Instant messaging app ‘Roo Kids’ helps parents envelop their preteens in a safe cocoon

BANGALORE, India - April 23, 2015 - PRLog -- The Roo Kids instant messaging app, a product of Bangalore’s Gungroo Software has been available for a while, making it easier for parents to rest easy about the safety of their kids. Created with a vision to be a safe and easy to use ‘Whatsapp for Kids’, it has been well received in the USA, UK and Australia, with a substantial number of downloads originating from these countries. The latest release of Roo Kids sees it launch on the Android platform. The latest iteration also includes new functionalities and a better user experience, for Android users as well as existing iPad and iPhone users.

For parents of young kids, the fact that the Internet is a mixed blessing is old news. That there is easy to use technology to keep kids safe while allowing them to explore and learn online is the good news. Roo Kids has been conceptualized to address 2 critical concerns of parents when their kids are online - firstly, that of the kids talking to strangers and unknowingly making themselves vulnerable, and secondly, kids getting constantly distracted and this impacting their studies and health. The makers of Roo Kids claim that these objectives are achieved with minimum yet critical controls, thus making the app attractive to kids and parents alike.

Elaborating on the thought process behind the changes in the new release, Dinker Charak, founder of Gungroo Software said, “In the new release, we have tried to address all the concerns of parents regarding the online safety of their kids. The other thing is, even though we launched Roo Kids after considerable market research, our ‘Aha’ moment came when we realized that it is the tablet that the family shares. Thus Roo Kids is highly optimized for iPad, and the new release supports iPhones and Android devices as well”.

From a safety viewpoint, this app seems to have covered all bases. Designed to broadly comply with the US FTC’s Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), Roo Kids comes with safety features like SSL, zero ads on the app, and immediate notifications to parents if the kid reports a user as abusive, thus minimizing chances of online bullying.

On the other hand, parents get to own and review the contact list, blocking suspicious persons and strangers. Parents can also set curfew hours to block the app from working, to make sure the kids have a healthy schedule of activities online and offline.

This does not mean the app is all about parents and safety. It’s apparent that the creators of Roo Kids understand that only a truly engaging app can keep the kids from trying other, potentially unsafe apps. They have given a lot of attention to making the app and its UI easy to use and attractive for kids, which includes allowing kids to keep their conversations private. A recent Common Sense Media (leading independent non-profit organization dedicated to empowering kids to thrive in a world of media and technology) review gave Roo Kids 4/5 for Ease of Use and Privacy & Settings. All in all, this app seems to be a win-win for everyone involved.

Gungroo Software, the makers of Roo Kids, are now seeking funds to take the initiative to the next level, including a full COPPA compliance & certification for Roo Kids. Learn more here: http://www.rookidsapp.com/coppa/

About Roo Kids

A free app, it is available for download on Apple’s iTunes & Google’s Play Android online stores (http://www.rookidsapp.com/download) and offers in-app purchases of themes and stickers (for parents only).

About Gungroo

Gungroo Software builds safe 'fun + learn' products for kids. Gungroo is a Bangalore based angel-funded company, helmed by Dinker Charak. Dinker brings in diverse experience from working in strategically important roles in Komli, Jivox, Wind River and Fermilab. One of his personal career highs is having been able to contribute to LHC at CERN. Gungroo software is currently at a critical growth stage that’s ideal for venture funding.