Microsoft to officially remove Kids Corner from Windows 10 Mobile

Microsoft has officially confirmed it will remove the Kids Corner feature in Windows 10 Mobile as part of the upcoming free Windows 10 Anniversary Update.

Kids Corner was first introduced in Windows Phone 8.1 and allowed parents to set up their smartphone so their kids could only access specific apps and media. In a blog post, Windows Insider head Dona Sarkar revealed why Microsoft decided to end support for Kids Corner:

After taking a look at the overall usage of the Kids Corner feature in Windows 10 Mobile and Windows Phone 8.1, we have decided to remove this feature from Windows 10 Mobile beginning with the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. The usage of Kids Corner was too low to justify continued development and support of the feature. While not a replacement with the same functionality, you can try out Apps Corner under Settings > Accounts > Apps Corner which has some of the functionality as Kids Corner such as the ability to give people access to selected apps on your phone as well as a customized Start screen when they use your phone.

John Callaham
399 Comments
  • Tbh I never understood why they both kids and app corner
  • I use kids corner every freaking day with my kid
  • I didn't say it wasn't used im just saying tbh kids corner and apps corner seem like the same thing to me (never used either so I cant say if there's a lot of differences)
  • They are not the same. Kids Corner has a special API that app devs could use to detect the environment and lock their app down. Or in the case of say Hulu, only show kids content. I for one am very disappointed and upset they are killing this feature.
  • Indeed, the special about Kid's Corner is actually under-the-hood and quire subtle but effective on actual user experience, which I was surprise it works that way when I tested in the past that which I recommend to people I know that have kids with Windows phones. App Corner only works the same with Kids Corner on the surface but it doesn't care if the app you put there is suited for kids or not. Thus this leaves the user more work on their part.
  • more work for the user..... ergo Parent.  So parents can no longer abdicate their responsibilty and authority to Microsoft. Sounds good.  Parents... you take control of what your kids access on the phone... use the Apps Corner.  Don't allow an API to determine what is suitable for your own child.
  • try telling a 4 year old that.  I know many 4 year olds that use dady and mumys tablets and phones to learn and play through the great modern games and fun time ways.  And with something like kids corner it makes it all so simple for even me to use and i love my tech but sometimes i wat simplisity.
  • This isn't really much about the parenting, but more on how the feature helps even for a smallest details. Kid's Corner aren't perfect but it was clearly designed for inteded use-case, which Apps Corner share general similarities but lacks certain functions that Kid's Corner have. Of course parents will have to use Apps Corner because there will be no Kid's Corner. The API that has been developed for apps to use are now just wasted (for now, if they ever moved some API's to Apps Corner). If the parents puts to blame to Microsoft, that's their own responsibility, not Microsoft, whether there are special API's or not. These are features, a tools to help on certain use-case. If a use becomes lazy because of it, that's up to the user, not a dumb electronic calculating bunch of numbers. You don't blame a hammer hitting your fingers. As for the users who use this feature (I'm not, well not anymore in the future I guess), Kid's Corner is more convenient to setup and use, it does the job well (though it also have some bugs unfortunately). Yes, features need to be more simplier to setup and use, you don't expect everybody to be that savvy to fiddle around things or else that feature likely not going to be use altogther. Not everybody is tech-savvy nor they have to. If they find it tedious, then for them it's better not to use at all and focus on other more important things than to waste time figuring out.
  • shame more people didnt buy windows phones then ywed still have a kids corner, cant really blame microsoft for droping it if its usage is very low.  im sure if windows phone grows well see it reintroduced.
  • This is dissapointing on so many levels! My son has autism and this was one of the main reasons I stayed with win10 and discussed this option with others in the similar situations. Apps Corner is not effective, and tedius. 
  • I remember raging when this feature was first announced, because at that time they apparently thought it was more important than basic features such as being able to close open apps without spamming the back button. But I always disagree with removing features. To me, more is better, whether it's useful to me or not.
  • Hey this is MICROSOFT!  They hype up the new things.  Then they KILL them claiming it's not being used when they put absolutely ZERO effort in promoting them! Window 7.X is officially given the final death knell.  Sad, sad, sad....
  • I'm ok with this... Just opens up room for more features we can use, like landscape mode on the start screen, or right swipe on the start screen to have a customizable settings, and media control, section... You know, stuff like that which we could use as well.
  • Landscape on Start screen... Will it ever happen? No, I fear.
  • Actually... MS said that they know everyone is asking for landscape mode on the start screen, and they said that they are working on it.. Daniel knows.. But, that was a while back, so they must be waiting till RS2, or maybe even three... It's not an immediate priority,, but they do know it's highly requested, and there's probably an engineer running a build with it somewhere at MS.
  • How about local apps Rod, surely that is a major key to widespread use above 2%
  • Local apps???
  • Couldn't agree with you more.  They should remove things you absolutely love and then claim they are making more room for other stuff.  :)
  • Kcorner was a very nice feature.  prevents accidental hit of the search button for kids.  Still sticking with WP8.1 until they kill the OS. wm10 has been a disaster
  • There, you never used it. We did. We know the difference. After the Rooms, this is like a second stab in the back. It's getting hard to find some love for MS.
  • Yes, everthing you mentioned.  But the absolutely best thing they removed was the $14.99 music subscription when you could keep 10 songs for life.  Paying for streaming is stealling money. If you move another music service you keep nothing.  Biggest scam ever. 
  • My auntie who uses Lumia also use this feature alot. Another feature down oh well. :( As usual too low usage reasoning with already too low market share with a feature already not expected to have high usage by design. Looks like I have to introduce here how to use App Corner which is quite a redundant feature anyways.
  • How is it a feature if usage is so low on an under 2% OS? You're delusional if you believe this to be a feature. Seriously, wake up to yourself!
  • You could say the same of a lot of features. How many actually use Cortana for the purpose it was created for, as in a digital assistant rather than a search feature?
  • For most countries who doesn't even have Cortana, it will be just a normal simple Search which isn't even as good as the older implementation. I can't even search files on W10M anymore using Cortana/Search. It's nothing but mostly a web interface for Bing.  
  • Same here, in the age where everyone wants multiple users in their OS we had something that came close. Instead of adding me features they're removing features.
  • you can use app corner in setting for that.. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • Yes you can, but the issue is launching Apps Corner takes so many steps that it is a pain when compared to Kids corner. To launch Apps Corner, you have to first unlock your phone enter the pin (if pin protected) find the apps corner app launch the app first then click the arrow on the app bar to acutally launch the app corner where as with kids corner, it was just unlock your phone, swipe right and enter pin
  • This flat out sucks, we use it all the time too. My wife and I loved and use rooms, Kids corner and Skype Integration. All of them are going away or already gone. Sometimes Microsoft makes it hard to be a fan.
  • "My wife and I loved and use rooms..." Snigger
  • Rooms, Kids corner, etc made Windows Phone unique. If I have to install an app to block or lock in my kids' app or internet usage, that would make WM busy like any other os.
  • Rooms was such an awesome idea. I wish they made it as an ios and android app and baked it into Windows 10... That feature i still miss :-\
  • Indeed! It was an awesome idea, only being a victim of our low marketshare, thus even we have Windows phones, who we gonna use it with? This is why if Rooms was an app for other platforms or became integrated to Skype which many people already have, likely the feature will be used more extensively. GroupMe fortunately seems like an answer, but it feels really just an app for W10M with weak integration. Also it lacks marketing for people to use and why they have to use it, especially in face of competition against Facebook. It would be great if it was integrated well on Skype, replacing Skype Groups, but I'm also not comfortable about it since GroupMe is doing well on its own and merging it with Skype may cause additional issues, especially how Skype development is been going historically.
  • Yep, regular user here too - me and the wife so we know the kids can't access other apps or fans we haven't allowed. Low usage also likely indicates poor awareness of features... were we insiders asked?
  • Saying that tho... simply being able to add a childs user account would be a preferable option to me and align with wider W10
  • I agree, as long as their is an alternative that is easier to use. The proposed App Corner takes too many steps to launch it.
  • Btw, raised this feedback ages ago - upvote in insider feedback if you'd prefer user accounts (allowing proper child safeguarding)
  • This is why, when Lumia 640s hit $29, some people I know bought them for their children. They set up child accounts on those phones, and don't have to share a phone with the child. No activation with the phone company, just a small tablet that works on Wi-Fi and the kids can be safer with a child account. They still aren't allowed to use them unsupervised. As far as my children go, I'll let them use my touchscreen laptop at times for educational stuff, when I'm right there with them watching, but they will not get a phone or laptop of their own until they turn at least 12 and have shown the level of responsibility it takes. I've never been one to let a child be babysat by a phone. Can't stand it, honestly.
