Google Chromecast’s new profile system is half-baked
Google will soon launch a special profile for children for Google TV Chromecast, but forget to bring adults.
Google TV for Chromecast will soon receive a long-awaited feature: a profile for the kids. With this, Google is cutting a cake that many more target groups want a slice of. For the time being, it is inconvenient to use one Chromecast with multiple users. In addition to parents, without a doubt, many more cohabitants want to be able to share the Chromecast neatly.
Google Chromecast with kids profile
The search giant announces the new feature from a recent post on the Google Issue Tracker (via AndroidPolice). Users will soon be able to set up a kids profile for Google Chromecast, with which restrictions apply to the underage user.
We want to provide an update on the kids profiles, which will be rolling out sometime in the next month. Limited profiles are deprecated in [Google TV] and are therefore being replaced by ‘Kids Profiles’, which can provide a safe environment for children in Google TV.
During installation, users can choose which apps are available for the kids. YouTube Kids is available by default and all other installed apps require parental approval before they become available. Switching off the kids profile can be protected with a PIN.
Google about the Chromecast Kids Profile
Where are the rest?
Incidentally, this does not solve the problem; you cannot switch users so that you can watch decent adult content. To do this, you must first switch off the kids profile and switch it on manually again if the children want to stream.
The problem is more profound by the way; Google TV for Chromecast does not support multiple users and / or profiles. So you cannot easily share a Chromecast with your roommates, partner or parents. You can add secondary users with a Gmail account, but they will share the primary user’s user data and streaming accounts. And since Google is committed to a personalized feed and home screen, they have to tailor that to individual users, right?
In short, in addition to a kids profile, countless users are undoubtedly also hoping for an extension of the profile system. The upcoming update is a start, but there is still plenty of room for improvement.
