Google’s Newest Addition: Family Link

The Internet is both a wonderful and a terrible aspect of modern life. It’s a gateway to almost anything you want to know about almost anything at all. It’s also a gateway to an unending stream of vile, hateful, material that can’t be unseen and is not easily forgotten. And there are predators out there.

What’s a parent to do? Knowing your way around the Internet is as essential a skill as reading, writing and getting along with others. Many parents want their children to have these skills but the Internet is not a safe place for their kids.

Google is helping parents provide a protected environment for their children to explore the internet with an app called Family Link.

All About Family Link

Family Link gives children under 13 a Google account that can be monitored and managed by their parents. The parent downloads Family Link to their own Android device and sets up an account on the child’s device through the app.

While all the major mobile device providers – Apple, Google, and Amazon included – offer parental controls on their devices –  Family Link is different because it’s a two-party system. The child is able to use their device without constant hovering form their parents and the adults get to decide what amount of time and what apps they should be using.

Here you can see a picture of what the screen would look like for the parents and how they can decide what hours their child can or can not use their device.

Once signed in, the child’s phone usage is tracked and logged, so parents can see how much time kids spend in various apps, via weekly and monthly activity reports. From the parent’s app, moms and dads can set a number of rules for their kids, including how long kids are allowed to be on their mobile devices every day, at what time the devices can be used, and which apps can be installed.

Call My Computer Works after getting this remarkable app and insure that your mobile device will be secure and safe from any other viruses or if it starts to freeze. Technicians from My Computer Works are professional and polite.