Google is expanding ‘school time’ to phones and tablets

Google will soon let parents limit the functionality of their child’s phone or tablet while at school. The company announced on Thursday that it’s expanding its “School time” feature to select Android phones, tablets, and Samsung Galaxy Watches over the next year.

The company first rolled out School time on its Fitbit Ace LTE smartwatch in May, and bringing the feature to a wider range of devices should help keep any additional distractions out of the classroom. Along with letting parents prevent their children from accessing certain apps, School time can also limit phone calls and message notifications from certain contacts. Parents can adjust these settings through Google’s Family Link app.

As noted by Google, teens who aren’t supervised through Google’s Family Link app can still use their device’s Focus mode to block notifications when they need to concentrate. Later this summer, Google will also start letting parents link their YouTube accounts to their teens’, allowing them to keep track of their activity.

While it’s nice to see Google expanding School time beyond its wearables, the company doesn’t say which Android phones or tablets will support the feature. We’ll also have to see if Apple follows suit, as the company has a similarly branded Schooltime feature that’s only available on its smartwatches.