Google preparing to add parental controls with profiles for Chrome browser

Safe browser to Disney Junior or PBS.com

Google is building parental controls for a future Chrome release, coming as part of a new feature that would allow users to set up multiple accounts on the same machine. Basic aspects of the features are already available in the Chrome developer build, though they aren't fully working just yet. Through the tool, Chrome users can set up multiple accounts on one machine — none of which need to be connected to a Google profile. The accounts each have distinct bookmarks and histories, and some accounts can be set up to oversee the others, allowing them to choose what websites others can and can't visit.

When using profiles, Chrome will display one of several playful account icons — from secret agents to hamburgers and kittens — in the browser's top corner. Clicking it allows users to quickly switch between profiles, but the browser offers an even easier way to jump directly there: Chrome can automatically create a new desktop icon for each user, which will launch the browser directly into that specific account. The feature was initially spotted by BrowserFame, which has several screenshots of what the tool currently looks like. The features are clearly still in development though, and Google hasn't made any announcements about when the Chrome team is aiming to have them finished.