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Microsoft’s Android launcher now lets you track your kid’s location and app usage

Microsoft’s Android launcher now lets you track your kid’s location and app usage

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Microsoft is bringing a new location-tracking feature to its Android launcher app. Available in preview, the new family tracking feature lets Microsoft Launcher users track the last known location of their family members. The launcher also includes an activity report of what apps are being used on a device and for how long, similar to Microsoft’s family account feature.

Microsoft’s Android location tracking is part of a broader set of family-focused improvements on Android and the web. While Microsoft has always supporting website blocking on Windows PCs, the software maker is extending this feature to Android as well. Any existing Microsoft family group website blocks for Windows machines will now carry over to Edge for Android, making it easy to block websites across mobile and PC.

Microsoft is even launching an MSN Kids site, designed to provide curated news specifically for kids in the elementary or middle school age range. “We saw a need for a place for kids to learn about the world in a safe, trustworthy and fun environment,” explains Shilpa Ranganathan, Microsoft’s general manager of mobile experiences. “The site offers editorially curated, age-appropriate news and features from partner publishers such as Time for Kids, Popular Science, Sports Illustrated for Kids, National Geographic, and USA TODAY.”