New phone 'child mode' feature to boost children's online safety

Thanks to software and hardware upgrades, parents can now enable child mode on their smartphones and synchronize all apps and programs to create a secure, child-friendly online environment, China's top internet regulator said.

Multiple phone brands, including Huawei and Oppo, as well as various apps and mobile programs, such as those on short videos, education and social media, have integrated the child mode, in a bid to strengthen the protection of minors online, according to a statement posted by the Cyberspace Administration of China on Wednesday.

The authority also revealed that coverage of the new feature is expanding to meet the daily usage needs of minors and provide them with a diverse range of services.

While in use, the range of high-quality content for those under the age of 18 will expand significantly, tailoring and recommending content based on the minor's age, the administration noted.

Meanwhile, the mode also offers features such as daily total internet usage time control, usage period settings, rest reminders, app management and usage statistics, to enable parents to reasonably guide their children's online behavior in line with the actual situation, it said.

To date, many phone manufactures, operating systems, app developers and service providers have released user guides for this mode.

"We'll continue guiding and encouraging internet platforms to optimize the mode, making it more user-friendly and effective," the administration said. "We also hope parents and minors will actively enable the mode and provide feedback to help build a safer and healthier online environment together."