Josh Hendrickson
Amazon’s kid-friendly service for smart speakers and tablets has long gone by the name Amazon FreeTime. That’s not very descriptive, though, so Amazon’s working up a rebrand. Amazon FreeTime and FreeTime Unlimited will soon change to Amazon Kids and Kids+. And older kids will get new content too.
The name rollout is just that, a new name that better describes what the service accomplishes. You’ll get the same free and paid tiers as before, and Amazon Kids and Kids+ works on Alexa Smart Speakers, Fire Tablets, and more.
But older kids are getting some new content too, including a new home screen on Fire Tablets. Amazon designed the new home screen to bridge the look between young kids and adults and gives the tablet a more “grownup-like” look.
Additionally, you can now turn on announcements for Amazon Kids devices. Until now, “Freetime” speakers and tablets were barred from announcements. The change is opt-in, though, so you still have control.
Finally, Amazon is adding videos titles it hand-selected aimed at the six to 12-year-old range. Along with the videos comes a new music option for Amazon Kids—IHeartRadio Family. As with the previous Unlimited offerings, Amazon Kids is free to parents, and an Amazon Kids+ subscription starts at $2.99 a month. The changes will roll out over the coming months.
Source: Amazon
