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Google is expanding parental controls on Android

With the update to Android 17, parental controls are now available across the entire range of devices. There’s also a guide on how to encourage young children to look away from the screen

by Marco Trabucchi

6 July 2026

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3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

With schools closed for millions of families, the most dreaded part of the school year begins: managing free time – including screen time – without the excuse of exams to prepare for. Google is attempting to tackle this very issue with a two-pronged announcement: on the one hand, the extension of Android’s parental controls to all devices updated to Android 17; on the other, a practical guide, developed in collaboration with YouTube, to turn screen time into meaningful activities.

Parental controls become a standard feature

Until last year, Android Parental Controls were exclusive to Pixel phones. With the update to Android 17, however, the company is extending these controls to all Android devices that update to the new operating system, making them available to a vastly wider audience, including the many non-Google models that make up the vast majority of the Android market.

The concept is that of a single hub: the controls are located directly within the device’s Settings and bring together both the built-in tools and Google Family Link, the companion app designed for more detailed supervision. Protected by a PIN, these settings allow parents to set daily screen time limits, create break schedules that lock the device at night, filter downloadable apps based on content ratings, and restrict or completely block the use of specific apps. Those wishing to go further can link up with Family Link, which adds features such as ‘School Time’, approvals for Google Play purchases and location alerts.

This is not an isolated measure. Google has also announced an increase in its US digital wellbeing fund, which now stands at over 50 million dollars, intended to fund initiatives to tackle social isolation linked to the use of technology. This is a sign – alongside the expansion of monitoring measures – that forms part of the regulatory and reputational pressure to which platforms have long been subject regarding the safety of children online.

Three tips (and a guide) for a less screen-centred summer

To round things off, there is a second post, published on Google’s Italia blog, offering three practical tips for families planning their holidays. The first is, in fact, to enable the parental controls described above, extending this approach to YouTube as well, where you can set time limits for Shorts, bedtime reminders and, for under-13s, the protected environment of YouTube Kids.

The second recommendation focuses on informal learning: from AI Quests, the gamified experience designed to introduce young people to topics relating to artificial intelligence, to Gemini’s Guided Learning feature, designed to help children and parents explore a summer curiosity or work through their holiday homework step by step.

The third approach – perhaps the most unusual, as it turns the usual narrative on its head – suggests using digital content as a catalyst for offline activities: a video tutorial on YouTube Kids on how to make a paper aeroplane, or using Gemini as a brainstorming partner to organise a treasure hunt or a science experiment at home. In short, the device is no longer the end goal of leisure time but rather a starting point. All the material is compiled in a downloadable PDF guide, released under the ‘GoogleSummerMode’ label, featuring practical ideas for families seeking a healthier balance between screen time and real life.

It remains to be seen to what extent, in day-to-day practice, these tools will actually succeed in changing habits: parental controls have been available for years across multiple platforms, and their effectiveness depends largely on how consistently parents set them up and keep them active. This is a factor that no software update, however well designed, can guarantee on its own.