Facebook introduces ‘Sleep Mode’ for parents in Messenger Kids
– The feature lets parents set parameters for when kids can and can’t use the app
– When the app is in sleep mode, children can’t access it during designated hours
– Facebook has faced scrutiny from some critics who say the app is ‘inappropriate’
Agencies
California
Facebook is adding fresh parental control features to its popular Messenger Kids app.
A new ‘sleep mode’ tool lets parents limit when their kids can and can’t use the app, which is specifically targeted for children aged 12 and under.
Now parents can specify the time’s kids aren’t allowed on the app – either as a one-time restriction or a recurring setting, such as after 9 pm every school night.
Facebook said the feature is now available on Messenger Kids.
When Messenger Kids is in sleep mode, the app will ‘go to sleep’ at a designated time and children won’t be able to access it during those hours.
A notification bar will appear at the top of the device’s screen that says: ‘Time to say goodbye! Your app will go to sleep in four minutes’.
When the time period expires, a screen will appear on Messenger Kids with a cute animation that tells users the app will ‘wake up’ again the next day.
Parents can set separate ‘off times’ so that the app goes to sleep at certain hours on weekdays and weekends.
Sleep mode is controlled by the parent control centre in the parent’s Facebook account and the ‘off times’ can be changed at any time.
Facebook says the app lets parents ‘set and forget’ off times so that they ‘don’t have to worry about constantly monitoring and changing the controls for the app’.
‘Parents…told us they would like controls that make the app inaccessible at a certain time, like during dinner, homework or bedtime,’ said Tarunya Govindarajan, a product manager at Facebook, in a blog post.
‘We took this feedback to heart and built a feature that gives that level of control to parents’.
Facebook launched Facebook Messenger last December as a ‘safer space to message and video chat with close friends and family’.
It comes with a bevy of parental controls and no advertisements.
No comments