Google Family Link Now Allows Parents To Control Children’s Cell Phone Usage, Without Actually ‘Spying’ On Them

Smartphones have become part and parcel of our daily life, so much that children’s idea of reality is at best virtual at the moment.

Realising the adverse effects of smartphones on childhood, technology giant Google has released the Google Link App in India, which will help parents control their children’s mobile usage.

Business Insider reports that while the global launch of the application happened last year itself, the application is now available on Google Play Store in India.

The solution from Google for parental control over mobile phone usage of children allows parents to monitor applications kids have access to and find out the time spent on mobile phones.

Further, if required, they can disable their mobile phones altogether. However, children have a choice to opt out of supervision as they can see what is being controlled, meaning, parents do not have absolute control over their childrens’ devices.

The link app will allow parents to supervise usage without intruding on the privacy of their children. Google has set up the format of the app in such a way that the notion of parents ‘spying’ on their kids is nullified.

The app is available free on Google Play store. However, the options in the Play Store are made with limitations and need in-app purchases to control efficiently. At the same time, the app still can provide quite a degree of control while being free to use.