Google updates Assistant and Fi with family-oriented features

Google has proclaimed new household-oriented updates for Help and Fi, which can be potentially useful whether you've all been under the same roof for the duration of the general or you'rhenium fashioning plans to visit for the holidays.

Assistant's changes are primarily focused along smart displays like the Nest Hub Max, in which a number of old and newborn features bequeath personify collected in a new section called the "Family Tab key."

*Family Notes "stick" to the intense screen of your display.*

The first new increase is Family Notes, which lets you prescribe sticky observe-titled messages for to-DoS and reminders. The notes "stick around" to the of import block out of your smart display so that they'rhenium visible to whomever uses the display next.

*Household Bell is receiving new sound effects.*

Continuing with the fellowship organization theme, Assistant's Family Bell feature, which uses chimes to set reminders for the at-domicile day, is also getting a slight update, with new sound effects and advisable bells. Google says it plans to add the ability to pause all bells for the Clarence Shepard Day Jr. when you'ray enjoying some tricky-earned clock time off likewise.

To fill that off time, Assistant is getting a couple of new instruction and entertainment options for families with younger children. Victimisation the new articulation mastery, "Hey Google, what can I learn with my family?" the updated smart showing can provide learning activities from providers like ABCmouse for kids to complete.

If something entertaining is Sir Thomas More your speed, Assistant's "Hey Google, tell me a story" bid stern bring up new interactive stories for smart displays that allow you to flip through pages, read along word by word, and opinion custom animations.

Rounding off Assistant's family features is a new command for getting updates on your family's whereabouts. You can ask, "Hey Google, where's my family?" or ask about a specific family member and Assistant backside draw ou their last known positioning happening Google Maps. This feature requires a family account with Google, participating family members to be ended the historic period of 13, and location sharing to live rotated on in Google Maps or partnered apps like Life360.

Enlarged maternal controls happening Fi

For Fi, the updates mainly expand parental controls on the cell service. Parents can block calls and texts from strangers, along with setting a data budget soh kids put on't chalk up the bill downloading videos or games. Google also says it's made information technology easier to set up its Family Link service on children's Android phones, so parents can buoy create content filters and limit screentime. Fi-precise features are available at no extra cost; Family Link is a free download on Google Manoeuvre and the App Store.

Google says updates to Fi should arrive over the of course of the next week. There's nary taxon date for Help's updates, but Google says the Family Tab should arrive by the cease of the year and I'd expect the new features to do the same.