Customizing Messenger Access
| Viewing Settings | Controlling Access | Editing the Friends List | Setting Other Options |
Controlling Your Child’s Messenger Access
If you want to limit the people with whom your child can exchange instant messages, you have two options, both accessible on the Messenger settings page:
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Block Yahoo! Messenger Access—You can turn off your child’s access to Yahoo! Messenger completely. If you select this option, your child can’t use Messenger at all. This option may be too restrictive for most children.
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Restrict Yahoo! Messenger communication to friends list only—You can restrict instant messaging to people on your child’s Messenger friends list. This means that your child can only send messages to and receive message from people included on this list. This is the best way to prevent strangers from contacting your child. It’s the default setting for the Kids and Teens access levels.
Choosing this option also gives you control over your child’s friends list, allowing you to add new contacts or remove inappropriate ones. Your child can’t modify his friends list without your permission.
If you uncheck both the Block Yahoo! Messenger Access and Restrict Yahoo! Messenger communication... options, your child can freely exchange instant messages with anyone.
Here’s How
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Go to the Messenger settings page for the family member whose access to Yahoo! Messenger you want to customize. (Remind me how.)
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Select the access option that’s appropriate for your child.
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Click the Save Settings button to save your changes.
What’s Next
If you’ve restricted your child’s instant messaging to people on his friends list, you next need to review the list to add and delete contacts.
Words to Know
- Contact: a person with whom you interact; someone to whom you might want to send an email, instant message, or text message.
- Friends list: a list of friends, family, and others who also use Yahoo! Messenger; an older name for Messenger List.