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Last month, we reported that Google’s Family Link for Chromebooks had finally arrived in the Beta Channel. Looking at forum posts, the reception has been a bit of a mix for the Supervised Users replacement but regardless, Google is trying to make it an all-in-one management console for parents who want to manage screen time for the kiddos.
It’s clear that Google is still working out some kinks and thanks to user feedback, new features should be coming down the pike very soon. In the meantime, Family Link is now officially supported on Chrome OS.
Here’s a quick glance of what Family Link on Chromebooks can do:
Keep an eye on screen time
It’s up to parents to decide the right amount of screen time for their kids. Family Link supports you by making it easy to set screen time limits and establish bedtime hours. Family Link also offers activity reports to show parents and kids how much time is spent on their favorite apps.
Guide kids to good content
It’s not just about how much time kids spend on their devices, it’s about the quality of that time as well. Family Link allows parents to customize a list of websites that kids can visit, and review and approve the apps they can download from Google Play, such as YouTube Kids or Google Play Books. Parents can also hide individual apps when necessary, and manage in-app purchases within apps already installed on the Chromebook.
Manage Google Accounts and Chromebooks from anywhere
Parents can also manage settings for their child’s Google account, and remotely lock supervised accounts on the Chromebook if necessary. This holds true whether the Chromebook is shared by the whole family, or is used only by the child.
Family Link has been live in the Beta Channel for a few weeks starting with Chrome OS 71 which is due for release this week. Presumably, we will see an update to the Stable Channel soon in conjunction with this announcement.
We have fielded a lot of questions about using Family Link on Chrome OS. So, keep an eye out next week as we bring you an in-depth walkthrough on how to use the new feature. We will set up a Family Link account from the ground up and highlight all the things you can and can’t do as an account manager.
Again, this is a work in progress. If you find something is missing or you are experiencing issues with Family Link, head over to the Chromebook Product Forum and share your thoughts and suggestions. I can promise you that the Chrome OS team is very anxious to make this product the best that it can be.
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