Google Releases New Version Of Family Link App, Web Version

Google has introduced an updated version of the Family Link app with three tabs for highlights, controls, and location in addition to a central hub for notifications and a Family Link web version for both parents and kids.

Family Link was originally made available by the corporation in 2017 to enable parents to keep an eye on and regulate their children's screen time and app usage.

Google updated the parental control platform with new pandemic-related features like the "always allowed" app for learning last year.

It also lets parents lock children's Android and Chromebook devices at a predetermined "bedtime."

The updated design adds a three-tabbed layout that offers a summary of established boundaries for kids and a simple method for altering them.

There is a highlights tab to display a summary of a child's device usage, including today's usage time, most recently installed app, and most utilised app; a controls tab to impose restrictions on screen time and app usage; and a location tab to track down where children are.

Additionally, there is a central location where you can examine all notifications and kid-related app or website access requests.

“We have redesigned Family Link to bring our most-used tools to the forefront.

"Parents will find their favourite features (like screen time limits and blocking and approving apps) in an all-new experience, and a central place for viewing requests and notifications,” Wendi Rieb, Product Manager, Family Link said in a blog post.

The controls tab has a new feature called “Today’s limit,” which lets parents set a different screen time limit without affecting the regular schedule.

This can be handy when the family is on vacation or guardians want to reward kids with extra app time. Currently, there’s no way to allow a certain app for a day.

The location tab displays the whereabouts of every child on a single screen.

Additionally, it provides a dialling option and displays the battery life of their devices.

Google is developing a new function that will notify parents when kids arrive at a particular area, such as a school.

When the location-sharing feature is enabled, Google Maps released notifications for arrival and departure for particular places in July.

The resources tab lists tools from groups like Common Sense Media, ConnectSafely, and the Family Online Safety Institute that can be used to start conversations with kids about online safety by posing questions like, "What makes some online content 'unhealthy'?

Google also released a web version of Family Link where kids can view their limitations and parents can access their controls.

The corporation had only previously made the service available through iOS and Android apps.

After Apple improved its parental control tools with iOS 16, Google redesigned Family Link.

The creator of the iPhone incorporated a "Quick Start" function to quickly set up screen time limits for kids.

It also simplified the user interface to respond to kids' demands for screen time.

Additionally, the search engine giant included kid-friendly Google TV features including parent-controlled watchlists and AI-generated content recommendations.