The internet can be a dangerous place for kids, but there are tools available to keep them safe from online threats. Microsoft has announced its own tool for Edge called “Kids Mode” that helps keep your young ones safe from seeing the wrong things online.
What Is Microsoft Edge’s New “Kids Mode”?
Windows Central got a hot scoop on this feature before it was made public. Right now, Microsoft wants to keep Kids Mode on the Dev and Canary channels to test it out before giving it a full release on the main branch.
An adult can activate Kids Mode and lock it behind a password so the kids can’t deactivate it again. When Edge is in Kids Mode, Bing SafeSearch is permanently set to the “strict” setting to stop anything unsavory from appearing.
The browser will also use a kid-friendly browser theme and show kids relevant articles on how to stay safe online. Kids Mode will be aimed squarely at children between five and twelve.
Microsoft Edge will also keep tabs of which websites your child visits and blocks them if it suspects there’s adult content on it. However, if Microsoft Edge begins accidentally flagging a child-safe website as unsafe, an adult guardian can add it to a list of exceptions that’s locked away with a password.
Getting Microsoft Edge Up to Speed
These parental controls are a welcome addition to Microsoft Edge, as it helps bring the browser up to the competition.
At the time of writing, Microsoft Edge is just a fledgling in the browser wars. Granted, it has been putting up an impressive track record by superseding Firefox for the #2 spot in Windows-based browsers in the US. However, it’s still only a year old and missing some key features.
Both Chrome and Firefox have parental control features to protect children; for example, you can block websites in Chrome to stop kids from seeing them. Microsoft has to step its game up if it wants to compete. Without proper child protection tools, parents may be uneasy in letting their kids use Edge and may settle for a competitor instead.
Taking the Edge Out of Microsoft Edge
If you have kids and you’re always worried about what they may find on the world wide web, you might want to give Microsoft Edge a try shortly. The software giant is planning to add some handy new features to keep your young ones safe.
However, if you want to protect your kids right now, there are plenty of tips for keeping children safe on the internet. For instance, you should pick the search engine that you think will keep your child the safest while searching online.
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