Google Wifi app update adds a way to turn the router on or off automatically

Sometimes, it might be a good idea to just turn off the internet. Maybe you are cooking dinner or reading a book, or playing with your kids. But if you have a Wi-Fi home network, it can be hard to just get completely away; the temptation is always there to check your phone or tablet for a new text message or email. Today, Google is rolling out an update to its Google Wifi app that will allow owners of its wireless hardware products to schedule a time to turn off the internet.

The new feature is called Scheduled Pause, and it came from an idea that Edith Chao, the project manager for Google Wifi, had while she was looking into adding tools into the app for families. She says she personally found it hard to go to sleep because she found herself checking emails or surfing the internet late at night. When she finally decided to have her computer turn off the internet at a pre-selected time, she found herself going to sleep and getting up in the morning with more rest than before.

That’s the logic that went into the new Scheduled Pause feature. It offers up some ideas for scheduled down time for your Google Wifi or OnHub router, or you can create your own schedule. While the update is being put in place mostly to help parents control the internet access for their kids, the truth it this feature can be helpful for anyone who needs to be forced to get off the net to do other chores, or just to go to sleep at a reasonable hour.

If you own a Google Wifi or OnHub router, will you use this update to the Google Wifi app? Let us know what you will do in the comments!