KEY POINTS

  • Microsoft is updating Microsoft 365 to include new apps and features
  • One new app, Family Safety, lets parents monitor their children and loved ones
  • The new app will have a Preview version soon

Microsoft is introducing a new app that will help users make sure that those who matter to them are safe online and in the real world.

Redmond tech giant Microsoft is launching a new app designed to help people monitor the whereabouts of their loved ones to make sure that they are safe. The new “Family Safety” app, as it is called, will be arriving on iOS and Android devices in the near feature.

Cult of Mac noted that the new Family Safety app comes as part of the upcoming Microsoft 365 overhaul, and will sit alongside other popular Microsoft apps and other interesting things such as added cloud storage and improved security. Here's what users can expect from the Family Safety app when it officially releases:

Protecting users in the real world

The Family Safety app will allow users to know what's happening to their loved ones in the real world via the following features:

  • Location Sharing

The app will help users locate their loved ones and stay connected ot them wherever they are.

  • Saved Places

The app lets users save places they normally frequent, such as home, a workplace or school, so that family members will know.

  • Location Alerts

By using the app, users can receive alerts whenever a family member arrives at or leaves certain locations.

The Family Safety app will also let users know how their loved ones are doing on the road via the following features:

  • Drive Safety

The app will inform users about their loved ones' driving habits, including phone usage, top speed and hard braking.

  • Map views

Users can get a detailed map view showing what happened to the family member while on the road.

  • Drive reports

The app will also record a user's driving history so that family members can review them.

Protecting users online

The app will also give parents the power to protect their kids from bad elements on the internet using the following features:

  • Content Filters

Parents will be able to limit the apps, games and websites their kids can access. They will also be able to set age limits to prohibit kids from downloading things they shouldn't.

  • Screen Time Limits

This feature will allow parents to limit the amount of time their kids spend on their device.

  • Activity Reporting

This feature allows parents to monitor what kind of activity their kids are doing on their devices.

The Family Safety app isn't out yet. Microsoft said a preview version will be coming soon, however. Those who want to try the preview when it becomes available can sign up to be notified here.

person-holding-space-gray-iphone-x-1440722 (1)
a person holding a smartphone Daria Shevtsova/pexels.com