When you use Family Link to manage your child's Google account, you can let them sign in to some Google services on their Chromebook. To choose what websites your child can access on Chrome, use the Family Link app. You can also use the Family Link app to supervise your child's app usage and more.
System requirements
Family Link can be used with Chromebooks with ChromeOS version 71 or higher. Learn more about how to update your Chromebook’s operating system.
How Chromebooks work with your child’s Google Account
Children signed in to their Google Account on a Chromebook have a similar experience to adults. Features may be updated from time to time, but some differences include:
- Children can't browse in private.
- You can manage which websites children can visit in Chrome, and limit their ability to grant permissions to websites.
- You can set Chrome to block most sexually explicit and violent sites.
- Your child's Google Activity controls may allow Google to use Chrome browsing history and activity from websites to personalize your child’s experience across Google products and services. However, this info won't be used to personalize ads for children under 13 (or the applicable age in your country).
Important: For school accounts and school-issued Chromebooks, Google Workspace for Education administrators determine which Google services students can access. This may include some features or services that your child was previously unable to access using the Family Link supervised account. Learn how to add a school account as a secondary account.
Add your child’s Google Account
To a new or factory reset Chromebook- Set up the Chromebook.
- Add your child’s Google Account to the Chromebook.
Important: After your child is signed in to their Chromebook, a parent’s password is required to add new users.
- Add your child’s Google Account to the Chromebook.
- Important: If you’ve added supervision to your child’s existing Google Account, they’ll need to restart the Chromebook to finish adding supervision and regain access to some Google services.
- Recommended: If you (the parent) are the Chromebook’s owner account, disable guest mode and control who can sign in to your child's Chromebook. If you allow guest mode or the addition of new users your child may be able to use their Chromebook without Family Link settings applying.
Remove your child's Google Account
- On the Chromebook sign-in screen, select the profile you want to remove.
- Next to the profile name, select the Down arrow
.
- Select Remove this user.
- In the box that appears, select Remove this user.
.Important: If you delete your child's account before you remove the profile from the Chromebook, you may have to reset your Chromebook to factory settings. To reset, press and hold Ctrl + Alt + Shift + r.
Manage your child’s experience on a Chromebook
Choose what apps your child can useYou can choose what apps your child can use on their Chromebook and what permissions your child provides to those apps.
- Open the Family Link app
.
- Select your child.
- Tap Controls
Google Chrome and Web.
- Choose the setting that’s right for your family:
- Allow all sites: Your child will be able to visit all sites, except the ones you block.
- Try to block explicit sites: No filter is perfect, but this should help hide sexually explicit and violent sites.
- Only allow approved sites: Your child will only be able to visit the sites you allow.
.
Google Chrome and Web.Tip: You can also manage this setting by clicking on your child's name at g.co/YourFamily.
If you block a certain site in Chrome and in some Android apps, your child can ask for permission to visit it.
If your child selects:
- Ask in person: You can review the request from their device, and approve or deny it with your Google Account password. This option is only available on Android devices and Chromebooks.
- Ask in a message: You get a notification in the Family Link app where you can approve or deny their request.
Block or allow a site
Manage the number of approved or blocked sites that your child can access.
- Open the Family Link app
- Select your child.
- Tap Controls
- Under "Manage sites," tap Approved sites and Blocked sites.
- Tap Add a website.
- Add a website, like google.com or domain, like google.
- Websites: Include the portion of the URL, like google.com instead of google.com. If you block or allow a specific website, the permission doesn't apply to sites that begin or end differently, like google.co.uk or photos.google.com.
- Domains: If you block or allow an entire domain, the permission does apply to sites that begin or end differently, like google.com and images.google.fr.
Tips:
- Whether or not your child can control their own account settings doesn't change the settings themselves. We recommend parents make sure the settings are correct after they change this control.
- You can also manage this setting by clicking on your child's name at g.co/YourFamily.
Important: You can’t currently manage website permissions on your child’s iPhone or iPad and the feature may not yet apply on Windows, Mac, or Linux computers.
You can decide whether your child can give site permissions to websites they visit, including permission to use location, camera, and notifications. Learn more about site permissions.
- Open the Family Link app
- Select your child.
- Tap Controls
- Turn Permissions for sites, Extensions, and On-device site data on or off.
Tip: You can also manage this setting when you tap on your child's name on the Chrome dashboard.
When "Permissions for sites, apps, and extensions" is off, children can't grant permissions to websites. However, permissions they already granted will still be in place.