Google is about to let parents remotely limit their kids’ internet and phone privileges while they’re at school, so long as those kids are rocking supported Android devices.
With its “School time” feature, the company lets parents lock their kids out of certain apps, plus limit calling and messaging during certain hours, such as during school. The feature actually debuted on the Fitbit Ace LTE kids smartwatch in June, but today, Google announced that it’s also coming to certain Android phones, tablets, and Samsung Galaxy watches. Apple has a similarly branded feature of its own, which is currently still locked to smartwatches.
The feature works by booting a kid’s phone to a dedicated home screen while active, one that only has access to apps the parent chooses. The parent sets this up in the Family Link app, which is where they’ll also be able to set hours for School Time and enable limiting calls and texts to specific contacts, like family or emergency numbers (Lifehacker has reached out to Google to specify if emergency numbers will still be available by default, although the answer is likely yes given how screen time limits currently work).
Google specifies that, despite the name, School time can also be turned on outside of school hours, so it’s not limited to just one time block per day. Because the feature has yet to come to phones, it’s not yet clear exactly how the setup process works.
It’s also not clear which phones, tablets, or watches are getting it. Google simply says “Over the next year, we’ll bring School time to even more devices including select Android phones, tablets, and Samsung Galaxy Watches.” I can just imagine a kid asking their parent for a Pixel 9 Pro and using School time support as justification.
While it might sound redundant next to existing screen time limits, the advantage to School time is that it allows some apps, which could be helpful if children need those apps for their lessons, or even if you want to allow them limited gaming during recess or on the bus.
Beyond School time, Google also suggested that teens whose parents don’t monitor them via Family Link can turn on the existing Focus mode feature for a similar effect. The company also said parents can look forward to an update to YouTube “later this summer” that will allow them to link their kids’ account to their own, giving them more visibility into what their child watches.