Google’s Wear OS gets a new ‘School Time’ feature for kids, similar to Apple Watch

Google Wear OS

This month, Google has included a new feature on its latest Play Services v24.18 update for Wear OS. According to the changelog, the company is preparing to bring a 'School Time' feature to WearOS smartwatches for children.

This feature will allow parents to set school time limits for apps that their child can use and also silence their device during school hours so that children can focus on school activities. According to a report by 9To5Google, this new update will block apps and limit most functionalities of the supporting watches.

However, the ‘School Time’ feature will still allow temporary access to things such as Activity Rings with a limited number of unlock attempts. Google has described this feature by saying “If you’re a parent, you’ll be able to set School Time to limit the apps your child can use and silence their device.”

This feature is similar to Apple Watch’s ‘Schooltime’ feature but with some modifications. Apple Watch allows for breaks in between for children to access most functions of the watch and allows parents to block apps and app settings and turn on Do Not Disturb during scheduled time slots.

It is still unclear when Google will officially roll out the ‘School Time’ feature and which smartwatches will exactly receive this update. We also don’t know if all Wear OS smartwatches will support this new feature or will only be accessible to newer smartwatches.

We can expect its official release at the Google I/O event commencing May 14, 2024.