safely and help them learn to be good digital citizens: There's a brief "activity" that uses simple language to explain how kids' data is shared, but there's nothing about how to interact once you're in the app. With a few reminders to be kind, think before they post, and know how to block people, Messenger Kids could help get kids ready for teen social media use. And in terms of content, it's important to note that kids -- and their contacts -- can take pictures of anything, download photos and videos to their camera roll, and share them, so there's no guarantee that everything shared will be kid-appropriate.
As for the bigger picture, because Facebook states that it collects and stores the content of the messages sent by kids and also monitors their app usage (like who your kid contacts most), there are some concerning questions around exactly what happens to that data and how secure it is. Also, it's no secret that Facebook is in direct competition with Snapchat, which is snapping up lots of younger users, so assuming that they're trying to hook kids early and eventually convert them into full Facebook users isn't much of a stretch. Along those lines -- and considering how many kid-safe messaging apps have come and gone -- ultimately, kids will want to be where the cool teens are, so it's unclear whether the alternatives will ever really gain enough users to make them fun. Finally, the bigger question for parents is how early we want our kids to start using messengers, kid-safe or not: If they're used as training wheels with lots of parent interaction and discussion, there could be some benefit in getting kids ready for the full-fledged social apps. But there's also an argument for keeping kids -- and their data -- out of the mixed-bag world of social media entirely until they're ready for its challenges.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about interacting safely and kindly online with apps like Messenger Kids. How did we choose your contacts? Why did we pick those people? What types of messages are OK to send? What should you avoid?
Talk to kids about your limits around sending messages. How often can they send messages? What are the times and places when they need to unplug?
Discuss types of communication and what works best for different situations. What kind of communication works best in a messaging app? What's best over the phone or in person?
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, Android, Kindle Fire
- Pricing structure: Free
- Release date: December 4, 2017
- Category: Social Networking
- Publisher: Facebook Inc.
- Version: 1.0
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 8.0 or later; Android 4.1 and up
- Last updated: March 2, 2020
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