Set up parental controls on an Android device

To manage a device's screen time, app limits, web content filters, and more, you can set up on-device controls or set up Family Link for your child. For kids under the age of consent, parents are required to manage their Google Accounts. Learn how to create a Google Account for your child.

Requirements

To use on-device controls, make sure that you have:

Set up a parental controls PIN

  1. Open the device’s Settings app.
  2. Tap Parental controls.
  3. Turn on Controls for this phone.
  4. Enter and confirm a parental controls PIN.
    • The PIN must be at least 4 digits. You’ll use it to manage on-device controls.
    • To reset the PIN in case you forget it, add a recovery account.
  5. To validate your recovery account, go to “Manage parental controls PIN” and enter your account password.
    • When you set up and validate the recovery account, your Google Account won’t be signed into this device.

Manage your parental controls PIN

  1. Open the device’s Settings app.
  2. Tap Parental controls and then Manage parental controls PIN.
  3. You can select:
    • Forgot PIN: Resets your PIN with your recovery account. It’s only available if the recovery account is configured, otherwise you need to factory reset your device.
    • Change PIN: Lets you update your existing PIN while parental controls stay active.
    • Delete PIN: Permanently deletes your PIN and turns off all on-device controls. To delete your PIN on a device with multiple users, turn off on-device controls for each user first.

Tips:

  • You can’t turn on on-device controls if the device has multiple profiles, like work profile and private space.
  • Your parental controls PIN will be the same for all users on the device.
  • When on-device controls are active, some device settings are restricted to ensure users can’t bypass device controls features.

Manage on-device controls

After parental controls PIN is set up, you can set up features for the device, like:

  • Daily limit
  • Downtime
  • App limits
  • Blocked apps
  • Web content filters
Set up daily limit

You can set a maximum amount of time the device can be used each day.

  1. Open the device’s Settings app.
  2. Tap Parental controls and then Daily limit.
  3. Turn on Use daily limit.
  4. Select a day.
  5. Select the hours and minutes you want to set.
    • To apply the same limit on all days of the week, tap Apply to all days.

Tips:

  • When the daily limit is reached, the device will be locked.
  • In the lock screen, you can find:
    • If the daily limit is reached.
    • An option to unlock through bonus time.
      1. On the parental controls lock screen, tap Add more time.
      2. Enter your PIN.
      3. Enter the amount of bonus time.
      4. Tap Done.
Set up downtime

You can set periods when the device locks and access to apps is limited, like during bedtime or school hours.

  1. Open the device’s Settings app.
  2. Tap Parental controls and then Downtime.
  3. Turn on Use downtime.
  4. Select a day.
  5. Select the Start time and End time.
    • To apply the same limit on all days of the week, tap Apply to all days.

Tips:

  • When the device enters downtime, the device will be locked.
  • In the lock screen, you can find:
    • If the downtime is active.
    • An option to unlock through bonus time.
      1. On the parental controls lock screen, tap Add more time.
      2. Enter your PIN.
      3. Enter the amount of bonus time.
      4. Tap Done.
Set app limits

You can restrict the usage time limit for specific apps.

  1. Open the device’s Settings app.
  2. Tap Parental controls and then App limits.
  3. Select your desired app.
  4. Tap Set time limit.
  5. Select the hours and minutes you want to set.
Block an app

Important: If you block the Google app , Android and other apps may not function as intended.

You can block access to a specific app.

  1. Open the device’s Settings app.
  2. Tap Parental controls and then App limits.
  3. Select your desired app.
  4. Turn off Allow app.
    • Blocking an app hides it from All apps.
Set up web content filters

Important: The filter only applies to:

  • Google app version 16.42 or later
  • Chrome version 140.0.7332.0 or later
  • Android System Webview version 139 or later

You can filter out explicit content from search results and restrict access to explicit websites in Google Search app and Chrome.

  1. Open the device’s Settings app.
  2. Tap Parental controls and then Web content filters.
    • To help block sexually explicit websites, turn on Block explicit sites.
    • To help filter out sexually explicit and violent content from search results, turn on Filter explicit search results.

Tips:

  • Explicit content may still show on other apps, devices, or browsers.
  • When “Block explicit sites” is turned on, sites you visit in Chrome are sent to Google to check for explicit content.
  • When “Filter explicit search results” is turned on, SafeSearch applies to search results. Learn more about SafeSearch.
  • When these settings are off, other account settings may still apply.

Set up recovery account

If you didn’t add a recovery account during parental controls PIN set up, you can add a recovery account.

  1. Open the device’s Settings app.
  2. Tap Parental controls and then Manage your PIN and then Add recovery email.
  3. Enter your parental controls PIN.
  4. Enter the account you wish to use for recovery.
    • You won’t be signed-in on the device.
  5. Tap Next.

To verify recovery account:

  1. Open the device’s Settings app.
  2. Tap Parental controls and then Manage your PIN and then Verify recovery email.
  3. Enter your parental controls PIN.
  4. To verify your recovery account, enter your account password.
    • You won’t be signed-in on the device.
  5. Tap Next.

To update recovery account:

  1. Open the device’s Settings app.
  2. Tap Parental controls and then Manage your PIN and then Update recovery email.
  3. Enter your parental controls PIN.
  4. Enter the account you wish to use for recovery.
    • You won’t be signed-in on the device.
  5. Tap Next.

Manage your child’s account with Family Link

To manage your child’s account, you can use Family Link and get the best of Google’s parental controls. With parental controls, you get features, like School Time, location sharing, and more. It lets you manage parental controls across all your child’s devices. Learn how to get started with Family Link.

To switch to Family Link from on-device controls:

  1. Open the device’s Settings app.
  2. Tap Parental controls and then Get Google Family Link.
  3. On the “Switch to Family Link” page, tap Get started.
  4. Enter your parental controls PIN.
  5. Select the account that you want to supervise or create a new account. Learn how to create a Google Account for your child.

To start using Family Link if on-device controls aren’t set up yet:

  1. Open the device’s Settings app.
  2. Tap Parental controls and then Get Google Family Link.
  3. On the “Get Google Family Link” page, tap Get started.
  4. Select the account that you want to supervise or create a new account. Learn how to create a Google Account for your child.

Tips:

  • You can manage parental controls settings from your own device using the Family Link app and supervise multiple child accounts and devices.
  • For kids under the age of consent, parents are required to manage their Google Accounts. Learn how to create a Google Account for your child.

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