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School’s out for smartphones with new Android feature
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School might be out for summer, but for smartphones school may never come back in – especially for kids with Android phones.
Google is launching a new School Time mode for Android devices, which would lock smartphones during the school day, with exceptions for some apps.
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The feature, which was introduced on the Fitbit Ace LTE smartwatch will launch on moreAndroid phones, tablets andGalaxy Watchdevices over the next year, Google says.
Google says the feature is designed to promote a productive learning environment, free from distraction but does help kids get in touch with their parents in an emergency situation.
“School time enables parents to set their child’s personal device to a dedicated home screen with limited functionality during school hours, which helps reduce distractions during class,” Google writes in ablog post.
“Parents can schedule and select which apps are allowed during School time in Family Link, our parental controls app. Parents will also have the option to allow calls or texts from specific contacts.”
When School Time is active, kids will be able to see that the main access to the phone is locked, but allowed apps will be accessible through a button in the centre of the screen. The feature comes as part of wider calls to curb access to phones for kids in schools.
The previous UK government had already issued guidance backing headteachers who had prohibited the use of phones during the school day, including during break times.
“Many schools around the country are already prohibiting mobile phone use with great results. This guidance will ensure there is a consistent approach across all schools,” the Conservative goverment saidback in February.
“Schools will be supported to prohibit mobile phone use with examples of different approaches including banning phones from the school premises, handing in phones on arrival at school, and keeping phones securely locked away at school.”
It’s not clear whether how Labour plans to approach the situation, but had previously dismissed the tory plans as “impractical”.
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Chris Smith is a freelance technology journalist for a host of UK tech publications, including Trusted Reviews. He’s based in South Florida, USA. …
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Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
