Windows Phone might be considerably behind competing mobile operating systems when it comes to features, but one very useful feature it currently (exclusively) boasts is Kid's Corner, which lets parents create a dedicated and limited environment on their device, filled with only the apps and capabilities they want their kids to be able to access when lending them their phones. Well, thanks to Samsung, a similar feature is coming to the Android world, dubbed Kids Mode, and it will debut on the company's upcoming Galaxy S5.
For those who've used Windows Phone, the functionality of Kids Mode will be pretty familiar (and also to those who've used the multi-user option on Android tablets.) A popular toy/cartoon character, Kroko, will be your guide in creating an account for your child, and you'll start off with creating a PIN to control Kids Mode. After that, there will be an option to customize various settings for each account, such as the apps that particular account will have access to and the people your child is allowed to contact, and even the ability to set a timer that decides how much playtime your child will get in every session.
A “Kids quick panel” that drops down from the top of the screen will act as a control panel and a notifications menu, allowing one to close Kids Mode, choose various parental control settings, and more. Kids Mode will also have a dedicated Kids Store, from which apps can downloaded from various categories, including games and learning apps; there's an option to get both paid and free apps, and any attempts to buy an app will be followed by the need to enter the PIN.
The Kids Mode interface is pretty colorful and flat (a direction all Samsung apps will take in the newest iteration of the company's software), and we can imagine it being a feature that will be welcomed by all the parents out there that are currently afraid of handing out their devices to their kids without supervision. Expect Samsung to talk a fair bit about Kids Mode at the Galaxy S5's unveiling in Barcelona on February 24th, along with other features such as the various new shootings modes that will accompany the 16-megapixel camera on the device.
We at SamMobile have decided not to post any visuals/screenshots because we want to keep a few surprises for Samsung itself to reveal at the Samsung UNPACKED 2014 event on February 24 in Barcelona, Spain.
