Google Brings School Time to Android Phones, Wants Kids to Learn at School, Not Watch Movies

Parents are increasingly concerned about their children’s technology use, especially finding the right balance between online and offline activities. Recognizing these concerns, Google has introduced a new setting called School Time for Android phones, aimed at helping children focus on their studies during school hours, rather than getting distracted by social media reels.

Helping students stay focused during school hours

Google has always worked with parents to design products that meet the needs of families. One common concern is ensuring that children are not distracted at school but are still available in case of an emergency. In response, Google introduced School Time on Fitbit Ace LTE smartwatches earlier this year. It’s now expanding the feature to select Android phones, tablets, and Samsung Galaxy watches over the next year to create a more productive learning environment.

School Time allows parents to set their child’s device to a dedicated home screen with limited functionality during school hours. This helps reduce distractions in the classroom. Through the Family Link parental control app, parents can schedule and choose which apps are available during School Time. They can also allow calls or texts from specific contacts. School Time can also be activated outside of school hours, providing breaks from focus or screening.

Additional settings for teenagers

As kids become teenagers, their technology use evolves, as do their supervision needs. Google recognizes this and continues to offer customized settings for different ages and developmental stages. YouTube is rolling out new features that let parents connect their accounts with their teens, giving them insight into their teens’ activities.

Family Link supervision is available for all ages, giving parents the flexibility to control which apps, products, and experiences their teens can access. It also helps parents monitor their teen’s activity, set limits on screen time, and share location. For all users under 18, Google has default safety settings like SafeSearch, content restrictions, and disabling autoplay on YouTube. It recently introduced safeguards to limit recommendations for potentially problematic content, such as body image videos.

Google is committed to continuously investing in research and development to meet the changing needs of parents and children. Working with experts in child development, education, and technology, Google aims to shape a future where technology empowers learning and exploration.
With these new tools, Google is helping parents provide their children with a balanced and focused digital experience, ensuring technology is an education rather than a distraction.