Questions about McPlay
- Q: What is McPlay?
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A: McPlay is a completely free mobile app created by McDonald’s in partnership with leading games designers and child development experts. It’s full of fun games, activities, and experiences that encourage quality family time. New characters visit with every Happy Meal®, so there’s always something new to play and do.
- Q: Why do the games constantly change? What happened to my favorite game?
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A: Our games are updated on a regular basis in line with each new Happy Meal program in restaurant.
- Q: What is the McPlay scanner?
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A: You can scan your Happy Meal toy using our in-app scanner. By scanning these items, you will unlock additional surprise game content.
- Q: Can you give me some tips for successful scanning?
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A: The scanning function works best if you follow these steps:
1. Be sure you’re in a well-lit area
2. Place your toy on a steady surface like a table
3. Don’t cover up your camera
4. Don’t cover up your toy
5. You will need to be connected to either Wi-Fi or data services to release new content.
- Q: I can’t find the McPlay Scanner in my app. Where is it?
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A: Make sure you have the latest update installed on your device. Connect to Wi-Fi or update your settings to enable downloading via data.
- Q: The app is not showing the Happy Meal program on my Happy Meal box. How can I get the latest content?
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A: By default, your app will only download the latest new content to your app if you are connected to Wi-Fi, so check your connection. It’s also possible to download content using a Mobile Data connection if Wi-Fi is not available, but this option is disabled by default because content updates can sometimes be quite large. To check if the Mobile Data option is enabled (and to enable it if you want to), visit the Settings menu in the Parents Area on the app.
- Q: I’m connected to the Wi-Fi, but the latest content is still not downloading.
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a)Is there an arrow animation in the top right-hand corner of your app?
If so, that means that the download is in progress, so you should see the latest content in your app very soon! To check the progress of the download, press and hold that top right-hand corner button for 3 seconds to enter the Parents Area, then select Settings from the menu to view a progress bar for the download.
b) Is there a red exclamation mark in the top right-hand corner of your app?
If your device storage is nearly full, there might not be enough room to download the new content for your app. If this happens, you will see a red exclamation mark in the Parents Area button at the top right-hand of the main menu screen.
Please press and hold the button for 3 seconds to see the error. If it says “Downloading paused. Please make some space on your device to continue downloading. To do that, exit McPlay, free up some space on your device by deleting files or apps you no longer want, and then restart your app.
- Q: Do children need to get a parent or guardian’s permission to use McPlay?
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A: We always ask that children get their parent's or guardian's permission to download. The McPlay app does not require a parent or guardian's permission to play after the app has been installed on a mobile device or tablet. Both iTunes and Google Play provide parental controls and password support to allow a parent or guardian to prevent a child from downloading McPlay.
For information on how to restrict the content your child can see and access:
on iTunes: http://support.apple.com/ kb/ ht1904?viewlocale=en_EN
on Google Play: https://support.google.com/ googleplay/ answer/ 1075738?hl=en
For information on how to require a password for app purchases and for leaving reviews on the iTunes App Store: http://support.apple.com/ kb/ ht1904?viewlocale=en_EN
To setup password protection on your Google Play account: https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/1626831?hl=en
No personal data will be collected from you or your child via app. The app is free to use (except for any data charges that may apply).
- Q: Are my child's details being stored by McDonald's?
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A: No, McPlay is totally anonymous. We don't ask for or capture any personal details.
- Q: How are the games and activities on the app tested?
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A: All of our games and activities are independently tested and rated by our child development experts. Our experts test games and activities with kids and their parents to make sure that, in addition to being fun, they encourage the development of useful skills.
- Q: How can I give my feedback on the app?
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A: We're grateful for all your feedback, which you can give us in the app store.
- Q: Is there any third party advertising in the app?
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A: No. There are no banners, interstitials, or any other form of third party content visible.
- Q: Are there any charges for downloading the app?
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A: There will be no extra download charges if you are using Wi-Fi, but you may incur them if you’re using your own data. It’s best to download McPlay when you are connected to Wi-Fi in order to avoid any additional costs.
- Q: Are there any in-app purchases?
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A: There are no in-app purchases.
- Q: How long does the app take to download?
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A: Depending on your device and connection, it should only take a few minutes.
- Q: Can I play McPlay when I'm not connected to the internet?
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A: You don't have to be connected to the internet to play McPlay, but you will need to be connected to Wi-Fi, or have enabled data use during app set-up, to install the app and receive content updates.
- Q: Which devices can I download the McPlay app to?
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A: The McPlay app is currently available to download in both the Google Play store and the Apple App store.
For iOS, the app is available for users using iOS 9 or higher.
For Android, the app is available for users using Android 4.1 or higher. The Android device must also have a minimum of 1GB RAM memory and 1.5GHz processor.
Please note that both the Be a Musician game and Be a Hero game require the use of device gyroscope and accelerometer, gameplay for these games is therefore not supported on certain devices which do not have this functionality built in. If your device does not have a gyroscope or accelerometer these games (Be a Musician and/or Be a Hero) may be disabled.