Amazon is rebranding its child-friendly FreeTime and FreeTime Unlimited platforms to the less confusing Amazon Kids and Kids+.
Launched in 2012, the Kindle service let parents customize children's profiles, schedule screen time, and set specific use cases (reading books, watching videos, using apps). But "FreeTime" sounds more like a program to help adults organize their life than a place to find school-age scholastic subjects.
"The new names reflect our continued commitment to invest in and expand kids' experiences, including bringing fun, educational content to kids and providing parental controls that give families peace of mind," according to an Amazon blog announcement.
This update doesn't end at the title, though. In an effort to "grow with your child," Amazon Kids now comes with a fresh home screen theme (recommended for ages eight and up) that looks and feels like a "grown-up" handset," the company said. Find it in Amazon Parent Dashboard > profile settings > Adjust Age Filters and Themes.
Got an Alexa-enabled device? Expect a lot of digital interruptions thanks to the ability for kids to use their Fire tablet to broadcast a message to everyone in the house. Once enabled (parental consent is required), simply tap on the "Announce" icon on the home screen to declare that you've finished your homework and want a snack.
Tap into Amazon Kids' library of content—videos featuring characters like Angry Birds, Transformers, Barbie, and Carmen Sandiego; iHeartRadio Family music stations—for free, or subscribe to Kids+ for a monthly fee of $2.99 (Prime members) or $4.99 (everyone else). Customers can access age-appropriate books, recordings, apps, games, and skills across a variety of platforms, including Fire tablets, Fire TV, Kindle, Echo, iOS, Chrome OS, and Android.
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