  • Understand completely... Agree - my girl is not having a phone (full stop!), but also it isn't a case of babysitting, but it's a nice treat for her and some of the games are actually very good for logic, maths and language... when she does use it I don't want her accessing the web, unsuitable music or deleting things for instance (you cannot watch every second!).
  • feedback-hub:?contextid=336&feedbackid=158e3cee-8ef5-43b0-996d-7d61bfcca0f0&form=2&src=2
  • Also use it as a games start screen.
    Swipe right at lock screen - games.
    Swipe up at lock screen - apps.
  • LOL. That's funny right there. I can't judge. I've got several medium sized exploding tiles on my start screen that have titles on them like, "Arcade Games", "Board Games", "Strategy Games", "Mindless Games", etc. It's easy enough to find the games that way.
  • Lol
  • Kids corner is always available with a swipe from the lock screen. A kid can pick up the phone and go to the kids corner by himself without accessing the rest of the phone, because it's protected with a PIN. Apps corner needs to be launched from the settings every time and it can't be accessed without unlocking the phone. Personally, I think people aren't using kids corner, because it's buried in the settings and they don't know about it.
  • so they should have axed the latter instead of the former
  • Agreed.
  • I think they should put multiple users log in.. And one user should be the admin.. Just like PC
  • Great idea.. Perfect!
  • This is been requested for a long time, hopefully someday they will. This thing though would take a while to be implemented since it requires multiple sessions on single device at the same time. Very feasible but based on the paced of development, having this on Redstone 2 would be even too optimistic, maybe 3.
  • I think this method is cleaner, I do this now with my surface 3, all our accounts are linked as family accounts and I can control the hours my kid logs in and also their activity.  It's way more awesome than a kids corner option.  So I do hope they let us use multiple accounts on a phone soon!
  • Suggested this in feedback a long time ago... Please upvote
  • my moto g with android 6 has the option to add other users and a guest, I didn't test it much, but seems to solve this scenario
  • I was waiting until my kid was old enough to use the feature. Now it's being removed?? The only thing they had to do (for my needs) was allow people to set a different pin for the kids corner then the pin used with the main side of the phone. That's it... done.. no more development required... But they couldn't invest the time it would take, and decided to spend even more time to remove it instead? Wow, Microsoft.. way to hit one out of the park! ID10T Error FTW! I wonder when/if Windows 10 mobile will actually get better each week instead of worse...
  • Hope for multiple accounts option on the phone.  Setting up family accounts in w10 is awesome, can monitor and restrict your kid's activity.  I do it now on a surface 3
     
  • Did the API ever work in UWP apps or just 8.1 apps? If not it could have required quite a lot if work to get that implemented in UWP
  • App corner is better. And they're not killing it. I advise you to look into it
  • I suggest you read up on what exactly Kid's Corner was before you continue making an ass of yourself.
    You clearly don't know a damn thing of what you are talking about...
  • If you're replying to me, I was referring to the fact that they aren't killing app corner. And for your information I have tested both on my phone and know exactly how both work. And I conclude that kids corner is no real loss since app corner does more, and is more secure. Because its harder to get back to the 'normal phone' from app corner than from kids corner. (for a child anyway). Please stop thinking that others don't understand simply because their comment doesn't make sense to you. Thanks And if your reply wasn't to me, (because its not so easy to tell in long comment reply threads) then I take all of it back
  • https://blogs.windows.com/buildingapps/2013/01/04/how-to-detect-that-you... "It’s also a good idea to disable ads when an app is running in Kid’s Corner (or change the type of ads you’re requesting), because if the child clicks on an ad it may take them to the browser experience, which is not fully regulated by Kid’s Corner." App corner doesn't work that way. please get educated. Stop spewing nonsense. Dev's could detect Kid's Corner and change the type of content they displayed, and not just ad's.
    App Corner doesn't do that. It is far more than just App Coner.
  • hey i have a question for anyone: how do i get out of apps corner and back to my regular phone without turning the phone off/on?
  • Hold the power button, and you'll see the usual "Slide Down to Shut Down," but also an additional "Slide Right to Return to Phone" or something like that. You just simply slide from the left side of the screen to the right side, and viola, back to normal operation.
  • I Kids corner still needs your PIN and so your kids will have to know your PIN, and can also access your main corner if they knowingly or unknowingly.
  • agreed.
  • Or more likely people aren't using it because they don't have a use for it.
  • Can you guys do a comparison video of Kids Corner vs. Apps Corner? They are almost the exact same thing... so I think it would be good to show those that are freaking out that the feature is not completely gone. :-)
  • Hope your right
  • One commentor above mentioned that Kid's Corner uses special API where developers can take advantage of Kid's Corner environment better like showing only content appropriate and not allowing certain non-appropriate apps. The difference is actually more subtle while sharing similar general use case on the surface. Apps Corner is simply a separate environment for any people cam use while Kid's Corner is for, kids. What I hope is that just integrate some Kid's Corner functionality and that API into Apps Corner to be optionally enabled when needed, instead of dumping all things from Kid's Corner into nothing.
  • Apps corner is much more powerful. For example u can turn off the windows start key, the back let and cortana, u can also limit editing the start screen and if ur phone has a camera button u can turn that off too. That is what I use and the reason i no longer use Kids Corner
  • My question is did those API ever work in UWP or not. That could have been significant work and testing if not and it only worked in 8.1/WinRT apps so far
  • So, does App Corner allow you to restrict in-app purchases? Because Kids Corner does so, which may be unique to Windows Phone.
  • Add a password to your purchase so they have to know it to purchase anything. Simple fix
  • Low usage?
    I am using kids corner EVERY DAY.
    One of the best hidden gems on WP.
    This is the only reason why my wife is still using WP.
    SAD, WRONG, STUPID.
  • I wanted to use kids corner but the fact that it requires the exact same pin as my startup screen made kids corner absolutely useless. I would've used it everyday kids corner either didn't require a pin or if I could've been allowed to create a completely different pin for kids corner. I tried it but since my kid needed to know the pin to get into kids corner he always logged into the main screen instead. That was the only thing that kept me from using it.
  • The idea was for YOU to enter the PIN and hand over the phone. Once in kids corner, you have to enter the pin again to go back to the normal Usage area of the phone. But this is part of the problem. Not everyone wanted kids corner to behave that way, so it was intuitive to them, resulting in low Usage, even for the demographic it was aimed at. Here's hoping they simply add multiple sessions like on tablets and desktops and this problem will be solved. The family settings are pretty awesome, yet completely unimplemented on mobile... Which is what kids want to use!
  • Use app corner. It doesn't do that
  • You don't represent 100% of the wp community. And besides, app corner is better anyway. Why don't you go to settings and take a look. Then pin it to your start screen for eassy access
  • Yes, low usage. Your personal anecdote doesn't change that.
  • Suddenly many people say they use that feature..... kids nowadays use android not W10M. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • Kids corner is  used when kids want to use your phone. i think you are confused.
  • The point is less for kids who own phones and more younger kids who play with their parents (or whoever's) phone. Sure if a ten year old had their own phone, Kids Corner is useless, but it's not made for that. It's made as a way to lock down features when you give your phone to someone else to fiddle with, not for the main user of the phone. If a child is the phone's owner, that's a different situation.
  • Guess theres always knox
  • Same and who wants to let their kids on their phones anyway? Get your own :P
  • my kid will be 2 in a couple days and she has had a 520 for like 6 months set up as kids corner as well lol
  • Set it up with apps corner. Simple enough
  • It is not the same thing. Read up on it. You need to be more educated on the matter.
  • But you don't give a 4 yrold their own phone. I never used kids corner but sad to see it go, that was a good selling point for WP for parents with young kid's.
  • Sure you do my 4 yr old has a Lumia 1020 my 6 year old has a 830 and they both have hp stream 7s when you upgrade no use letting the phones sit in a box :) and the last section of my comment was a joke btw. Kids corner is useful but I never let my kids use my phone so its just not useful to me. App corner does keep a person locked out better than kids corner and is just as easy to setup so I understand MS' logic here.
  • I have 635's setup with only kids games, the start screen interface is perfect for little ones, they can just scroll for the games they want with no other options. There are alot of kids games that work with 8.1 that my kids love, They actually choose the 635's over the 3gs's that i ahve setup for them too.   
  • The main thing is you're not going to sell a phone because it has kids corner its just a perk I highly doubt anyone bought into the WP OS because of kids corner.
  • At this point I think that might be the only reason to use windows, tell me what other reason there is compared to ABC or jobs. Maybe the point is they are not going to sell phones anymore.
  • It was an "innovative" feature when WinPhone came out. They touted it and got their celebs to mention it. It was one of the things, like hubs, that made the OS unique.
  • But the rest of the OS sucked so no one bought them. I am sure there are plenty of apps for this on other platforms. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • My test 640xl now serves this purpose. No need to let my 950xl get broken.
