Facebook will let you lock your children out of Messenger Kids at night with 'Sleep Mode'

If you’re a parent who has trouble getting their kids to sleep at night or keeping them focused on their homework due to constant device use, Facebook might have a solution to your woes.

The social media platform’s Messenger Kids app is getting a pretty nice update in the near future. As anybody who uses Facebook regularly likely knows, having instant access to your friends and family can be an addictive experience – it’s easy to unintentionally spend more time chatting with your pals than doing something more productive.

This is something kids are especially susceptible to, as they might lack the self-control adults often learn as they grow up. To that end, Facebook has opted to roll out a “Sleep Mode” feature for the app which will give parents more control over how and when their kids can use it.

Parents can now block access to the app during certain time periods on specific days. For example, you could prevent your kids from using the app after 8pm on weekdays when they should be sleeping or doing their homework.

If your kid attempts to access the app during blocked hours, they’ll receive a simple message telling them to come back at the appropriate time to access Messenger Kids again.

To access this functionality now, parents will simply need to visit the Messenger Kids settings section in the main Facebook app. Under the “app controls” header, the Sleep Mode menu will appear.

Source