Facebook Has a New Messaging App Aimed at Those 13 and Under

More than 1 billion people — mostly adults — use Facebook’s Messenger app to communicate every month. Now, the future of Messenger is set to become much younger. 

Facebook announced Messenger Kids, a stand-alone mobile app that allows children age 13 and under to use the service. The point of the new app, the company said, was to provide a more controlled environment for the types of activity that are already occurring across smartphones and tablets among families. “Right now for kids, the time they spend on devices is very passive,” said David Marcus, vice president of messaging products at Facebook. “It’s not really a device that helps you connect with others close to them.” The app, which will be in a preview release on iOS devices initially before rolling out to a wider audience, is Facebook’s latest effort to increase the number of people who rely on its service to connect with each other regularly. More than 2 billion people use Facebook every month, while its other apps like Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram have billions of users. If Facebook Messenger proves popular with children, Facebook may reap many benefits. The company could see increased messaging activity and more engaged, regularly returning users, not to mention insights and a wealth of data on how families interact with one another on Messenger.