  • Are you from Apple? A device for everyone even if they are two, and a device for every activity. Kids phone are never charged, up-to-date ..., so they will use yours anyway. Better to maintain one, pay for one.
  • Crazy! This is the best future. They should improve it not killing it. Another unique feature is gone.
  • Most people don't really care. They don't even know it exists probably
  • Since July 2013 I opened it maybe twice
  • I forgot about it.......
  • Amber?
  • NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
  • WFT is wrong with MS?  W10 has literally removed every feature of WP that made it stand out.  Sorry, not-very-live tiles alone does not an OS make.
  • Kids corner doesn't really make sense if they are focusing more towards an enterprise OS.
  • So are you saying people who work in corporations don't have kids that will want to play on their parent's work phone?
  • Maybe they'll replace it with enterprise corner, where the bosses can swipe to look at all the nasty things said behind their backs! Powered by MS's new bot integration :P
  • I laughed so hard at this!
  • That sounds like you're saying that W10M isn't for consumers anymore....
  • True.
  • You have that exactly backwards.  Kids Corner makes the most sense on an enterprise phone.  Parents are going to let their kids play on their phones.  With Kids Corner they have a way to do so that keeps all their work-related goodies safe and sound. This is a critical feature and a major blunder on MS' behalf, all the more so if they are focusing on enterprise.
  • Where has this been mentioned at all, from reputable rumor mills?
    Not saying that won't happen. It is a conceivable thought, with Continuum being pushed. Hope your right. The idea of getting it into the corporate world will have the affect that is needed. When high exec's start calling for more apps for the WP environment, we will surly see some movement in other app areas as well. And no, this will not kill off WP. To all, you may have apps that are somewhat better, or available only on the iDroid's.
    but they are about as innovative as a flip phone, and stuck there.
  • Stand out for whom may I ask? It stood out for 3% of smartphone users... Maybe aligning the OS with the other two main ones will make it stand out to the other 97%. Most people never used kids corner and MS has all the data. Heck, most people probably didn't even know it existed
  • I never used it but this is one of the things that if properly marketed would sell some phones: "the only phone with a switch to restrict not only apps access but also content inside the apps" there are so many parents out there who would buy into something like this. I for one think that a child should not use a smartphone till he is 10 and use it only for playing games but I'm not the majority :)
  • Agreed, they should market the hell out of it and Cortana
  • Except these kind of features are available on the other platforms as well. It is not a great selling point. If you are looking for a consumer OS, Windows 10m isn't for you. It isn't for you if you are looking for an enterprise OS either. More than likely an app you may need for work isn't available. That is more important if you need to get work done, the other platforms can do anything WM can do and more. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • And you hit the nail on the head, no apps mean no users
  • Well, when 8 came out it lacked many stuff from 7 too
  • Thanks for this. They are really ruining it :( Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • I used this feature loved this about windows app corner not the same too tedious u have to manually put apps in kid friendly mode the other already did
  • Man, listen to you people. Usually Microsoft kills a feature BEFORE there's an alternative available. You all got off easy this time. :P
  • What alternative are you talkin about? That nonsense showroom feature called App Corner? Great.
  • I use it on a regular. This is a bad move. Clearly a differentiator that only needed some minor tweaks'.
  • Wtf MS. That is one of my favorite features of WP. I can let my kids play without the fear of them reeking havoc on my phone. It was not used because you never spoke of it.
  • 1. Develop unique and creative feature
    2. Hardly ever promote it, never market it, and do not train new users how to use it
    3. Stop enhancing the feature
    4. Wonder why the usage is so low... Scratch head.
    5. Remove the feature
  • This has become the norm
  • 6. Reintroduce the feature but half-baked.
    7. Wait for months or even few years to be on-par what they just removed.
    8. Finally catches up. Maybe repeat number 2? Embrace, Extend, Extinguish?
  • Best comment here
  • Thankfully apps corner is pretty close in functionality.
  • Close but no cigar. Not even a cigarette.
  • Never used it so I won't miss it. When my kids use my phone, they know which apps to use and which to leave alone. 
  • Narcissist. Too selfish.
  • He said HE won't miss it
  • hey, i dont see how it has evolved and therefore dont understand the "continued development and support" part. i think if it was just a guest account that it would have been a better feature, and i did use kids corner with my nieces so damn sad to see it go!
  • It's completely true that Microsoft released this feature, and then fully abandoned it and never fixed several glaring issues with it. To imply there is/was continued development of some kind is rudely insulting to everyone's intelligence. The truth though is that it's one more thing they need to test, and possibly patch up as the OS evolves and causes the abandoned Kid's Corner code to break in subtle (or not so subtle) ways. At a time when Microsoft as a whole has moved away from the kind of dedicated, focused testing they did in the past. They're basically saying they don't think that effort is worth it, given there's an approximate replacement for that functionality in another feature. The fact that they feel the need to bullshit and sugar-coat it is what makes me mad. Then again, maybe they treat people like children because they usually act like children...
  • I don't get why people have kids, so...I have no opinion here.
  • Oh Daniel... LOL
  • At minimum they are a bi product of sex for many people. I can explain the birds and the bees if you need Daniel Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • :D
  • @Daniel - I guess you popped out of an egg fully grown. :-P
  • Apparently two people or a lab had some input on why your here, so it does happen. And if it happens and your in the car or at a shop with one if those little units going nuts, all you want to do is give them the closest tech device do they can watch Netflix or play a damn bubble app so they shut up. And it has been awfully nice on my 950xl to give them my phone with kids corner so I can finish what I was doing while not having to worry that they are sending emails to my ceo or posting some inappropriate pic I recently took on facebook. People, it can and does happen, kids corner prevented this, hopefully apple does this on the next iOS update. I hate iOS, but will be another reason to go jobs
  • App corner does this and more. Why dint you take a look?
  • Daniel, Great statement. I agree. I wish more people would be able to know, and admit to, what they don't know. It's okay. It's all good. It acknowledges that there are other points of view.
  • Alcohol Daniel, it has a lot to answer for.
  • Yeah, that's OK.  Those of us with kids are using iOS.  Apple family sharing FTW!  LOL! (Actually my family and I are pretty much now using Android on mobile, but I'll admit that Apple has the better family sharing setup.)
  • Well, it really should be your parents giving you this talk, but here goes: There's this thing called sex. It feels really good, so people keep doing it. Children are sometimes a byproduct of this.
  • WTF? No!!! Both my wife and I use this all the time with our younger kids.
  • Switch to app corner
  • I swear they could say Microsoft killing off insert app that no one uses and another app emulates  and you all will still complain. 
  • They're canceling cause nobody is using wp anymore. Smh Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • Ok, Now I can say Windows phone is dead. I got my wife to go with Windows phone for the kids corner feature and she loved it. But she recently left to android to get more apps. By taking away one of the best features Windows Phone offered for families you are throwing in the towel. Android has some similar features, but our 5 year old is constantly finding her way into my wifes corporate email, etc... This is really disappointing for Microsoft and my love of Windows mobile, that and the fact that more apps are leaving than joining. I continue to hang on and will forever because I love my live tiles with radar and calendar and most importantly image updates from my home cameras, but I now know that I am the last standout. And with all of that in mind, I might just consider leaving windows altogether. What is the point, right now everything I do between all my machines work so well with just a Microsoft account and windows 10, but if I can't get a damn app that everyone else I know has on droid or jobs, than I might just have to screw it all.
  • You said your wife already left for Android even though she loved Kids Corner.  So obviously Kids Corner did nothing to entice people to use or keep Windows Phone.  So what exactly are you complaining about?  There is already a redundant feature that does the same thing.  So you can keep the feature that is only used for kids or you can keep the feature that can be used by both adults and kids.  They chose the latter which was a smart move in my opinion.  Why have two features that do basically the same thing?  
  • She wanted apps, it's that simple, whether that be snapchat or our daycare daily logs, there is nothing left for anyone to keep windows 10, two of my apps, PayPal and options express are leaving at the end if the month that I know of as of today
  • Best feature for families, bah. That was Rooms. Some days I wish I was not so lazy and actually make a partial replacement.
  • I feel there is only one reason behind. This is part of course that exists in W10M only and not PC version. It's not good. The next iterations of W10 must be tight in, offer almost the same, so they're scratching what it is different. Sadly they first start removing then, one year later might add the multi account log in coming from PC version, eventually. In the mean time ask us to is the App corner
  • There are other options available, so no big deal. People who use it can learn to use App Corner or some other alternative... or buy a $40 Windows phone for their kids to play with.
  • Or maybe they are just saying get a droid and maybe you will still install cortona and skype on that phone, which you may, but after using all the other apps you will never open a ms app again. Slowly wp users will move from onedrive to google drive and skype to snapchat or tango and never think twice about ms again. What a said state of affairs. Added to this, I predict linkedin is killed of and wrote off by at least 15 billion in 5 years. Mostly because they will try to integrate it to everything else, fail and then simply move on considering whatever linked in was as simply on online resume as part of your stupid office 365...I am sad for ms
  • The sky(pe) is falling.
