Samsung Electronics has optimised the Kids Mode for approximately 2,500 more child-friendly third-party apps for learning and play, available for download via Galaxy Apps for Kids. This has been enabled thanks to the partnerships with some of the world’s most popular content providers, such as LEGO, ABC Mouse and Kakao Kids in Korea.
The electronics firm has taken a holistic approach to creating a child-friendly digital environment with Kids Mode, an entire interface designed for kids, available on their smartphones and tablets.
Charles Kimari, Head of Mobile Division at Samsung, while noting that children grow and begin to explore the world, said it is only natural for parents and guardians to worry about the kind of media they are interacting with.
“The fact is that many of today’s youngsters are true digital natives, able to instinctively navigate their way around smart devices and content with very little assistance from adults. Kids Mode gives parents flexible control over the apps, videos, music and other content that a child can access. After downloading and installing the app, parents can set up a PIN and a profile for their child and select different controls and restrictions for each profile created. They can also limit how long a child spends on a device each day and monitor their daily activity by application.”
With a simplified user interface in Kids Mode, kids can enjoy a colour-rich environment, with large buttons and uncomplicated controls to heighten the fun. The exclusive native apps capture the spirit of play and are easily recognisable by their titles and icon buttons, each featuring one or more of the mode’s four cartoon characters: Crocro, Cooki, Bobby and Lisa. The apps are both a digital playground, and an opportunity for children to gain digital literacy. Crocro Adventure, for example, introduces children to basic concepts of coding, harnessing the power of storytelling to keep young minds engaged.
Galaxy Apps for Kids organises apps by age group or category, for easy browsing of appropriate content. What’s more, to prevent little hands from making unintentional purchases, downloads are protected and must be authorised with the parent PIN code.
As TVs become smarter and access to web-based content and streaming services becomes even more convenient, parents are eager to discover age-appropriate content that can be streamed on the TV screen. Since 2013, Samsung Smart TVs that can access the Samsung App Store have offered support for the YouTube Kids app, a platform that lets kids browse easily, with bigger buttons, simpler scrolling and content divided into four categories: Shows, Music, Learning and Explore.
Support for LEGO TV is also provided, allowing kids to stream their favourite LEGO episodes on a TV, with convenient navigation organized by themes, stories and ages.
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By developing smart, kid-friendly features and devices, such as Kids Mode, Galaxy Apps for Kids, Samsung Kids and support for age-appropriate TV apps, Samsung will continue its efforts to create a fun, educational and safe environment for kids.
