Meta introduces new parental control across Instagram, FB, Messenger

Meta on Tuesday announced new features to support teens and families and make it even easier to manage the time they spend on its apps like Instagram, Facebook and Messenger.

The company said it is bringing parental supervision to Messenger, so parents can see how teens spend their time and who they interact with on Messenger. 

“We’re also introducing new tools to limit unwanted interactions in Instagram DM and Messenger, launching Quiet Mode on Instagram globally, nudging teens to set time limits on Facebook and giving parents even more ways to supervise their teens on Instagram,” the social network added.

Parental Supervision on Messenger is available in the US, the UK and Canada, with plans to expand to more countries around the world in the coming months. 

“These tools allow parents to see how their teen uses Messenger, from how much time they’re spending on messaging to providing information about their teen’s message settings. These tools do not allow parents to read their teen’s messages,” said Meta.

Over the next year, the company will add more features to Parental Supervision on Messenger so parents can help their teens better manage their time and interactions.

In Instagram DMs, before being able to message someone who doesn’t follow them, people must now send an invite to get their permission to connect. 
People can only send one invite at a time and can’t send more until the recipient accepts the invitation to connect. 

“We’ll limit these message request invites to text only, so people can’t send any photos, videos, or voice messages, or make calls, until the recipient has accepted the invite to chat,” said Meta. 

Now, teens will also see a notification when they’ve spent 20 minutes on Facebook, prompting them to take time away from the app and set daily time limits. 

“We’re also exploring a new nudge on Instagram that suggests teens close the app if they are scrolling Reels at night,” Meta added.

In January, the company introduced Quiet Mode on Instagram, a new feature to help people focus and to encourage them to set boundaries with their friends and followers. 

“We’re making Quiet Mode available to everyone on Instagram globally in the coming weeks,” said the company. (IANS/NS)