Google updates Family Link: Parental control for cell phones and watches

Google has updated parental control for children's devices. Google says that Family Link has become more intuitive. Settings should be easier to find. For example, if you have several children, you can now switch between the different accounts with a simple swipe. Smartwatches can also be controlled via parental control in the future.

Family Link is a Google app that parents can use to keep an eye on their children's devices. This includes being able to set the screen time. This was already possible before. With the update, Google has combined the screen time in a new tab. There you can make various settings for permitted use, such as setting several time limits for different services and viewing the actual usage times.

Account settings and the blocking of certain websites and app downloads should now also be easier to find. If several devices need to be controlled by several children via Family Link, it will now be possible to switch between accounts with a single swipe.

Smartwatches and smartphones at school

School mode is moving into smartwatches. This applies to the Fitbit ACE LTE and the Samsung Galaxy Watch for children. The functions are minimized for school time. Notifications are muted, and the phone function is restricted. Pauses can be set for breaks at school or entire days, for example during school vacations.

School mode also allows parents to determine whether children are allowed to use certain apps during school hours. Google writes on the blog post that these could help with learning. It is questionable whether a YouTube video, for example, should be watched during school hours, even if it explains something.

Android phones and tablets will also be able to have school mode. In the future, functions that were previously reserved for the Galaxy Watch for children will also be available on Android phones. This includes parents being able to decide who texts their children and who calls them. This can also be controlled via Family Link. Children can request that new contacts are allowed.

Google has also announced that it wants to test new methods to recognize the age of users with the help of artificial intelligence. This is solely for safety reasons and to be able to offer children age-appropriate experiences. Search results are adjusted, for example, and additional videos are not played automatically on YouTube. There are videos that are only visible to a limited extent, for example if they deal with body image.

(emw)