How to set up parental controls on Android with Google Family Link

Giving a child a phone is easier when you can set a few limits: how long they use it, which apps they can install and what content they can see. Android's main tool for this is Google Family Link, which is free and works on most Android phones. Samsung and other makers add their own options. This guide walks through the setup in order, explains each control in plain language and covers what the tools cannot do, because no setting replaces talking with your child.

What you need

• A parent Google Account, and a phone (Android or iPhone) with the Family Link app.
• The child's phone, with Android 7 or later for most features, and a Wi-Fi or mobile connection.
• A few minutes with your child, since you will sign in on their phone together.
• For a child under 13, a supervised Google Account that you create during setup, which needs your consent.

Step 1: install Family Link and create the family group

Step 2: set up the child's phone

What you can control

How to set screen time limits

How to approve or block apps

In Family Link, open your child's profile and tap Controls, then Google Play. Turn on Approve all purchases or Approve all app downloads, and you get a request on your phone each time they try to install something. In the App activity section you can see which apps they use and for how long, and block any app by tapping it and choosing Block. Blocked apps vanish from the home screen. If your child buys something by accident in an app, read how to get a refund on Google Play.

Samsung and other brands

Samsung phones have Digital Wellbeing and parental controls in Settings, which link to Family Link and add screen time reports and app timers. Samsung Kids is a separate, child-friendly space with a limited set of apps, available on many Galaxy phones and tablets, and parents set a PIN to exit. Other brands offer similar kids modes. They are good for younger children who should only use a few apps, but older children usually outgrow them. For a simple way to keep a young child in one app, you can also pin the screen, see how to lock an Android screen for kids.

What parental controls cannot do

• They cannot show the content of messages or private conversations.
• They cannot block everything. A child can use a friend's phone, school computer or a second account.
• They do not replace talking. Children respond better to rules they understand.
• They can break after updates or a factory reset, so check the settings now and then.
• Teens can leave supervision at 13 in the US, so older children need trust, not just tools.

Tips for making controls work

Setting up a plan and phone for a child

If you are about to buy a phone and a line, many carriers have kid-friendly plans and add-ons. See how to add a line to your phone plan. If your family also has iPhones, you can see where each child is with location sharing, read how to share location between Android and iPhone. If your child has an iPhone instead, see how to set up an iPhone for a child.

Filter websites and YouTube

In Family Link, open your child's profile, then Controls › Content restrictions › Google Chrome. Choose Try to block explicit sites or Only allow approved sites. For YouTube, younger children can use YouTube Kids, and older kids can use a supervised YouTube experience with content levels you choose. No filter is perfect, so talk about what to do if something upsetting appears.

See where your child is

Family Link shows the child's phone location on a map when the phone is on and online. You can turn on alerts for when they arrive at or leave places like school. Make sure the child knows location is shared. Hidden tracking damages trust when they find out.

When your child turns 13

In the US, children can choose to manage their own Google Account once they turn 13. Google notifies both of you before this happens. You can agree to keep supervision on, which teens can see and discuss. Plan that conversation ahead instead of being surprised by it.

Remove supervision

To stop supervising, open Family Link, choose the child, then Controls › Account settings › Account info › Stop supervision. The child's phone may need a parent's approval to finish. Their account stays, without the controls.