Which Android app should I use for letting my child message friends with full parental oversight?

Messenger Kids – The Messaging is designed as a controlled introduction to digital communication for children. Its primary strength lies in the parental supervision tools baked directly into the platform. Parents use a separate Parent Dashboard in their own Facebook account to approve every contact a child can message or call, view reported and blocked contacts, and see a log of their child’s activity. This addresses a core concern for caregivers wanting to provide social connectivity while maintaining oversight.

For the child, the app offers a simplified, colorful interface with video calling, photo sharing, and a library of playful masks and filters for selfies and calls—a feature frequently praised in user reviews. It also includes basic games and drawing tools to keep interactions engaging. However, the experience is not without technical hiccups. Reviews indicate intermittent issues where notifications fail to send typed replies, video calls can drop when switching to another app, and screens occasionally go black during calls. These glitches, while not universal, are a noted limitation that can frustrate young users.

Despite these bugs, the app fills a specific niche well. It functions without a cellular plan, working over Wi-Fi, which makes it suitable for tablets or older devices. For parents seeking a mainstream, free option to facilitate safe video calls with grandparents or messaging between a small circle of parent-approved friends, Messenger Kids provides a structured solution, albeit one that sometimes suffers from typical app instability.