Google rolled out a batch of parental control updates for Safer Internet Day 2026 this week, making it easier for parents to manage screen time and keep kids focused during school hours.
But there’s another change happening on YouTube that’s getting mixed reactions from creators and subscribers: an expanded experiment that selectively pauses push notifications for people who’ve stopped engaging with channels they’re subscribed to.
Google brings School time to phones and tablets
Parents using Google Family Link can now take advantage of School time on Android phones and tablets, not just smartwatches. The feature silences notifications and restricts app access during school hours so kids aren’t tempted to check social media or play games in class. You can set breaks for lunch or recess, and adjust the schedule on days off.
The redesigned Family Link interface also puts all device management on a single page, with a new consolidated tab for screen-time controls. YouTube got some updates too. Parents can now set daily time limits specifically for Shorts, ranging anywhere from zero minutes to two hours.
That zero-minute option is already live for some accounts, and it’s handy if you want to shut down short-form scrolling when homework needs to get done.
YouTube also added custom Bedtime and Take a Break reminders for supervised teen accounts. These build on the existing protections like age estimation and automatic upload privacy for creators under 18. Google says its partners trained over 60,000 parents and educators on these tools last year across multiple countries, and they’re planning to reach 200,000 more families in 2026.
YouTube limits push alerts for inactive subscribers
YouTube started testing a notification tweak back in March 2025, and now it’s rolling out more widely. If you have “All” notifications turned on for a channel but haven’t clicked or watched anything after getting recent alerts, YouTube will stop sending you push notifications. You’ll still see those notifications in your in-app inbox, and your subscription feed won’t change.
The logic here: YouTube wants to prevent people from getting so overwhelmed that they turn off all app notifications entirely, which hurts every creator. Channels that upload infrequently aren’t affected by this experiment, according to a support thread post from TeamYouTube on February 11.
Reactions on X have been mostly negative, with users saying they want full control over their notification settings regardless of whether they’ve engaged recently. One reply compared it to Twitch limiting how many followers get notified about live streams, calling the approach counterproductive.
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Dwayne Cubbins
1424 Posts
For nearly a decade, I've been deciphering the complexities of the tech world, with a particular passion for helping users navigate the ever-changing tech landscape. From crafting in-depth guides that unlock your phone's hidden potential to uncovering and explaining the latest bugs and glitches, I make sure you get the most out of your devices. And yes, you might occasionally find me ranting about some truly frustrating tech mishaps.
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