In an attempt to make Alexa a lot more friendly for the young ones, Amazon has released a new function called FreeTime. With FreeTime, you are given enhanced parental controls that allow you to customize what your children have access to when using an Echo device. Things like usage time limits for when it comes time for bed, filtering of explicit content (ie, music), educational content, household communications, disabled voice purchasing and more. It can even re-inforce the usage of the word “please” to help promote better manners.
The new feature comes in two different flavors, beginning with just “Freetime”, which is a free option that requires no subscription and can be accomplish everything I have mentioned thus far. This can be activated simply by adding “FreeTime” to your Echo device via the app, under the skills section.
FreeTime:
- Time Limits – Set bedtime time limits to protect against kids talking with Alexa late into the night, or simply pause Echo devices for dinner or homework time.
- Parental Controls – Use the Parent Dashboard and Alexa app to choose which services and skills kids can use, turn off voice purchasing, and more.
- Block Explicit Songs – Both in the Alexa experience and FreeTime on Alexa experience, parents with Amazon Music now have the ability to filter playback of songs with explicit lyrics, and we’ll continue to add compatible music services to this feature over time.
- Activity Review – Parent Dashboard allows parents to see their kid’s FreeTime on Alexa activity, plus review their voice recordings in the Alexa app.
- Magic Word – The new Magic Word feature offers positive reinforcement when kids use the word “please” while asking questions of Alexa.
- Educational Q&A – Kids can ask Alexa questions about science, math, spelling, definitions, or any other topic that piques their curiosity. Since Alexa is built in the cloud and always getting smarter, she’ll continue to learn new information every day.
- Alexa Speaks “Kid” – Alexa has age-appropriate suggestions at the ready, all kids have to say is, “Alexa, I’m bored.” Kids can also ask for knock-knock jokes, ask Alexa for a song, and more. The more they use Alexa, the smarter she will get.
- Household Communications – Gone are the days of shouting up the stairs for the kids to come down to dinner. FreeTime on Alexa allows for household announcements, calling, messaging, and Drop In within the home.
They expand further with the “FreeTime Unlimited” option, which is a $2.99/month (for Amazon Prime members) subscription based feature that also allows access to over 300 Audible books themed for kids, kid-friendly add-free radio stations and playlists, character themed alarms, access to a number of premium Alexa skills including Disney, Nickelodeon, National Geographic and more. This option will be rolling out on May 9th via a standard over-the-air update. You can learn more or subscribe here.
FreeTime Unlimited:
- Over 300 Audible Books – Kids will enjoy hours of entertaining and educational Audible books performed by some of their favorite characters and authors such as Peter Pan, Rip Van Winkle and more.
- Ad-Free, Kid-Friendly Stations & Playlists from iHeartRadio Family – From Kids Hits to Radio Disney, kids will love the thousands of songs from playlists and custom stations available.
- Premium Alexa Kid Skills from Top Brands – With all-new Alexa skills like Disney’s Disney Stories, Nickelodeon’s No Way That’s True, and National Geographic’s This or That, kids can explore Alexa skills developed by the best in kids’ entertainment and education.
- Wake Up to Favorite Characters – Kids can start the day with alarms featuring their favorite characters from Disney, Nickelodeon, and more.
- One Subscription, Unlimited Possibilities – With a FreeTime Unlimited on Alexa subscription kids can also access thousands of games, apps, videos, books, and more on Fire tablets, including Fire Kids Edition tablets, Android tablets, and Android phones.
To make things sweeter, Amazon also offers a kid-friendly addition of the Echo Dot device (Echo Dot Kids Edition). It comes with the FreeTime automatically enabled, and a free year of FreeTime Unlimited, so that you can get a feel for it. The speaker is wrapped with a durable case to protect it from drops and scratches, and it also comes with a two-year guarantee in case it does break, allowing you to replace it for free. It will be launching on May 9th as well, although it can be pre-ordered now.
