Google Launches Family Link, Internet Safety App For Parents And Kids

Child safety features on gadgets have always been a tricky field to navigate, but a new Google release will soon make its apps easier to use for families and kids. Google will launch Family Link, an app that provides full parental controls between a parent’s and child’s devices, according to USA Today.

Family Link adds parental controls to Google’s apps like its Play Store, Chrome and YouTube. As USA Today notes, parents will be able to set up child accounts on their device that can access these services. Through the parental account, parents can also monitor areas including screen time, approved websites and apps the child’s device can download.

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The service, which will initially launch for Google Android and head to Apple iOS at a later date, is currently accepting invites for testing in advance of a planned summer release.

For parents, Family Link could potentially be a beneficial and cheaper tool for ensuring their kids safely use the internet. Traditionally, parent-friendly devices for kids have been restricted to hardware companies that specifically produce kid-friendly versions of full-sized devices. Companies like Samsung and Amazon have kids versions of their tablets and Kindle eReaders that feature colorful kids-friendly case designs and software optimized for parents.

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While standard versions of Apple iOS and Google Android have some basic parental controls, those features have generally been an afterthought compared to the rest of the operating system and aren’t as extensive as the controls offered on kids devices or Family Link. But with Family Link, Google looks to streamline the security process for parents wanting easier ways to keep their younger children safe on the internet.