  • Respectfully, it seems Microsoft fans care more than MS. Very bad. We see the potential of MS innovation, but MS is dumbing down to be the least common denominator of apple and goggle phones.
  • Or to be the enterprise like blackberry is
  • What exactly would you like Microsoft to do Kevin? If an app has low usage on Windows Phone then it must truly be miniscule. They have tried everything to no avail as it seems the vast majority of people don't want a Windows Phone. Just accept it mate, the punters have spoken. The tile interface has been rejected so accept it and move on.
  • Re: JR1966,
    Very pompous and narcissistic statement. (Selfishly, unable to see other peoples point of view.) Respectively, I am content to continue with Microsoft, but I'm not blind to the missteps. If this is of concern and bothers you, I suggest you consider, accepting it and moving on.
  • @Kevin, pompous and narcissistic...really! I stated facts in that Microsoft has tried everything on phones but failed. The market share speaks for itself Kevin. By all means keep using Windows Phone but you can't expect Microsoft to cop the losses forever. Again I ask you the question, what do you want Microsoft to do?
  • For Kids Corner, and many other dropped features for the same reason, they did close to nothing to promote it even the slightest. In the Nokia days those guys put some effort in promoting those hidden features but Microsoft only ever spoke about Kids Corner on some key notes when introducing a new windows version and that was only once or twice by Panos. Outside of that I never saw direkt Microsoft advert to promote Kids Corner, Wi-Fi Sense sharing etc. etc. And they wonder why features that are hidden do not get used frequently ... Oh ... Wait ... They do not wonder. Yes, they sure tried, and try, everything ... but not to save the platform. They seriously need better desicion makers at the top and as team leads.
  • Ahhh...u know Microsoft start to really make the people hate her in the way of the phones'...every time they delete something's we think it's good
  • Maybe if they made it work better people would use it. Manually having to update music, videos and pictures is a pain. I suggested in the feedback app to allow playlists and albums instead of manually selecting individual songs. Then you could update the playlist and not have to worry about having to add it through the settings every time.
  • Maybe you should be letting kids use your work phone. This isn't a consumer platform you know. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • Kids Corner was introduced in WP8.0, not 8.1
  • Yep, I clearly remember the Lumia 920 launch ads with Jessica Alba promoting Kids Corner back in 2012.
  • And those ads came from Nokia! MS ever only advertised it on stage when revealing a new version of windows.
  • I hate when Ms remove awesome innovative features, just because no one use them.
    Do you know why people don't use it?? Because MS hasn't advertised it properly, because MS hasn't shown any effort on improving this awesome feature!!! MS, if you don't want to support, that is just fine, leave it as is, why removing it?????
  • No frigging way!  This is probably the biggest reason that my wife and I have stuck with Windows Mobile!  I am so angry right now.
  • So use Apps Corner instead.  Not sure what the huge deal is.  There are two features that do basically the same thing.  I never understood why they created two in the first place. 
  • Apps Corner isn't a bad alternative, but Kids Corner is easier to use.  Being able to swipe over to it from the lockscreen and let your kid customize their own little part of the phone was a really cool feature.  Apps Corner requires you to access your Start screen to get to it and it is harder to exit out of.
  • My hope is that they will continue to enhance Apps Corner to incorporate the missing features from Kids Corner so that they can be configured to function the same. 
  • Well, thinking of how Microsoft handles things, it is not far of to believe this irrational suggestion of yours actually making sense, in a weird way. Microsoft is known for irrationally dropping good working features only to do things from scraps again to achieve the same, just taking them a year or two to actually do it instead of investing 1 or 2 month on improving the actually already existing feature.
  • Kids Corner is a lot easier to use than App Corner. Instead of removing it, they should've remove App Corner and rename Kids Corner into Guest Mode.
  • After taking a look at the overall usage of the Windows 10 Mobile, we have decided to remove Windows 10 Mobile beginning with the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. The usage of Windows 10 Mobile was too low to justify continued development and support .
  • ^This. I wonder when that will happen. Fingers crossed.
  • I am a windows phone lover in a huge way, but this is far too funny, and true. I feel like the ass in the room selling my wp lately, and almost every article here proves all the droid and jobs lovers that I am probably the problem, not them
  • Lol! This is actually funny. :P
  • Wow! Microsoft drops the ball again. They innovate a great unique feature, they don't promote it, nor develop it. The people who do discover it, despite Microsoft not advertising it, LOVE IT. It exists, doing no harm, satisfying those that know about it. Then, rather than leaving the feature alone, Microsoft screws over their fans that understand the feature, better than Microsoft does.
    Geez. Microsoft makes it really hard to be a fan.
    What is happening to Microsoft? No long term planning or thinking.
  • Planning is not their strong point. On the other hand in this case, if 1% of all phone users use Windows Phone, what % do you think use Kids Corner?
  • Problem is that its code was only for mobile SKU, not compatible with the Pc version SKU, which has multi account capabilities. While merging them down for a complete RS2 convergence, they start from those things IMO..
  • Where is there even a slight mention of this occuring?
  • I ended my sentence with a "IMO" :). Anyway, for me it is a given. Everyone and Microsoft would want the RS2 generation to be as like as PC-like, at least during Continuum sessions. Sort of a Windows 10 RT, sadly still working under ARM since Intel is out of question for some years, unless under top-secret works. If that's the case, Kids corner is something incompatible with the REAL multi account vision of the big-brother RT like environment. IMO.
  • Problem is, if multi users are coming to windows 10 Mobile in a update month and month away, but already killing a feature very useful to especially parents that offers a lot of convenience without offering a equal replacement right away but suggesting to use an inferior feature that is only useful for show room usage. Well, then again, I do not expect Microsoft to think things through before they act.
  • Another stupid move, butchering a once great mobile os. Glad I got out of this mess Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • Wow! This is a let down for me. This makes me think to not upgrading to anniversary update at all.
  • I use it daily as does my wife. The quick access is perfect. Is apps corner accessed the same way after setup?
  • No, you login and then click a tile. So it is not that much more of a hassle.
  • Plus, ending App Corner requires you to first press and hold the power button and then swipe right when the power off screen drops down; in comparison Apps corner either just needs the screen to auto time out or a simple tap on the power button to end.
  • That's good because app corner is therefore harder for the kid to get out of. If I gave my phone to a kid in kids corner, I wouldn't want him/her coming back to me telling me to enter the pin again because he/she pressed the lock button by mistake again... Or the phone timed out. App corner behaves differently in this regard
  • Honestly it doesn't really matter if they have it or not, people are gonna continuously criticize Windows phone for anything and everything. So it doesn't matter if kids corner is there or not
  • Ridiculous. Self serving. Not paying attention to the facts. It's far more complicated.
  • I always wanted to use it, but, if I put a passcode on my phone it password protected kids corner also. I figure the inconvenience simply wasn't worth it.
  • I always wanted to use it, but, if I put a passcode on my phone it password protected kids corner also. I figure the inconvenience simply wasn't worth it.
  • App corner doesn't have this problem thankfully
  • I don't have a kid, so i don't care haha
  • Narcissist.
  • Just buy a 15 dollar Lumia 520. Lol. Its so cheap. Any older Lumia phones are on ebay for cheap!!!
  • Does the Lumia 520 even get W10m? I thought it was stuck on WP8.1, but then there's the other problem with app development moving to W10m. Might as well get kids a cheap Android. They probably want to play games on it anyway and the Windows Store doesn't have as many official games compared to other platforms sadly.
  • Personally I'd stay away from buying kids a phone until they are mature enough to know how to manage their time wisely. Usually nowadays that's around 16/17 years old. My parents didn't get me a phone till I was 16 and I got a nice brick nokia (3 years ago now) I cannot express how genuinely grateful I am to them. I didn't really play on anyone's phone before that either. I didn't have a habit like that. My parents didn't make me dependant on games like kids are nowadays. But of course I played some, but I wasn't addicted like lids are today. Imo it would benefit your kids if you held back and limited their time on your own phone too. It'll pay off in the long run. I have my own childhood and my friends childhoods to compare and take conclusions from
  • I'm disappointed. Well I'm off to the feedback app to voice my opinion lol
  • I'll support this, maybe also create a new thread.
  • Use this one, it has the most up votes so far: feedback-hub:?contextid=309&feedbackid=3bd7a9ea-3da4-44ed-a74a-12c429f5edd2&form=2&src=2
  • Then they will remove app corner. If it ain't broke, don't fwit Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • Now if that did happen, I can see the outrage, and I'd be outraged too. But app corner is still here. Why the uproar? Or is it just this website?
  • Now if that did happen, I can see the outrage, and I'd be outraged too. But app corner is still here. Why the uproar? Or is it just this website?
