Facebook announced additional tools and features for parents to manage their child’s experience in Messenger Kids, and updated its privacy policy.

Parents can access these new features in the Messenger Kids Parent Dashboard in the Facebook iOS and Android apps to better understand how their child is using the app.

New Parent Dashboard features include:

• Recent Contacts and Chat History: See who your child is chatting with, whether they are video chatting or sending messages and how frequently those conversations happened over the past 30 days.
• Log of Images in Chats: See the most recent photos and videos your child has sent and received in their inbox. If you believe an image or video is not appropriate for your child, you can remove it from your child’s message thread and report it.
• Reported and Blocked Contacts History: Access a list of the reporting and blocking actions your child has taken in the app. You’ll see a list of the contacts your child has blocked and/or unblocked, if they have reported any messages as well as any contacts they’ve reported and the reason for their action. Parents will continue to be notified via Messenger if their child blocks or reports someone.
• Remote Device Logout: See all devices where your child is logged in to Messenger Kids and log out of the app on any device through the Parent Dashboard. (Note: This feature is not meant to control when kids have access to the app – try Sleep Mode for that.)
• Download Your Child’s Information: Request a copy of your child’s Messenger Kids information, similar to how you can download your own information within the Facebook app. The download will include a list of your child’s contacts as well as the messages, images and videos they have sent and received. Your child will be notified through the Messenger Kids app when you request this information.

You can access the Parent Dashboard and all these new features by tapping the shortcut menu in the Facebook app and scrolling to the Messenger Kids icon. If you have multiple kids using Messenger Kids, select the name of the child whose account you’d like to manage to access their specific dashboard.

Facebook has updated the way kids block contacts in Messenger Kids. Kids can now unblock a blocked contact on their own if they want to restart one-on-one chats with them, and chats with blocked contacts will stay in the Messenger Kids inbox so parents can view them if they’d like. Kids and their blocked contacts will remain visible to one another and will stay in shared group chats, but will not be able to message each other individually. Kids will also receive a warning if they return to, or are added to, a group chat that includes a blocked contact, and can leave group chats at any time.

Parents remain in control of who their child is connected to in Messenger Kids and can remove people from their child’s contact list at any time.

Facebook has also developed an in-app activity that uses kid-appropriate language to educate kids on the types of information people can see about them. For example, Facebook informs kids that people they know may see their name and photo, that parents can see and download their messaging content and that they are not able to delete any messages they send or receive.

Facebook has also updated the Messenger Kids privacy policy to include additional information about the company's data collection, use, sharing, retention and deletion practices.

The updated policy explains Facebook's privacy practices with regard to the new features and improvements the company has added to Messenger Kids, such as new controls and visibility in the Parent Dashboard.

In addition to the new features, the updated privacy policy describes some things expected to roll out later. For example, Facebook plans to enable Messenger Kids users to provide feedback directly in the app when something isn’t working and run user surveys to help improve product features. In addition, the updated policy describes some forthcoming options for parents on how their child can use the app.

Facebook says it doesn't use children’s data from Messenger Kids for advertising, and that there are no ads in Messenger Kids and no in-app purchases.