Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google has announced a massive update for its parental control app, which includes a fresh design and a couple of new features.
- The update adds a new Screen Time tab and updates the Controls tab, making the app more intuitive and easier to use.
- Family Link will also get a new School time feature next week and support for parent-managed controls in the coming months.
Google is giving its handy parental control app, Family Link, a much-needed design refresh that makes it more intuitive for parents to use and navigate. The refreshed design is accompanied by a few new features that aim to help parents keep their kids focused at school and prevent them from calling or texting unapproved contacts.
The updated Family Link design introduces a new Screen Time tab that gives parents access to all screen-time management tools in one place. This tab offers parents a handy device-specific usage summary and makes it easy for them to set up Downtime and School time on their kids’ devices.
The updated Controls tab in Family Link simplifies managing accounts, privacy settings, and content filters. It gives parents access to streamlined key controls to manage account data settings, approve app downloads, and block specific websites. Additionally, the Family Link design refresh makes managing multiple kids’ accounts easier. A new swipe gesture allows parents to easily switch between child profiles and gives them access to advanced settings with a single tap.
Along with these design changes, Google will bring School time support to the Family Link app next week. Introduced with the Fitbit ACE LTE and Galaxy Watch for Kids, the School time feature helps reduce distractions “by scheduling limited phone functionality and silenced notifications during school hours.” The feature also allows parents to choose which apps are silenced or restricted during school hours and set up break times to fit their children’s schedules.
Lastly, Google says it will add parent-managed contacts to Family Link in the coming months. This feature will allow parents to approve which contacts their kids can text or call on their phones. Children will be able to request to add new contacts, which parents can approve from within the Family Link app.