  • "continued development and support"? What exactly was this costing MS? It's there, it works, doesn't need any constant updating or support does it? I have it set up for grandson so he can play games and not mess with my stuff.
  • This is exactly one of the reasons my next phone will not be a Windows Phone. Microsoft keeps ******* taking things away. **** them and their stupid Nadella bullshit. SICK OF YOU, MICROSOFT.
  • Lol your logic is flawed to the extent its laughable. They had 2 near identical features. They killed off one of them. What is the loss?
  • They mean "this part of code in Mobile isn't compatible with multi account functionality we're going to merge from RS2 onward, thus only one can survive". I read it that way.
  • So, if a replacement feature is due with RS2, why killing off Kids Corner already? ****ing kill off App Corner instead and then later switch Kids Corner with Multi user accounts instead of killing it right away and offer to use an inferior feature in the meantime.
  • Maybe its Microsoft's way if saying" watch your own f*ing kids.
  • Or MS says go away kids! Use your iPads.
  • How many useless features have they carried over, in big box windows, or office!? You mean this feature you never enhanced, was sucking up resources at an unsustainable rate? My kid calls Kids Corner, "My Side," on both my, and my wife's phones! We've been here since windows mobile ce! You're making it hard to stick around, MS. If this is what to expect from Donna Sarkar, then this die hard is going to end up bailing.... As a fashionista, maybe she doesn't have children, but, for the rest of us, who do, and who have been here, this is a bad portent. Maybe they sent her to Gordon Gecko w10m, and break it up, bit by bit.
  • Right. All you have to do is tell your kid that kids corner has changed to app corner. It can still be his/her side you know. And it's easier to set up. And it's more kid proof than kids corner
  • So you want your kid to know your phone's PIN and trust it to activate App Corner on it's own? Brave man!
  • If a kid is to activate kids corner on its own, he/she will still have to know your pin. Kids corner is locked by the same pin as your own corner. That said, the intention behind this is that you set up and launch kids corner for the kid. You put the pin in to access kids corner then hand the device to the kid. That's how its meant to work. With that said, the same can be done for app corner in that you launch it every time for your kid. Simple. Kids corner was never intended for the kid to launch by himself, as can be seen from the fact that it is locked by the same pin as your corner
  • I use it all the time one of the big selling points for me. Windows had been multiple users one device, now not so much :-\
  • App corner
  • More deprecation of the system.  That's all Microsoft knows how to do. Give you something you really begin to appreciate and even rely upon, then gut the thing.  More and more lame.
  • Why is Microsoft killing off all of the things that differentiate it from other os?
  • Read the article. Despite the vocal minority whining as usual, barely anyone uses it. If my kids wanted to play with a phone regularly I'd get them their own. This was a neat party trick, but the market has decided it's not needed.
  • A really disappointed with this news, I always enable Kids Corner for my 3yrs old. It's already there, fully working as it is, not beta, people is not requesting something more... then why removing this feature again?  
  • Why removing this feature? Because a better one already exists. Its called app corner. Search for it in settings, then pin it to your start screen. Sorted.
  • I suggest you read up on what exactly Kid's Corner was before you continue making an ass of yourself.
    You clearly don't know a damn thing of what you are talking about.,
  • Oh really? And are you watching exactly what im doing on my phone since the article was released? I was in fact having a play round with both app corner and kids corner and trying to suss out what all the fuss was about. I full well know what kids corner is, how dare you insult my intelligence. Therefore I come to the conclusion after using both, that they are near identical features, and MS removed one of them. For God's sake, use the other one, accept change, and get used to it (until they kill app corner in favour of multi account support hopefully). I've been on wp since 7.5 and I can say that I was super confused when they launched app corner not long after kids corner was released. It was near identical, but while in app corner, if the phone is locked, you don't need a pin to unlock, but in kids corner you do, and in app corner, the sequence of taps and swipes to leave app corner are much harder to do for a kid than to lock the device while in kids corner. App corner also allows app switching. Kids corner doesn't. There, have I sufficiently backed up my claim that app corner is better?
  • I disagree, App Corner might be nice for show room purposes but is very cumbersome in day to day use; especially with kids around. Kids Corner is always there and just requires a swipe on the lock screen to reach - a kid can do this very intuitively - and to deactivate you simply double tab the power button; App corner needs to be activated every ******* time you want to hand your phone over and requires two different steps to deactivate (hold power button & swipe) Apps Corner constantly resets when changes are made; Kids Corner has persistence. Adding Apps to App Corner requires you to add apps in the settings; Adding Apps to Kids corner can simply be done by using the context menu from the App List. They should rather take the few good things about App Corner and merge them into Kids Corner and Maybe do a little refactoring to make the feature more prominent or maybe rename it.
  • "...The usage of Kids Corner was too low to justify continued development and support of the feature...."  Did MS ever try to investigate why there is low usage? Did they ever review the feedback and suggestions and tried to upgrade and enhance the app? Or is it Donna Sarkar's way to "Shrink to Fit"!!!  
  • I would like to know how they really know the usage?
  • There was no need to enhance. App corner fixed most of the issues. Trouble is, no one knew about that either...
  • And what I'm afraid in the future about it too. A feature or an app with low usage whether by design or not seems like a ticking time bomb.
  • Finally,kids should be playing with toys and spend more time in activities outside instead of having locked eyes on phones or monitors
  • Agreed. But app corner is still there for those who don't want to buy their 4 year olds phones
  • Stop suggesting bullshit. Apps Corner is a similar if not greater mess.
  • Why not both? It's possible to play outside and sometimes use phones as well you know. There's a lot of hours in a day.
  • "After taking a look at the overall usage of Windows 10 Mobile and Windows Phone 8.1, we have decided to remove this feature from Windows."
    There Microsoft. Fixed it for you. SMH.
  • So they had 2 features which were almost duplicates, they removed one which is hardly used and all this complaining? Use app corner for God's sake
  • I suggest you read up on what exactly Kid's Corner was before you continue making an ass of yourself. You clearly don't know a damn thing of what you are talking about.
  • just give us proper multi user login like on pc, not that i'd have any more users than mine, but a "guests" account was handy sometimes, even that thing is removed from w10 for some reason
  • No its not. Well kind of. App corner serves as a kind of guest account
  • This is really disappointing. I used this feature with my phone and kids. I thought it met a real need and was a unique feature to windows phone. I think it would've been used more widely if it had been easier for users to discover.
  • By the looks of these comments, app corner is also hard to discover. If people knew what it was, they wouldn't be complaining
  • Absolute epic fail. All of my kids use this.
  • Tell your kids there's a new kids corner called app corner. Basically does the same thing, but more kid proof
  • I suggest you read up on what exactly Kid's Corner was before you continue making an ass of yourself.
    You clearly don't know a damn thing of what you are talking about.
  • I am very disappointed at this. We use this nearly every day on both my wife and my phone. It's one of the reasons that we have stuck with this platform. No continued development is needed ...just let it sit there and do its thing.
  • Find out what app corner is and accept change. thank me later
  • No he should not. It is a cumbersome mess.
  • This is crazy. My wife and I use it every day. As others have said, less and less reason to stay on Windows Mobile.
  • App corner is way better, If you even tried to know what it was and how it worked rather than jumping on the w10m is dead bandwagon
  • I disagree with App Corner being better. It is, for me, far more unintuitive and cumbersome to set up. In my opinion they should have rather killed that one off rather than Kids Corner
  • Okay. Microsoft using telemetry to kill off windows 10 mobile features is my least favourite part about telemetry. And, it seems bias. I don't see them removing PC oriented features citing lack of use which I guess should be many. I don't care if I never used it much. I used it once and had some inherent flaws which I gave them feedback about. They never improved it. And we all have kids around us who we needs to protect our phones from so it wasn't like there wasn't a utility for it. Same experience with data sense. It could be a little more flexible for each user needs which I gave them specific feedback about. But like always they never improved it. So what next, they will remove data usage too citing lack of use? I mean there is very little development for windows 10 mobile when it comes to new features compared to full windows 10 and on top of that they have started to stop developing and improving existing features. Sad sad sad. Some days I wonder why I even bother with this platform. Should buy an iPhone and just move on from Microsoft.
  • Why did they need to improve it when they already had something better called app corner? Its like asking why they didn't improve word and excel for wp8.1 because they already had them in the works for w10m
  • I fear the same end result...and it sickens me
  • I moved to Android and I still use MSFT services. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android (V10 or 5x)
  • If Microsoft  had Removed Stupid PIN requirement for Kids Corner ,it would have more usage.
  • Use app corner. No pin requirement
  • Kids Corner is good the usage low is not because people don't like it or it is useless, but the fact is, my kids prefer to use android or ipad to play game and even watch youtube instead of using "Windows Mobile", it meants that my kids do not want to use my phone, hope Microsoft can see the root cause first before judging it usage.
