Get started with Family Link

You can use the Family Link App to create a Google Account for your child under 13 (or the applicable age in your country). You can also use Family Link to add supervision to your child's existing Google Account.

Important:

  • Family Link may not be available in all countries or regions.
  • iPhones, iPads, and computers other than Chromebooks can't be supervised with Family Link.
  • Google Workspace for Education accounts can't be managed by Family Link.

  • Family Link’s purchase approval settings only apply to purchases made through Google Play’s billing system.

How account management works
Important: To find your child's Android and compatible Fitbit device location or remotely manage their screen time and apps, you need the Family Link app.

As a parent, you can use Family Link to do things like:

Google services & your child's Google Account
If your child has a Google Account, they can use a variety of Google services. Keep in mind that these services generally aren’t designed for children.

Requirements

Manage your child's Google Account
To use Family Link to manage your child’s Google Account, you need to:
  • Have a Google Account. If you don’t have one you can create a Google Account at no charge.
  • Be 18 or older (or the appropriate age in your country) and have a Google Account.
  • Have an Android device (6.0+), iPhone or iPad (iOS 16+), or a Chromebook that supports Android Apps to download the Family Link app on. You can also manage some settings at familylink.google.com.
  • Live in the same country as your child.
Supervise your child’s device
To use Family Link to supervise your child’s device, the child needs to:
  • Have a Google Account.
  • Have an Android device (6.0+), a Chromebook (running Chrome OS 71 or higher), or a compatible Fitbit device. Learn how to update your Android or Chrome OS version.

Set up key features

Set screen time limits

Set up daily time limits for the first time

  1. Open the Family Link app Family Link.
  2. At the top left, select your child.
  3. At the bottom left, tap Screen time and then Time limits.
  4. Turn on Daily limit.
  5. Tap Weekly schedule.
    • For first time set up, tap Edit each day.
  6. Select a day.
  7. Enter how much screen time the device is limited to.
  8. To apply limits on all days of the week, tap Apply to all days of the week and then Done.
Tip: To turn off screen time limit for a specific day, select a day and turn off Daily limit ON.

Change today's limit with a parent's device

To go to the child's account settings that you last visited in the Family Link app, tap the button below:

Change daily limits

Edit the weekly limit schedule with a parent’s device

  1. On your device, open Family Link Family Link.
  2. At the top left, select your child.
  3. At the bottom left, tap Screen time and then Time limits and then Weekly schedule.
    • For first time set up, tap Edit each day.
  4. Select a day.
  5. Enter how much screen time the device is limited to.
  6. To apply limits on all days of the week, tap Apply to all days of the week and then Done.
Tip: You can edit the weekly schedule and change the limit on any selected day.

Give your child bonus time

You can let your child spend more time on their device for the day without changing their daily limit or downtime, school time schedule. You can add bonus time while your child’s Android device is locked or soon to be locked.

  1. Open the Family Link app Family Link.
  2. At the top left, select your child.
  3. At the bottom left, tap Screen time .
  4. Below your child’s device name, tap Bonus time Bonus time.
  5. Set the amount of bonus time.
    • To increase bonus time, select Increase daily limit.
    • To decrease the bonus time, select Decrease daily limit.
    • To set a specific time, tap the number.
  6. Tap Done.

With your child's device

  1. On your child's device, open Settings .
    • On Android versions 8.1 (O) and later, tap Digital Wellbeing & parental controls.
    • On other Android versions, tap Google and then Parental controls.
  2. To check the current settings, tap Daily limit.
  3. To edit Daily limit settings, sign in or use your Parent Access Code to verify that you're a parent.
Tip: Daily limits apply to each Android device or Chromebook your child uses. For example, if you set a daily limit of 2 hours, your child would get 2 hours of time on each device.
Allow or block apps

To go to the child's account settings that you last visited in the Family Link app, tap the button below:

Block or unblock an app on Family Link

In about 5 minutes, or once the device is connected to the Internet, the app will be blocked or unblocked. If your child is using the app when you block it, they'll get a one minute warning to finish up before the app is blocked. The app is blocked on all of your child's Android devices or Chromebooks.

Important: Some apps can't be blocked because they're required for parent supervision settings to work, or for your child's device to work.
  1. Open the Family Link app Family Link.
  2. Select your child.
  3. At the bottom left, tap Screen time and then Time limits and then App limits.
  4. Review the list of apps. Apps that are blocked are marked as Blocked Block. Apps that are allowed don’t have this icon.
  5. To block or allow an app:
    • To block an app:
      1. Select the app.
      2. Tap on the Allowed toggle.
        • The app status changes to Blocked Block.
      3. Tap Done.
    • To allow an app:
      1. Select the app.
      2. Tap on the Blocked toggle.
        • The app status changes to Allowed .
      3. Tap Done.
Find your child’s location

To go to the child's account settings that you last visited in the Family Link app, tap the button below:

Find your child's location

If you're a parent, you can find your child's Android device location in the Family Link app.

  1. Open the Family Link app Family Link.
  2. Tap Location.
  3. Tap Set up location.
  4. If you have multiple children, select which ones you want to turn on location sharing for.
  5. Tap Turn on.

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