Disney launches its own family-friendly messaging app

Although there's already a crowded field of messaging apps out there, Disney has just announced its own contribution: Disney Mix, which aims to stand out from the pack by being safest, most family-friendly one of the bunch. That means Disney Mix brings along additional games and playful meme-creating features, as well as moderation tools and educational resources to make the place feel more like an online community for kids than a simple messaging app.

As TechCrunch notes, Disney Mix is approved for children "4+" on the app store, although older kids and pre-teens will probably get the most use out of it. When kids sign up, they are presented with straightforward reminders to stay safe, be respectful and "keep it clean." Bullying and harassment especially will not be tolerated. So kids can help keep their community a safe place, chat threads include a "Whistle" icon at the top of the screen that they can use to essentially call up an adult moderator to step in. Disney is also encouraging parents to talk to their kids about the community rules and to submit feedback if the app isn't making the grade.

On a more fun note, the app boasts a cache of digital chat stickers from basically any Disney franchise you could think of. Kids also have the ability to build their own custom cartoon blockhead avatar that can compete alongside their friends in original and movie tie-in games right in the chat. In the future, Disney plans to add even more features, plus the ability to share photos and videos in the same safe community.

Disney Mix is available now on the App Store and Google Play.