  • Yes, YouTube app on iOS is far better than any third party choice on windows, cant get my kids to use perfect tube or any other
  • Third party apps like mytube or awesome tube or tubecast.... Are you serious....mytube can beat any other YouTube app either official or unofficial UI wise and even performance wise....go off you haters
  • No it can't. The official apps will always be better. Some janky third party app isn't what people want. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • Oh you lagdroid owner....i have also tried your so called official YouTube app... That red appearance and awful UI is ridiculous... Mytube looks thousand times better than that... But don't worry i will request the mytube developer to do something for you androidians....
  • Can't exactly talk about lag since W10m. That thing is a mess of loading screens and janky touch and swipe sensing even on high end hardware. There is a reason Microsoft can't even capture 1% of sales. Third party apps suck and you cannot rely on them working tomorrow. Even if YOU don't like the UI, which works perfectly fine, you know the official app will still work tomorrow.
  • When I hand one kid the ipad with youtube and the other with perfecttube or mytube, both end up fighting over youtube on the ipad. This is not my opinion, I jsutg cant make my kids not like the youtube app, it just looks cleaner and works nicer for the kids...don't know how else to put it. Add to this the fact that there a no other apps on Windows, such as snapchat whch every kid uses daily if there friends have shown them. Ohh, and I just remember the amazon app has left... When all the apps are leaving and Microsoft is leaving working features, altogether it is a huge let down...and the let downs have kept coming since nokia was bought.
  • I have just tried both since I have never used either. Kids corner is worse than app corner. In app corner, if your phone has a pin, you won't be asked for a pin in app corner if a kid accidently locks the device, whereas you will be asked for kids corner. App corner is more secure. You have to set it up for your kid. You can pin it to the start screen if you don't want to go to settings every time. App corner has app switching and an app list and is effectively a phone for the kid minus your stuff, whereas kids corner is just a start screen. Small kids can easily get locked out of kids corner whereas its much harder to get out of app corner. They're near identical features. So if you used to use kids corner, app corner is very similar but more feature rich. Switch to app corner! And stop winging! App corner is also quicker to get to.
    Kids corner: Lock phone, press power button, swipe, enter pin for kid. App corner: Tap start screen shortcut. Tap arrow to launch. If I used either of the features I'd probably still use app corner even if kids corner was staying. More convenient, more feature rich and easier to access
  • My phone (L950XL) requires a pin every time it times out; Kids Corner does not though. Kids Corner is offering me much more control and persistence; App Corner resets with every setting changed. Adding apps to Kids Corner is much easier, just through the context menu on the app list; for App Corner you have to go to the settings and configure. Kids Corner is always there with a swipe from the lock screen; App Corner has to be activated every single time, require you to unlock the phone and then activate it.
  • Seems like this was a great idea when families shared phones. Now kids have their own phones, so the feature seems dated. I bought a 640 for my child  - she loves it. With that said - the key is - Microsoft's parental controls are still industry leading, which is what I care most about.
  • Looks like they are reducing the footprint of windows 10 by eliminating the least used features. If they are concentrating on core functions, then it is fine. But looks like in future windows 10 stripped down like sleek, slim XBOX. LOL!
  • It would be used a lot more if people knew about it. I not let a single Windows Phone user in years they knew the feature existed and its one feature parents with other phones see as a standout. Except of course Galaxy owners because Samsung copied it and is now actually make it better than Kids Corner. Even worse still is Samsung actually promoted it i like Microsoft so I see a far number of Galaxy users actually using it.
  • In the end they will remove the entire windows mobile because of the low usage.
  • We should all Tweet to not drop this. Kids Corner has been a feature that has made Windows Phone and Mobile unique. They just haven't promoted it for years to where no others users I have met have known about it.
  • I am doing this already twice a day.
  • What I don't quite understand is how they can sell a product with specific features that make you decide to buy it and get rid of the feature. It is sort of like buying a car, going in for service and when you get it back they say something like "We see you didn't use your air conditioner all winter so we pulled it out of your car. Now that it is gone we'll be able to give you better gas mileage. Oh, and we see that there are a lot of radio stations that you didn't listen to so we got rid of those too so it will be easier to find the ones you listen to." I'm kind of surprised there hasn't been a lawsuit.
  • Re: mtiede,
    Very nicely said. Good analogies.
    That all said, what is the point of taking the time and effort, wasting the time and effort to "remove" the so called air-conditioning? Who is it bothering, Maybe someone uses the existing A/C as is. If I didn't want to use the A/C, I just wouldn't turn it on. I wouldn't be hyperventilating and need the car company to get rid of it.
    Geez, it's hard to be a Microsoft fan.
  • Noooo
    That's one of my favorite features. I love being able to give my phone to my son and not have to worry about what he is going to get into or what he might inadvertently buy.
  • Finally, one of the most useless features i have ever seen. No now get rid of it's ******* step brother app corner. It's essentially the same thing.
  • Are you people slow or what? No consumer friendly feature will be left in this mess OS that is moving to the business side.
  • While very true, its also very disappointing. KC would have been useful even in enterprise space as a company could use it as a means to set up demo units to demonstrate an app/service.
  • For that you have App Corner
  • Donna ... have kids ?
  • She uses iPhone like most MS folks.
  • Very disappointing, since Kid's Corner and App's Corner, while very similar, serve very different needs in my opinion.
  • Yet another quality feature gone, WTF!?
  • I was just surprised that there was anything about it that requires continued updating.
  • The main reason of the low usage of the Kid's Corner is because they share the same pin or password. I have Kid's Corner setup and my daughter's (10) loves it, but she can go on my side any time she wants because the security pin is the same. we've been asking MS, since they add that unique feature to Windows Mobile, to let us create a different pin for the Kid's Zone. What is the need for my daughter to go to the Kid's Zone if she can access the full side with no restriction and having the option to check anything she wants?
  • I don't know, but for me the kids corner does not require a password for quite a while now. By default my phone requires a password everyone it timed out, but kids corner does not.
  • MS is fast becoming like the old family dog that's forgotten it's manners, faithful old friend but is starting to #iss you off daily.
  • Noooooooooo why would they do that! It is awesome! I have used it since day dot with all my kids when they were younger. I just think the problem is that most people don't know it even exists. Nokia actually used to tell people about these cool features. Microsoft just make them and think people will actually know what they are and how they work automatically. This app helped me convert many an iPhone and android user with young kids.
  • Make your voice count: feedback-hub:?contextid=309&feedbackid=3bd7a9ea-3da4-44ed-a74a-12c429f5edd2&form=2&src=2
  • I don't know why are you people freaking so out. If you need Kids Corner simply don't upgrade to Windows 10 Mobile or use Apps Corner. I know It has some disadvantages, but I'm sure MS is gonna improve Apps Corner. Until then, use WP8.1 or use Apps Corner.
  • For those of us who have upgraded to a Lumia 950 or other phone that shipped with Windows 10, we don't have the option to go back to 8.1. And Apps Corner works in a somewhat similar way, but it is nowhere near a satisfactory experience.
  • Dumb, absolutely dumb move ms, why are you constantly removing the unique qualities of this os and especially when you offer no replacement or one that is less feature rich? I have kids and this feature is a godsend, its so easy to set up and launch and gave me piece of mind when my kids had my device. I for one will be hitting the feedback app to let ms know that this is not a good move. Unless they are going to use the space occupied by KC with something better, for now i personally don't like this news, it seems that currently ms is removing all the features Joe highlighted when he presented WP. Apps corner, ffs, its so dam difficult to exit the dam thing. I guess MS feels that KC isnt needed in corporate world. Rant over....
  • Exactly. MS have given up on the consumer and are concentrating on enterprise. All the features that I bought a Windows phone for are being removed: photo beamer, beamer, Mix Radio. If they had just removed the old Office app from 8.1 and replaced it with the new suite of Office Apps, it would have been perfect for me. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • Use this feedback post, it has the most up votes as of yet: feedback-hub:?contextid=309&feedbackid=3bd7a9ea-3da4-44ed-a74a-12c429f5edd2&form=2&src=2
  • Bad decision!
  • -1 again on unique WM Features
  • Next News: After taking a look at the overall usage of Windows 10 Mobile, we have decided to remove this Feature. The usage of W10M was too low to justify further Development.
  • A small different make a big different to others who used it.
  • Shame it is going, my kids use it a lot.
  • This must have been the great new feature she promised.
  • The reason this feature wasn't used was because it was massively limited and completely I finished. Just like Apps Corner is right now.
  • Guys, don't worry. Stupid Microsoft will surely add it back in later versions.
  • They add features in beta state and remove consolidated ones with the updates....
    Allways smart choices from ms..
  • Microsoft is serially killing the features which have been making WP different and unique compared to others. I won't be surprised if on some day they decide to remove, say, live tiles...
