Microsoft Edge instantly skyrocketed to the second famous desktop browser after switching to Chromium, the same engine that powers Google Chrome. Since its inception, Microsoft Edge has added several useful new features, including today’s kid’s mode launch with parental Control.
Now available for Microsoft Edge users on Windows and macOS, Kids Mode is designed for parents to give children under the age of 12 access to the web. But it is safe for everyone who uses a computer, keeping the browser-accessible. It works by adding a profile for the children with restrictions based on whether they are between 8 and 12 or 5 and 8.
Both age categories change Edge’s settings to a higher level of tracking security and place Bing’s search on higher filters for adult text, images, and videos. There is also a listing of permissions that parents can add to the sites, and Microsoft defaults to 70 popular sites in the children’s whitelist by default.
A safer space for your kids to discover the web. Kids Mode gives parents peace of mind by providing a protected online environment as their kid’s browsing the web on a shared device. Help your kids grow and stay safer online with Kids Mode. A custom kid-friendly web for them with peace of mind for you, built into Microsoft Edge.
As the Verge points out, Kids Mode in Microsoft Edge also disables some common keyboard shortcuts that allow kids to get back to standard branding, even though it only works on Windows. Both versions will require your system credentials to switch from Kids Mode to Normal Branding.
Here are some features that go beyond just blocking websites. Kids mode has themes, some with Disney and Pixar movies, such as Finding Namo below.
Microsoft describes this feature as a “game-changer” for parents, and it’s challenging to agree with that conclusion. Providing parents with a safe screen time for their child is an easy and helpful tool, essential when an epidemic is spreading. It’s a feature we’d love to see Google adopt in Chrome. Or, it’s just the latest Microsoft Edge feature we’d love to use Chrome. Technically, Chrome has some parental controls through parent-managed Google accounts, but it’s not as fast and easy as Edge offers.