Google TV brings kid profiles to its great streaming device

Google TV is bringing new parental controls to its streaming device.

The company announced that starting Monday, parents or guardians can now create individual profiles for each of the children in their household with either their name and age, or an existing Google account, should they have one. From these new profiles, account holders will be able to add specific apps, download movies purchased on other devices, custom backgrounds and, in the coming weeks, additional avatars for their user profile.

Account holders will have the option to secure their normal accounts with a PIN code to prevent their children from accessing more mature content from these user profiles. Parental controls for child accounts also allow account holders to set daily screen time limits as well as a bedtime. Google says the children’s profiles will arrive on the device this month in the United States, followed by a wider global rollout “in the coming months.”

Most important streamers and device manufacturers introduced additional programs for children and parental controls for content, and Google TV functionality was previously expected to arrive this month.

Apple, meanwhile, is also focusing its efforts on providing quality content for children, both in the Apple TV + experience and more recently on the podcast front. In partnership with Common Sense Media, the company this week launched a Kids & Family podcast hub that can suggest content by age, according to the Hollywood journalist.

Common Sense Media EIC Jill Murphy said in a statement that the curated podcast collection “will help families take the guesswork out of finding shows kids will love to listen to and provide a healthy alternative to entertainment that everyone can enjoy.”