Kuddle is an awesome free social networking app for kids. Available for both iOS and Android, Kuddle has been designed to introduce kids of almost all ages to the world of social media. It provides them with a safe and secure digital environment where they can learn the basics of social networking (posting photos, sharing media etc.) in a controlled manner. To do so, all prospective users of Kuddle under 13 years of age need to have their account verified by a parent before they can start using them. Apart from that, Kuddle also has some “standard” social networking features disabled by default (e.g. photos can’t be commented on, users can’t be tagged in photos, friends once accepted can’t be removed). Kuddle also displays full names by default, instead of using usernames. Sounds interesting? Let’s find out more.
Kuddle: User Interface
Before getting started with Kuddle, you obviously need to install it. Installation itself is a simple affair. All you have to do is hop over to the iOS App Store, search for kuddle, and tap the install button. Once you start the app, you need to create a free account (or login if you have one already). Simply enter the usual details (email, username, password, date of birth etc.) and you’re good to go. Here’s how Kuddle’s main app user interface looks like:
As illustrated by the above screenshot, Kuddle features a multi-sectional user interface. It’s primarily divided into five sub-sections, which can be easily accessed by tapping on their respective icons on the bottom. These are briefly mentioned below:
- Home: This is the default landing section, and the first from the left. It consists of all the photos uploaded by a user and his/her friends, viewable as a vertically scrollable list.
- Search: As the name suggests, this opens up the search section. You can search for users, uploads and things like that using this option.
- Camera: Represented as Kodi Kuddle (Kuddle’s mascot), this icon sits front and center of the bottom bar. Tapping it fires up the device camera, where you can take photos and post them to your profile. You can also annotate your photos (discussed later) with drawings before posting them.
- Kodi Kuddle Profile: Tapping this icon lets you access your (and everyone else’s as well) default friend, Kodi Kuddle’s profile, as a vertically scrollable list of funny photos.
- Profile: Indicated by a star icon, this section lets you access your profile, including the photos you’ve uploaded, liked etc. and more.
How To Use This Free Social Networking App For Kids?
Using the Kuddle social networking app for kids to get them acquainted with the basics of social networking is really easy. The app and its subsections themselves are fairly intuitive, and each option is pretty much self explanatory. Some of the important things you can do in Kuddle are discussed below:
Add Captions To Photos And Upload Them
Just like any other major social networking service, Kuddle lets you directly snap photos and upload them so that they can be shared instantly with your friends. However, Kuddle also lets you doodle on your photos in order to make them more catchy, before you upload them. You can write captions, draw shapes and much more. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Tap the middle icon (the one that looks like a teddy bear) on the bottom bar. This should open up the camera interface. Here, you get standard options for taking photos, such as toggle between front and rear cameras, flash on/off etc.
Step 2: Once you take a photo, you can instantly doodle on it using on screen brush strokes. You can choose the color, as well as the thickness of the brush, do draw whatever you like. Once done, click on the next arrow button on the top right corner. Check out the screenshot below:
Step 3: As a final step, Kuddle gives you a cautionary message/advice regarding safe practices to be followed while using social media services. This message pops up every time you upload a photo via Kuddle. Only after you agree to it, can you use Kuddle to share/upload photos and other content to your account. Once that’s done, others can like it anonymously and favorite it. How cool is that?
Viewing Photos Uploaded By You
You can easily use your profile section (accessed by tapping the right most star icon on the bottom bar). This is essentially a vertically scrollable grid of all the photos (with or without doodles) uploaded by you. It also displays your activity stream, people you’ve friended, and things like that. Check out the screenshot below:
Also See: Free All In One Social Networking App For iPhone: iSocialize+
Conclusion
Kuddle is an incredible free social networking app for kids. It’s simple and easy to use. Kuddle provides a safe and secure environment for kids to get accustomed with the basics of social networking. Features like cautionary messages, removal of unnecessary features etc. make Kuddle great for kids of all ages. Then there are fun things like anonymous likes and doodles, which make it even better. Do give Kuddle a try, you’ll love it.