  • Lol. You might be on to something... Live tiles removal
  • Nadella. Here we go again.
    This guy must just leave Windows Mobile the way it is and focus on his iPhone.
    Seriously low usage... Windows Media Center, Wifi Sense and now this...
    Everything Nadella doesn't use, nobody is using that the logic.
  • Bad news. Kids corner failed because it didn't go far enough. When the screen locked, my password was needed to unlock the phone instead of a kid friendly password. This is another example of a must have because it's the right thing to do, not get rid of it because of low adoption. MS should have pushed this feature more, to bad.
  • That's how I feel about it too.
  • When did you last used the Kids Corner? The Password thingy was fixed looong ago.
  • Never use this feature since WP8.1, if I do have kids, the best thing to do is not letting them use any smart device util they are old enough.
  • What ? my kids are using this kids corner ever day , this is just stupid MS .
  • Seriously annoyed at this. Use it all the time and my son loves that it has his name on the kids corner start screen and can change colours. Just tried apps corner and no where near the same experience. How many more things can they remove?!
  • Really not impressed. We use kids corner on both our phones! It's the reason I moved my wife to windows phone (that and ROOMS which they've also killed!) and they haven't indicated a replacement! Unless Microsoft can pluck a massive diamond out of their ass I think I am done... I'm sick of having the things that differentiated us removed because of "low usage". And, if I am being frank... I'd like to hear that WindowsCentral has our back and voices our concerns directly to their contacts! I don't come here because it's just a news site, I come here because I used to feel our interactions here meant something to MS. Recently, we just get loads of tiny articles which provide no rhyme or reason for decisions and no platform for recourse. This has just thoroughly ruined my friggin day.
  • I am totally with you on that. Such a tremendously stupid and short sighted decision by Microsoft .... yet again! Getting real sick of constantly having to treat those stabbing wounds.
  • Is there any chance we can get App locking feature in Windows 10 Mobile?
  • What do you mean by that? There is App Corner; but likely the next feature MS will throw out the window's'.
  • I just setup both Kids Corner and Apps Corner yesterday. I found some kind of a bug w/ Apps Corner whenever I customize the tiles then quit the app and relaunch, the app corner returns to default tile setup. Anyone else have that prob?
  • It's not a prop, it's a feature. Yes, App Corner is horrific and yes it always resets if any set up change is made.
  • this is a low blow... I was just telling my friend at her son's Birthday party how i had kids corner and used it with my little cousins... she was terrified the whole time her kid played on her iPhone.
  • I'll have to hop on my iPhone to be sure, but I think it already has a kid's corner type of feature.
  • Kids Corner never worked correctly with password. They never fixed it. That's why I didn't use it.
  • Well, in fact, they did fixed the password thing long ago.
  • It was the good ol' times when I consider WP as the true smartphone... with People Hub, Picture Hub, Bing, Kids Corner, Integrated QR/Barcode/Book/DVD Scanner, Integrated messaging, and much more. Now W10M is just like Android/iOS: A stupid phone with apps.
  • Great shame, Kids Corner is used every day for my children on my phone. Doesn't Kids Corner prevent children from making in app purchases? Does App Corner have the same functionality?
  • Yes app corner has the same functionality and is more kid proof
  • No, it is not. It is also more cumbersome to activate or add Apps to. Kids corner is always there and apps can be added more dynamically. I'd rather see MS to scrap App Corner instead. Alternatively they should integrate multiuser accounts just like on a PC.
  • The true question behind this is why Microsoft pretends that there has been any development and support for Kids Corner. That feature has not been developed, nor marketed, at all since whenever. Kids Corner was one of the true differentiators for me and I have been using it daily with my little kids. There is nothing for Android, for example, that comes even close to Kids Corner's ease of use. Android does not have a built-in kids corner. There are quite a few apps that emulate what Kids Corner does. But there is no way to access it quickly from the start screen. Most of them are not intuitive or require a bit of tinkering - and they are paid apps.
  • I used to use Kids Corner but my children have grown out of it; it's still a shame if it is now to be removed from the next major public release. If you feel strongly, please post on the Feedback Hub and upvote requests to retain Kids Corner. The W10 team has been known to change its mind on feature removals, so it's up to you!
  • This has currently the highest up votes: feedback-hub:?contextid=309&feedbackid=3bd7a9ea-3da4-44ed-a74a-12c429f5edd2&form=2&src=2
  • Unless there is significant overhead, space, or development effort to maintain Kids Corner, I don't understand why they don't keep it. It's already there.
  • Its very simple. I guess the app was built by the nokia folks who got sacked. Why make all the effort of training your staff to work on something inferior built by nokia if you can start from scratch again. That's the MS way, scrap something that works (kids corner) and start from scratch with something that does more or less the same (app corner). But then not as good. Only a big bureaucratic company like MS can afford to waste resources in this way.
  • Horrible move. This is such a great feature. I still have parents ask about it when they see my kids playing w my phone and the common statement is 'I wish my iPhone, android had this'. This is yet again another nail in the coffin for me w W10M and is making it more likely that I will ditch WM and move to iOS or Android. Way to go MS, killing yet another great feature of your platform. Keep this up and you won't have Any share of the smart phone market.
  • It's taking too much development time for android.
    Microsoft can't cope... Too busy porting everything to android.
  • Next xbox please an returm fm radio Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • After taking out rooms, now kids corner, Microsoft seems intent on stripping every unique and attractive feature that Windows Phone had. It's a big shame, since these were the main reasons I had put myself into the Window Phone ecosystem.
  • Great feature but more applicable to tablets IMO
  • Watch out for the removal of apps corner with the RS2 update due to 'low usage statistics'. When will Microsoft begin to understand that when a feature which is unique to your ecosystem is undiscoverable (apart from accidentally) and your ecosystem has about 3% market share and you don't advertise or promote the feature whatsoever then the usage will be pretty low?
  • Exactly!
  • Is it just me or is it every time you go into App Corner, it resets the layout of the apps. Kids Corner at least let you lay out the apps and kept the layout. If this is where MS is taking this, then looks like a big fail to me.
  • Yes, it resets the layout every time. App corner is also much slower to launch and exit than kids corner.
  • I have found that it only resets the layout if you adjust a setting. Not sure if it also resets all the app placement if you add/remove an app. Haven't tried that yet, but I'm about now that I'm curious about it. As BritDad noted below, it is also much slower to get into and out of than Kids Corner.
  • Yup, definitely resets the app layout after adding even just one app. Oddly, I notice that when exiting the Apps Corner and going back into my own Start screen, I am left with a bunch of blank Live Riles. It takes a soft reset to bring back the Live Tiles.
  • Apps Corner is a waaay better for small kids. You can lock it on one app, and even clicking on game ads is blocked
  • Never used any of those. However if somebody needs it Microsoft should create an app that at least makes App Corner display only kids content.
  • This is a F*#%!ng horrible idea. Its one of the best features of Windows Phones.......EDIT: just tried Apps corner, same thing, except, it crashes my phone, and is harder to access
  • My son uses kids corner literally everyday. How is apps corner different?
  • Setup is way more inconvenient. You have to always unlock your phone first and then activate it before you can hand over the phone. If App corner is closed you have to activate it again. At least you can pin a tile on the start screen; but, well, no real quick action to get there otherwise. Kids Corner only needs to be activated once and will always be there when needed. Just another stupid, short sighted decision from Microsoft without giving the users a viable alternative feature. I am getting real sick of this.
  • Amazing how a feature that was pushed in TV advertising; certainly in the UK, by "celebrities" with children to being canned within 18 months. Personally I think it is a great feature but since WP10 has not been as good as its predecessor. As a concept it really is a point of difference and one that will be missed. But then MS do know what they are doing....
  • Now, whats so special about windows 10 right now other than live tiles ? It seems like most of the the cool features in windows 8.1 are being taken away :(
  • Another great thing removed. Keep up the good work.
  • Too bad, I really thought it was a great feature.
  • This feature is used almost every day by my kids and a lot on the weekend. Not sure what analytics they were looking at......
  • Microsoft really starts to annoy me. They constantly remove awesome features. First the WiFi sharing and now the kids korner. And what is the reason? Not enough usage. And why is that? Not enough advertised.
    Instead of scrapping features they should investigate how they can make them more obvious to users!
  • Really I believe it is just part of MS strategy moving from consumer to enterprise. Since I'm retired I could give a rats butt about the enterprise side of things on my phone.
    Then again maybe people and families who do use wp will now have to buy lol lil Billy or Susie their own wp increasing sales for MS. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • I repeat comments prior, so Microsoft is trying to position windows mobile they way of the enterprise like blackberry? Simply isn't reasonable anymore, there is a fine line between work and home and the two are almost always interconnected. Most enterprise now use IOS, many fortune 500 companies such as ABB ban Microsoft and blackberry phones in North America, highly prefer IOS, may accept droid. The only way it works in the end is if they get more users, and users whether consumer or corporate need APPS and features.
