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Google has today announced an expansion of its family-based services, as family members who are joined to the same Google family account can now make use of more sharing options. In particular, Google Calendar, Google Keep, and Google Photos, are all seeing new sharing features rolling out today – in select regions. Although as is usually the case, while the services are being updated today, it may take some time for all users to see the updates reflected locally.
In terms of Google Calendar, this means calendar entries can now be viewed by all members of a family group, making it easier for family members to stay on top of planned family events without having to manually share calendar details. Likewise, with Google Keep, family members will now be able to share reminders, lists, notes, and just about anything else Keep-related. As well as also being able to co-collaborate on anything Keep-based. So if one member creates a shipping list for example, other family members will be able to easily add to that list. In addition, Google Photos is now being updated to allow family members the option to share photo and video content quickly, easily, and with less taps. In other words, you can mass share family images to all family members now with one click. Something which was recently talked about and showcased during Google I/O 2017.
These are not the first family-oriented features that Google has made available, as Google also highlights that YouTube TV offers different members of the same household the option to have their own cloud DVR storage. While the likes of the Google Play Store and Play Music has also allowed family members to share apps and music for some time. So today’s announcement simply marks an expansion of the number of Google apps and services that can now be shared by members of the same household. Likewise, the settings for each of these sharing activities can be managed (by the account holder) through the existing setup for Google Play Store and Play Music, the Google Play family library settings. Which is also the place where the account holder can add or remove family members.
