Wear OS pulls an Apple punch by introducing “School Time” for kids

What do you want to know

• The new Google Play Services update brings a feature specifically aimed at schoolchildren: a school timetable mode.
• This will help parents set school time limits for certain apps and also silence their devices during school hours.
• The feature is not yet available but could be rolled out soon.

This month, Google included a new feature on its latest Play Services Update v24.18 intended for Wear OS devices. According to the changelog, the company is preparing to bring a “School Time” feature to WearOS smartwatches for kids.

According to the update, parents will be able to set school time limits for apps their child can use and also turn off their device during school hours to limit unnecessary distractions.

As reported 9to5GoogleThis new update will block apps and watch face complications, but will still allow temporary access to things like activity rings with a set number of “unlocks.”

If you feel like you’ve heard of a similar concept elsewhere, you’re not wrong. This update is very similar to Schooltime mode on Apple Watches, which allows you to set up multiple schedules during a day, such as 8:00 a.m. to noon, then 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., and customize the days of the week, this schedule repeats itself.

It’s unclear if all Wear OS smartwatches will sport this new feature or if only the latest models will offer it, but for now, it appears the feature hasn’t rolled out to watches yet.

Android Central reached out to Google to find out when and who will benefit from the new Wear OS feature; however, they did not reach us in time for publication. We will update this article once we have more information.

As smartwatches and other wearable devices become increasingly popular among schoolchildren, tech companies like Google, Fitbit, and Apple are doing their part to ensure technology doesn’t interfere with learning.

Additionally, Fitbit is also rumored to be working on a kids’ smartwatch with cellular and GPS connectivity to allow parents to monitor and contact their children. This device is said to be part of a project codenamed Project Eleven, after the main character in Netflix’s Stranger Things.

Two Fitbit employees familiar with the project told Business Insider that the goal is “to help older kids form healthy relationships with their phones and social media.”