Google Introduces School Time Parental Controls to Android Devices
Google is set to allow parents to remotely restrict their children’s internet and phone usage while they’re at school, as long as those kids are using supported Android devices.
With its School Time feature, the company allows parents to block their children’s access to certain apps, as well as limit calls and messages during certain hours, such as during school. The feature actually debuted on kids’ Fitbit Ace LTE smartwatches in June, but today Google announced that it will also be coming to select Android phones, tablets, and Samsung Galaxy watches. Apple hasits own similarly branded feature that is currently still tied to smartwatches.
The feature works by booting the child’s phone onto a dedicated home screen when it is active, which only has access to apps selected by the parent. The parent sets this up in the Family Link app, where they will also be able to set school hours and enable restriction of calls and texts to certain contacts, such as family or emergency numbers (Lifehacker reached out to Google to clarify if emergency numbers will still be available by default, although the answer is likely to be yes given how screen time limits currently work).
Google points out that despite the name, School Time can also be included in non-school time, so it’s not limited to one time block per day. Since the feature hasn’t arrived on phones yet, it’s unclear exactly how the installation process works.
It’s also unclear which phones, tablets, or watches will get this capability. Google simply says, “We’ll be bringing School time to even more devices next year, including select Android phones, tablets, and Samsung Galaxy watches.” I can imagine a child asking his parents for a Pixel 9 Pro and using school support as an excuse.
While this may seem overkill compared to existing screen time restrictions , the benefit of School Time is that it allows the use of some apps, which can be useful if the kids need those apps for homework, or even if you want to allow They have a limited number of games during breaks or classes. by bus.
Google has also suggested that teens whose parents don’t supervise them through Family Link turn on the existing Focus Mode feature for a similar effect after school hours. The company also said parents can look forward to a YouTube update “later this summer” that will allow them to link their children’s account to their own, giving them more information about what their child is watching.