  • I used to use it with me nephew ;( Will check app corner and how it works
  • App Corner is sadly a bad alternative as ot always requires you to unlock your phone and activate it before you can hand it over to your friend or a kid. Very frustrating.
  • Why the hell are they removing this then. Every parent I show this to loves it. It's a fantastic feature for parents of small children, who can let their kids use the phone without fear of them inadvertently buying things e.g.
  • Exactly. I managed to interest so many people with kids in considering a windows device just because of this feature; even though it never received much love by MS it was still such a great feature!
  • We should have guest user or multiuser support like desktop
  • That would be a good alternative!
  • The constant removal of "low use" features is one of the main reasons I abandoned the platform.  Not that these features exist anywhere else but at least I can have apps.  Sure, only a small numnber of users may have used it.  But do that to dozenes of other feature and you're bound to tick off a majority of your user base and lose their trust.   WP8.1 was one of the best phone OSs ever made.  But I can't go back to WP, at least for a very long time.  I was burned way too many times.  All we have to buy into now now for the platform is the app store.  Which is way better on the apple and google side. 
  • I also have to treat the constant stabbing wounds Microsoft is causing with their knifing actions. It was already since windows 8.1 that I constantly look over to Android and iOS devices with the clear mindset of switching. However, the general user experience of Windows 10 beats the other platforms by miles so I am still stuck here treating those wounds to my soul.
  • Nnnnnoooooo!!!!
  • Oh, you mean the Kid's Corner which never worked as intended? If my phone had a password to block the phone, Kid's Corner would require the same password to access it. This completely defeats the purpose! Microsoft is supposedly listening to their users but I can't believe this oversight went on for as long as it did and now THIS!
  • You haven't used kids corner in a while, have you? That password bug was fixed long ago. Instead they removed the ability to customize the Kids Corner Lock screen.
  • Radio Kids cornea what will be next?
  • You forgot Wi-Fi Sharing, Groups, Me Tile, Castration of People hub in general
  • Good news
  • "The usage of Kids Corner was too low to justify continued development and support of the feature." If they're going to keep using this argument, I expect to see this in a memo from Nadella: "The usage of WINDOWS 10 MOBILE was too low to justify continued development and support of the feature.  We will instead focus on rectal-cranial inversion, where we have the most success."
  • Sad, but true.
  • Going by the trend not long but i hear "due to very low use of windows 10 mobile we have decided to shut it down"
  • Yeah, it's a shame that Microsoft does not investigate how to actually improve those platform separating features so people use them more but rather scrap them. Very disappointing. :'(
  • If we had more of a user base that actually used Kid's Corner then I can understand keeping it in production. I used to use it for my kids, but they got older and I ceased using it. It's a numbers game folks.
  • I disagree. Maybe they need to refactor this feature but it is a great feature not only for kids but also useful to simply give the phone to a friend by only give it to them without any button presses as they only need to swipe left. In previous windows versions I used the lock screen of Kids Corner to display emergency information in case I had an accident (blood type, known diseases, emergency contacts), but, awesome as Microsoft is, they do no longer allow with windows 10 to change the Kids Corner wallpaper. Brilliant. :'( I now have no digital alternative anymore.
  • Instead of kids corner they should add app locker.
  • Not sure what you mean by that but it sounds a awful lot like Apps Corner, which is available.
  • Great. Another thing they ae removing. Guess I'm staying on Win 8.1 Mobile. I actually do use this on a regular basis and am quite disappointed they are removing it. How are they measuring  if it's used or not??
  • They're measuring usage of all apps and services, in the background.  There is a way to limit this to a point, but MS (like Google and Apple) pretty much always know what you're doing.  That way they can advertise for other companies more effectively, and spend their development dollars on core products.
  • Well instead of simply measure what apps are used most and less they should also consider asking people who use those lesser metered apps/features why they are using it. Kids Corner is a great platform separation feature for windows 10 and instead of removing it they should improving its functionality and make ot more prominent; maybe merge it with Apps Corner (I personally think that this feature is useless as it is right now)
  • Sorry, I do agree with you, I was just commenting specifically on how they are measuring.  I use Kids Apps on my other phones, haven't used it on W10M though.  It comes in very handy, but not something I use ALOT.  But that's kind of the point, that MS seems to be missing.  Most people will buy their kids their own tablet or something like that, so kid's corner is not something you would normally use alot. But when you don't have that with you, or you need something small to keep them distracted, it's a lifesaver!  There was a period of about a year, that we had to give my son my phone to keep him still to get his hair cut.  I used my S5 Active for him to watch videos on.  It kept him still for the sylist, and she didn't have to worry about getting it wet with the spray bottle.  His Nabi tablet would have been to obtrusive for that, and certainly not waterproof!
  • It seems that KC is already gone from the latest insider build 14367. Cant find it anywhere and "add to kids corner" has been removed from context menu when you long press in apps list.
  • Everything that makes our OS unique is being removed... Groups, Kids Corner, et al. Sigh...
  • Always a lame excuse. So many useless apps are there pre installed and some of them can't be uninstalled or moved to sd card. remove them first. Such idiots are making plans. Everything is limited and buggy, after all discontinues. Maps compas broken from beginning of windows 10 still not fixed. I will surely uninstall that map if i could. Android have now multi account. Looks like its time to throw their mobiles to their face.
  • Still waiting for gestures beta, i hate having to press the speaker button all the time, sort it out microsoft plse.
  • You can make group of all games and apps that kids may use it in star page easily.
  • Very disappointing. Now a days MS just tells that this feature is used very less, this very rare & they are going to stop the developement. Windows phone uses is itself very low which doesn't justify it's developement then stop the development.
  • I switched back from iPhone a week ago, and kids corner was one of the main reasons why... :(
  • This is all a part of the master plan. I trust the company, and I genuinely feel that they know what's best for me. 
  • How to make your dwindling customer base, even smaller...
  • Waiting for Microsoft to notice that not many people are using their mobile os at all...
  • The day Microsoft does a research on how many people use Windows Phone or mobile they will probably discontinue Windows Mobile! What the hell is wrong with MS.... First give some then take back. I mean is there any feature left in Windows Phone that made it stand out?
  • I'd have used it, but it didn't work with salt versions of the iris scanner on my 950XL, so I stopped.
  • They already have less features copared to others and now they are killing few more
  • I tested App Corner this weekend as a replacement for Kid's Corner. It is ABSOLUTELY NOT a replacement or viable alternative. The tiles are reset every time you open it, and it is very slow. Please don't can this feature.
  • I used this feature every time a kid in my family asks to use my phone. The reason why it had such low usage is because Microsoft never advertised the feature. They should have been running commercials for this feature alongside the ones for the 41mp camera of the 1020 or Jessica Alba could have announced it a few years ago when Microsoft brought her onstage for one of their events. Another great feature abandoned by Microsoft because they failed to tell anyone that they had it. When Apple unveils this "new" feature with the iPhone 7, everyone will call them brilliant.
  • Just another nail in the coffin. Limited hardware choices, reduction in services (kids corner, ability to run android apps), low to no support from major apps.. Massive layoffs from the phone side of the market. I think I am done with this and I really did like the os..its just sad.
  • I would have never bought the new windows phone if I knew they were taking kids corner off a month later. I had the windows 8 phone and knew I was going to get the windows 10 phone specifically because of kids corner. App center is a joke. It won't pin to the home screen and not only is it a huge hassle to get in and out of, but after my children use it, my outlook mail and calendar will not load unless I restart my phone. It also has effected my text messages, I have to restart my phone for any new messages to appear and then they still don't appear as new, but like I have already read them. You have officially ruined the windows phone for me. I'm doing everything in my power to trade this phone for a different android brand. I'm really bummed, a little angry, and super frustrated that I have to learn all the ins and outs of a different android brand. Bummer Microsoft, huge bummer!
  • I was just about to buy a new windows phone when I read this. Sad day! Why would windows do this to me? I have 5 children 7 and under who used this on my 8.1 phone. The calculater was for my older child that likes to buy things when I am not looking.This saved me lots of trouble. I have two phones (an android and a windows phone) because of microsofts dumb mistakes. My android is nice but not as handy. How will I survive without kids corner? I guess I will have to settle for my Galaxy S5. You see, microsoft, after you eliminated kids corner, samsung copied your idea and made their own kids app that locks. It is not the same, as I have to log in to get to it everytime, but it works and now I will have my S5 as a replacement and will skip your phones because I am not into xbox so your apps are useless to me, and I do secretly enjoy access to all apps no matter what risk of virus I may get. So as my 5 children like to say, nanny nanny boo boo, microsoft and hope you realize your sorry mistake when you lose tons of money for being daft. I believed in your innovation to technology. No more. Goodbye.