Adding New Parent-Managed Social Capabilities for Preteens

Last year, we introduced parent-managed Meta accounts for families, giving preteens access to a wide range of age-appropriate, engaging, and enriching content in VR and MR. These accounts for preteens require parent approval at setup and provide default protections built specifically for young people ages 10 – 12 (age may vary by region).

And we’re excited to share that soon, parents will be able to individually add approved contacts that a 10- to 12-year-old can then chat with, call, and send or accept invites to join them in MR or VR experiences.

When we announced Meta Horizon OS, we described the Horizon social layer for people 13+, which includes experiences like chat, calls, and the ability to join others in experiences. Connecting with friends is part of what makes MR and VR great, and we’re excited to give preteens the option to enjoy age-appropriate, social experiences, managed by their parents. Preteens will be able to chat and call directly with parent-approved contacts—as well as seamlessly move between select multiplayer spaces and share experiences with their friends and family. They can be part of the Apollo space missions, trek around Mt. Cook in New Zealand, create their own singing club, or simply play their favorite games.

Here’s how it will work:

• Only someone who your preteen follows or who follows your preteen is eligible to become an approved contact
• No one will become an approved contact unless a parent adds them. Parents can manage approved contacts by searching and adding them directly from the child’s Following and Followers lists
• A preteen can request a follower become an approved contact. Once the parent has added them as an approved contact, the preteen will be able to chat, call, and send or accept invites to a parent-approved multiplayer MR or VR experience
• If two preteens want to chat, call, and send or accept invites to a parent-approved experience, parents of both preteens need to add them as approved contacts
• If a parent would like to delete an approved contact, they can do so at any time

Our commitment to building safe, positive experiences for young people is at the forefront. In addition to working with third-party experts, we meet with families on an ongoing basis to gather feedback and help ensure that we’re building tools and protections that are easy-to-use, elevate the safety of MR and VR, and enable young people to have a great social experience. Earlier this year, we began asking everyone who uses a Meta account on Meta Quest 2 and/or 3 to confirm their age by re-entering their birthdate to help ensure that everyone has access to the right tools, content, and protections for them on Meta Quest, including preteens.

Visit our Family Center to learn more about parent-managed accounts. Chats, calls, and the ability to send or accept invites to join a parent-approved MR or VR experience with approved contacts will begin rolling out to preteens later this year.