Google is making it easier for parents to manage their kids’ screen time and online safety with new updates to Family Link, a tool that lets parents control their child’s device settings.
Family Link has been redesigned to make it more user-friendly. Parents can now find all screen time settings in one place, making it easier to set limits, block apps, and schedule “Downtime” when devices are off-limits.
If kids need a break during the day for lunch or recess, parents can easily adjust the settings.
Another big update: managing multiple kids and devices is now simpler. Parents can swipe between child profiles and control everything from a single page, noted Wendi Rieb, Product Manager, Google Family Link, on Wednesday.
Google first introduced School Time Mode on smartwatches to help kids focus during school hours by limiting notifications and blocking distracting apps. Now, that feature is coming to Android phones and tablets.
Parents can choose which apps are allowed while School Time is on, meaning kids can still use educational apps but won’t get distracted by social media or games during class. Some provinces have now banned smartphones and smart watches from the classroom.
In the coming months, Google will let parents approve who their kids can call and text directly from Family Link. Parents can add contacts manually and block unapproved numbers, helping to reduce unwanted communication.
Children can also request to add new contacts, but parents will have to approve them first.
With kids spending more time on screens, Google is giving parents better tools to keep them safe while still allowing flexibility for learning and fun. The neverending war of trying to reduce screentime continues but these new features should make it a bit easier. These new features should eventually make their way into the Family Link iOS app as well at some point.
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