With the summer school break just on the horizon, Google has announced that it’s bringing new updates to Android’s native Parental Controls (which were previously exclusive to Pixel devices) to more devices updating to Android 17. As per the company:
School’s out, and for many families, that means finding the right balance between summer sun and screen time. To help parents navigate the digital landscape during the break, we’re sharing new updates guided by our ongoing commitment to ensuring age-appropriate experiences. We designed these updates to provide more control and peace of mind, empowering you to make the best choices for your family’s digital wellbeing.
With that in mind, the new tools can be found directly within Android Settings, and are secured by a parent-set PIN. The update also provides a more centralized hub for both built-in device management and Google Family Link, allowing parents to set daily screen time limits, schedule automatic nighttime downtime locks, and filter Google Play content ratings directly from the device. Google adds that the system can be configured to limit or completely block specific apps to encourage healthier offline habits.
For advanced management, the settings will come with a direct setup path to the Google Family Link app on a parent’s phone. This grants access to features such as School Time scheduling, Google Play purchase approvals, and real-time location alerts.
