Google has updated Family Link, an app that gives parents control over the use of their child's Android devices. — Photo: Mascha Brichta/dpa
BERLIN: What kind of content is my daughter watching? How much time is my son spending on TikTok? Are my kids still at school right now?
Google, assuming that parents need help answering these kinds of questions, has updated its suite of tools to let mums, dads and guardians set limits on both what children do with their devices and for how long.
With the new design for the app, Google says it is making it easier for parents to set up rules for the Android devices of their children, and to get notified when they reach certain places like school or home.
In addition, the control functions for permitted content, screen time and device locks can now also be used as a web app in any browser. To do this, you have to log in to your Google account on the page.
Similar to the suite of parental controls Apple's Family Sharing app offers, parents and guardians with Android devices can now set screen time limits, and not only for how long the device is use, but also for certain apps.
That way you can limit the likes of Instagram and TikTok to, say, 30 minutes a day, without limiting the time for educational apps.
You can also set a device or app-specific rule for "today only" if need be. That way an exception to a rule doesn't mean changing the rules forever.
Parents can also set restrictions on websites and content depending on the device or app.
The tracking function, which can be used to see where the child is at any given moment, now has an arrival function. This means that you receive a notification as soon as the child has arrived at a previously defined location, for example at school, at a friend's house or at home. – dpa
