Step by step
- Choose New schedule
On the Schedules page.
- Name it and choose what happens
For example School nights. Under What happens, choose Lock everything or Allow-list only.
- Choose when it repeats
Every day, Weekdays, Weekends or Just once, then pick the days or the date.
- Set the start and end
A schedule can run overnight; the editor says Runs overnight and ends the next morning.
- Create it
Choose Create schedule. It applies to every device on your account.
Lock everything
For the length of the window the device is locked. On Windows the PC shows a full-screen Device Locked notice, closes your apps and cuts the internet. On a phone, a This device is locked. screen covers everything and the internet is cut. When the window ends, the device unlocks by itself.
The lock screen has a Request unlock button, on Windows and on a phone. It asks your accountability partners to end the lock early, and any one of them can approve or decline; you cannot end it yourself. If one approves, the device unlocks for the rest of that window only. The schedule itself is untouched, and the next window locks as usual.
Allow-list only
Lists the apps and sites, such as classroom.google.com, that should be reachable during the window even if your rules would otherwise block them.
Because it opens a gap, creating or widening an allow-list window waits out your rule cooldown.
The week at a glance
The grid at the bottom of the page shows every hour of the week as Open, Allow-list only or Locked, so overlapping schedules are easy to spot. Each schedule’s card has Edit, Delete and an on and off switch.
What applies now, and what waits
- Straight away:creating a lock, turning one on, or making one longer.
- After your rule cooldown:shortening a lock, turning one off or deleting it, and creating or widening an allow-list window.