Roo Kids
Roo Kids gallery
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Roo Kids is a messaging app for kids that gives parents some options to make the experience safer for kids. Parents receive notifications when kids send or receive a friend request so they can manage the connections kids make. Other parental controls, like creating a banned words list are available, but aren't airtight: Banned words with punctuation can still get through, and kid can still write messages that will be sent when the curfew window is over. Kids can send photos and drawings they create in-app and can buy additional sticker packages or other options for their profile backdrop.What kids can learn
Texting with friends will engage kids, giving them a taste of teen-style communication with friends. The stickers add some fun to messages.
Parents will need to play an active role in using the app as a learning experience for kids, discussing smart texting habits, safety, and etiquette.
Parents will receive email notifications when kids add friends or receive friend requests. There is also a help guide on the website.
What's it about?
To register with ROO KIDS, kids or parents enter a username, password, and parent email. They can then invite other users from their contact list or enter a known username to connect with friends. Kids can then message friends, sending text, drawings, stickers, or pictures. Parents receive notification of friend requests -- sent or received -- and can approve or remove friends. Kids receive push notifications when they have a new message, unless notifications are disabled in settings.
Is it any good?
While Roo Kids has potential as a safe chatting app for kids, the parental controls don't work reliably enough for parents to have full confidence. Parents can set curfew hours restricting when kids can use live chat, but kids can still write messages and use the drawing feature during curfew hours. The banned words features is also faulty, allowing those words if they are followed by punctuation. The alerts when kids send or receive a friend request work well and are probably the most valuable for parents.
Families can talk about...
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Families can talk about choosing whom to "friend" and what is appropriate to chat about online. Watch our video Perspectives on Chatting together and discuss.
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Think about how much you'll monitor kids' texting. Read our Q&A: Should parents read their kids' text messages for different perspectives. Let kids know how you'll be monitoring their activity.
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Discuss the permanence of online communication: For example, let kids know that, even if they delete a message they've already sent, it will stay on the receiver's device.
App details
| Devices: | iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android |
| Price: | Free (with in-app purchases) |
| Pricing structure: | Paid |
| Release date: | March 4, 2015 |
| Category: | Social Networking |
| Topics: | Friendship |
| Size: | 36.30 MB |
| Publisher: | Gungroo Software Private Limited |
| Version: | 2.1.7 |
| Minimum software requirements: | iOS 6.0 or later; Android 2.2 and up |
