Google Assistant Update Makes It Easier To Keep Track Of Your Family

Google has announced a number of new Assistant features, including the ability for kids to check on their parents' current location. Google says the new features will help families stay organized, entertained, and in contact with each other — features that will be particularly useful during this disrupted holiday season.

One of the newly announced Google Assistant features is called Family Notes, and as its name suggests, it is a digital sticky notes app for those who have a smart display. This tool is joined by Family Bell, which has been given new suggested bells and sound effects; this change is available to both smart display and smart speaker owners.

In the near future, Family Bell will also be updated to include the option to pause bells. Beyond that, Google is giving new features to smart display owners, including the addition of an 'interactive' story category (also available on phones) from sources like Capstone and Noggin.

With interactive stories, kids can experience stories that they get input on, complete with on-screen words and animations. Kids will also benefit from a new feature that works with Google Maps and Life360. Assistant is now able to report the location of family members on mobile, smart speakers, and smart displays.

Among the other new features, Google has also given kids who are under 13 the option of a personalized Assistant experience, assuming their parent agrees. With Family Link, the kid can log into their own account and access the features they most commonly use. A number of other additions have arrived with this update, which you can find in Google's announcement.