Facebook has announced a new revamped design for the Messenger Kids app. The new design is meant to make it easier for the kids to use the app, communicate with their friends, and navigate through it all in a better way. They can even personalize their chats now.
According to Facebook, this new update is actually a test experiment which the company launched after working closely with kids and their parents and monitoring how both kids and their parents expect the app to be. This new design is currently being rolled out for kids in the US and Canada who use it on their iPhones. After a while, this new design will eventually roll out for all the kids all over the world with all device types.
Some of the key features that have been updated in this newly revamped design include dedicated ‘Chat’ and ‘Explore’ navigation tabs at the bottom of the Messenger inbox. This will let the kids easily switch from one conversation to another and enjoy and explore some other in-app activities apart from chatting.
All the active conversations will be now at the top of the inbox to provide kids with easy navigation through their chats and more accessibility. This is exactly how it happens on the original Messenger app.
Another important update is that kids will see previews for messages and media. It will help them with quick responses while enjoying an efficient conversation.
With a swipe gesture, they can now start calls through their inbox. Also, they can now customize and personalize the color of their chat bubble. This is going to let them have a more fun experience while talking with their friends.
Although Facebook claims that parental controls will remain the same as before. But one thing is worth mentioning. Messenger uses a lot of personal data and information of the users who use it for exchanging messages, documents, and have personal conversations with their loved ones. Even the previews that are generated when a link is sent over chats come from a third-party app that Facebook employs, and about which the users know nothing of. So, it is important to keep an eye on young children about the content that they are sharing with each other on their Messenger Kids app.
Apart from this, it is not the Messenger Kids app alone that needs to be monitored carefully by the parents. All the kids’ activities over the internet must be vigilantly monitored to prevent them from getting exposed to harmful substances and troubling experiences.
Read next: What your aesthetic preferences depict about you?
According to Facebook, this new update is actually a test experiment which the company launched after working closely with kids and their parents and monitoring how both kids and their parents expect the app to be. This new design is currently being rolled out for kids in the US and Canada who use it on their iPhones. After a while, this new design will eventually roll out for all the kids all over the world with all device types.
Some of the key features that have been updated in this newly revamped design include dedicated ‘Chat’ and ‘Explore’ navigation tabs at the bottom of the Messenger inbox. This will let the kids easily switch from one conversation to another and enjoy and explore some other in-app activities apart from chatting.
All the active conversations will be now at the top of the inbox to provide kids with easy navigation through their chats and more accessibility. This is exactly how it happens on the original Messenger app.
Another important update is that kids will see previews for messages and media. It will help them with quick responses while enjoying an efficient conversation.
With a swipe gesture, they can now start calls through their inbox. Also, they can now customize and personalize the color of their chat bubble. This is going to let them have a more fun experience while talking with their friends.
Although Facebook claims that parental controls will remain the same as before. But one thing is worth mentioning. Messenger uses a lot of personal data and information of the users who use it for exchanging messages, documents, and have personal conversations with their loved ones. Even the previews that are generated when a link is sent over chats come from a third-party app that Facebook employs, and about which the users know nothing of. So, it is important to keep an eye on young children about the content that they are sharing with each other on their Messenger Kids app.
Apart from this, it is not the Messenger Kids app alone that needs to be monitored carefully by the parents. All the kids’ activities over the internet must be vigilantly monitored to prevent them from getting exposed to harmful substances and troubling experiences.
Read next: What your aesthetic preferences depict about you?
