Google’s Wear OS lets you limit the use of smartwatches

Google has invested heavily, albeit discreetly, in controlling Android usage times. The well-known Digital Wellbeing gives the necessary freedom to create limits on smartphone use and now there is something new. With the latest update we have the possibility of limiting the use of smartwatches with Wear OS by children.

Wear OS lets you limit the use of smartwatches

Every month Google brings new features to Android with its updates. These end up reaching smartphones and smartwatches, with new functions and new problem fixes. This is what we saw coming a few days ago and what Google described on its page dedicated to these updates.

From what is reported, with version 24.18 of Google Play Services, the search giant brought what it called “School Time” to Wear OS. Even though the description is a little vague, it gives parents the possibility to limit the use of smartwatches by their children.

[Wear] If you're a parent, you can set school hours to limit the apps your child can use and mute their device.

Google update brings productivity tool

They will now be able to control the apps that are used on digital watches with Wear OS, as well as the associated usage time. In addition, parents can also define when smartwatches can make noise to alert the user.

It seems clear that this new feature will be an essential aid to the productivity of smartwatch users. At the same time, it gives users a lot of control, which can even include lunch breaks and emergency calls during scheduled school hours.

An aid to control use by children

This new functionality is not completely unknown in the world of smartwatches. Apple has a similar feature associated with watchOS 7 or later called Schooltime. This also allows you to set usage times and access detailed reports on the Apple Watch being used by children.

Both the new version of Google Play Services and the Google Play Store are now being released for Android. It should be a matter of days until it is disseminated and thus available to everyone. As for smartwatches, they are now more controlled, especially those used by children, as was already the case with smartphones, using Family Link.