Google Contacts might soon let parents manage children's contacts

Little over a week ago we highlighted a development with Google Messages that indicated the company is working to add stricter parental controls. Now, it appears that this stricter parental control is also being integrated within the Google Contacts application.

While diving into Google Contacts version 4.30.50.628193927, I spotted several new strings, mostly related to the new Google Contacts redesign as highlighted by the folks at Android Authority. However, there was something else new that piqued my interest, a string that reads:

<string name="parent_managed_contact">Parent-managed</string>

The “parent_managed_contact” name suggests parents would be able to manage contacts on their kids phones. There’s not much else within the code to indicate how the feature might work. However, I presume that parents would be able to manage things like whether or not their child can message or call a contact using Google’s Family Link app. Similar to findings in Google Messages, children might have to request permission from their parents or guardians to text or call a restricted contact.

Look, concerned parents have been searching for such a solution directly from Google for a long time now. Currently, parents have to rely on third-party apps and services to get the job done. But maybe, just maybe, Google might be preparing to bake the feature into the Contacts app itself. That said, while the “parent_managed_contact” string is a promising sign, it’s unclear when or exactly how this feature will be implemented. We’ll need to wait for further developments or official announcements from Google.