Microsoft announced Kids Mode for its Edge browser today. The mode has several features for protecting children while they browse the web. Kids Mode is currently rolling out to Edge Insiders on the Dev and Canary channels. Microsoft’s Edge Insider homepage will share more about Kids Mode today.
Kids Mode has custom browser themes and child-friendly articles to help children safely browse the web. It also has Bing SafeSearch on and sets tracking prevention to strict. Microsoft designed Kids Mode with children ages 5-12 in mind.
Kids Mode can be enabled by selecting it from the Profile picker in Microsoft Edge, not dissimilar from using a similar Kids profile in a streaming service. Browsing in Kids Mode enables several features. Kids Mode comes with custom browser themes, Bing SafeSearch enabled to keep kids away from “adult” search results, and an allow list that parents can use to set appropriate websites. The allow list comes predefined in Edge, according to Microsoft, but parents can edit the list of approved content from the “Family” section of the browser’s settings.
Kids modes are common features on streaming services and devices, like Netflix’s Just for Kids profile and Amazon’s FreeTime service that it includes on Fire Tablets and Fire TV sticks. Having some kid-focused settings you can turn on easily saves the hassle of getting granular by picking and choosing what your kid can experience. Adding it to a browser makes a lot of sense.
Microsoft plans to add more features and functions to Kids Mode over time. Right now, it’s rolling out to Insiders, so it should be shaped by the feedback Microsoft receives.
