Family link was introduced last year to give children under 13 their own Google accounts, and this is now expanding to teens. This allows the parents to have direct control over their children’s device, everything from choosing how many hours they can be used per day to when they’re kept locked or what Apps can be downloaded from the play store.
If you want to set up Google’s Family Link then take a look at our guide here.
You can now use the Google Assistant to control your children’s devices through Family Link. Simply speaking to your Google Home device and asking it to lock your child’s device will now complete the action. You can also use these features to track the location of your child’s device and set allowed screen time.
Take a look at our review of the Google Home.
Both parties must opt into this agreement before the monitoring can begin, and if the child being monitored decides they wish to opt out then that option is available, but it will lock their phone indefinitely.
This Google Assistant update will also add family-friendly content, as the Assistant can recognize up to six different voices, it will differentiate between a child and adult asking a question and reply with the appropriate response.
Our favourite feature is if a child asks Google Assistant to scan the room for monsters, it will play appropriate scanning sound effects before announcing the all clear. Handy for that extra bit of reassurance when the lights go off at bedtime.