How to Set Up Google Family Link: Complete Parent's Guide [2026]

What Is Google Family Link?

Google Family Link is Google’s free parental control app for Android devices and Chromebooks. It lets you manage your child’s screen time, approve or block apps, filter web content, track their location, and set device bedtimes—all from your own phone.

If your child uses an Android phone, Android tablet, or Chromebook, Family Link is the first tool you should set up. It’s free, it’s built by Google, and it integrates directly with the Android operating system. No third-party app can match that level of system integration on Android devices.

This guide walks you through the complete setup process, step by step. We’ll cover creating your child’s Google account, linking their device, configuring every important setting, and troubleshooting the issues parents actually run into.

Before You Start: What You Need

Gather these before you begin. Missing one of these will stall the setup process.

Your phone (iPhone or Android) with the Google Family Link app installed
Your child’s Android device (phone, tablet, or Chromebook)
Your Google account (the parent account that will manage everything)
Your child’s age (under 13 requires a supervised Google account; 13+ can consent to supervision)
Wi-Fi connection (both devices need internet during setup)
15-20 minutes of uninterrupted time

Important note on age: If your child is under 13, you’ll create a supervised Google account for them through Family Link. If your child is 13 or older and already has a Google account, they’ll need to consent to supervision. This is a Google policy requirement, not optional.

Step 1: Download Google Family Link on Your Phone

On your phone (the parent device), download the Google Family Link app:

Android: Open Google Play Store, search “Google Family Link,” install the app by Google LLC
iPhone: Open App Store, search “Google Family Link,” install the app by Google LLC

Open the app and sign in with your Google account. This is the account that will serve as the parent/supervisor account. If you have multiple Google accounts, use your primary one—you’ll be getting notifications and managing settings from this account regularly.

Step 2: Create or Link Your Child’s Google Account

If Your Child Is Under 13 (New Supervised Account)

In the Family Link app, tap the + icon or “Add child”
Select “Create account for child”
Enter your child’s first name, last name, and birthday
Create an email address for them (this will be a Gmail address)
Set a password for their account
Agree to Google’s terms for supervised accounts
Verify your identity (Google may ask for your credit card for verification—you won’t be charged)

Your child now has a supervised Google account. This account has built-in restrictions and parental oversight that persist until they turn 13 (at which point they can choose to continue or remove supervision).

If Your Child Is 13 or Older (Existing Account)

In the Family Link app, tap “Add child”
Select “Supervise existing account”
Your child will need to sign in with their Google account on their device
They’ll receive a supervision request that they must accept
Both of you follow the on-screen prompts to complete the link

Important: Teens 13+ can remove supervision at any time. This is Google’s policy—not something you can override. If your teen removes supervision, you’ll receive a notification, and their device will be temporarily locked for 24 hours. This is designed as a conversation starter, not a punishment. Use it as one.

Step 3: Set Up Your Child’s Device

For a New Android Phone or Tablet

Power on the device and connect to Wi-Fi
During the initial setup, when prompted to add a Google account, sign in with your child’s supervised Google account
The device will detect that it’s a supervised account and automatically apply Family Link settings
Follow the on-screen prompts to complete device setup
Family Link will activate automatically

For an Existing Android Phone or Tablet

On the child’s device, open Settings
Tap Google > Parental controls
Follow the prompts to link the device to your Family Link parent account
If needed, sign out of any non-supervised Google accounts and sign in with the supervised account

For a Chromebook

Sign into the Chromebook with your child’s supervised Google account
Family Link settings apply automatically to the Chromebook session
Manage settings from the Family Link app on your phone

Step 4: Configure Screen Time Limits

This is where most parents start. In the Family Link app on your phone:

Select your child’s profile
Tap “Controls” > “Screen time”
Toggle on “Daily limit”

Setting Daily Limits

You can set different time limits for each day of the week. Common configurations:

School days (Mon-Fri): 1-2 hours
Weekends (Sat-Sun): 2-3 hours
Summer/breaks: Adjust as needed

When your child reaches their daily limit, the device locks. They can still make emergency calls but can’t access apps or the internet until the next day (or until you grant bonus time).

Setting Bedtime

In Screen time settings, tap “Bedtime”
Set the time the device locks each night and unlocks each morning
Set different bedtimes for school nights vs. weekends

Common bedtime settings:

Ages 6-10: Lock at 7:30-8:00 PM, unlock at 7:00 AM
Ages 10-13: Lock at 8:30-9:00 PM, unlock at 6:30 AM
Ages 13+: Lock at 9:30-10:00 PM, unlock at 6:00 AM

Bonus Time

When your child’s screen time is up and they ask for more, you can grant bonus time from your Family Link app without changing their permanent limits. This is useful for homework that requires the device or finishing a movie on family night.

Step 5: Manage Apps

Approve or Block App Downloads

In Family Link, go to “Controls” > “Google Play”
Under “Require approval for”, select one of:
- All content: You approve every download (recommended for under 13)
- Only paid content and content rated for older audiences
- Only paid content

When your child tries to download an app, you’ll get a notification on your phone. You can approve or deny with one tap.

Set App Limits

You can set time limits on individual apps:

Go to your child’s profile > “App activity”
Tap the app you want to limit
Set a daily time limit (e.g., 30 minutes for YouTube, 1 hour for games)

This is more targeted than overall screen time limits. Your child might have 2 hours of total screen time, but only 30 minutes of that can be YouTube.

Block Specific Apps

To block an app that’s already installed:

Go to your child’s profile > “App activity”
Find the app > tap “Block”

The app disappears from your child’s device. They can’t access it until you unblock it.

Step 6: Set Up Web Filtering

In Family Link, go to “Controls” > “Content restrictions” > “Google Chrome”
Choose your filtering level:
- Allow all sites: No filtering (not recommended for children)
- Try to block mature sites: Google’s automatic filter blocks explicit and adult content (recommended)
- Only allow approved sites: Your child can only visit websites you’ve specifically approved (most restrictive)

Managing Specific Sites

Under the filtering settings, you can:

Allow specific sites: Add URLs your child should always access (school websites, educational resources)
Block specific sites: Add URLs you want blocked regardless of the filtering level

Important limitation: Web filtering only applies to Google Chrome. If your child uses a different browser, the filters won’t work. Solution: block all other browser apps through the app management settings.

Step 7: Configure Location Tracking

In Family Link, go to your child’s profile
Tap “Location”
Toggle on “See your child’s location”

You can now see your child’s device location on a map in the Family Link app. The location updates in near-real-time when the device is on and connected to the internet.

What you can do:

Check your child’s current location at any time
See location history
Locate a lost or missing device

What you can’t do (unlike Bark):

Set geofence alerts (arrival/departure notifications)
Get automatic alerts when your child leaves school or arrives home

For geofencing, you’d need to pair Family Link with a third-party app like Bark or Life360.

Step 8: Configure Google Search and YouTube Settings

SafeSearch

In Family Link, go to “Controls” > “Content restrictions” > “Google Search”
Toggle on “SafeSearch”

SafeSearch filters explicit results from Google Search. It’s not perfect—some inappropriate content can still appear—but it catches the majority of explicit material.

YouTube Settings

For children under 13 with supervised accounts:

YouTube Kids is the default (curated, age-appropriate content)
You can enable standard YouTube with restricted mode if appropriate

To configure:

Go to “Controls” > “Content restrictions” > “YouTube”
Choose between:
- YouTube Kids only: Most restrictive, curated content
- Explore: YouTube content suitable for ages 9+
- Explore More: YouTube content suitable for ages 13+
- Most of YouTube: Nearly full access with restricted mode (blocks explicit content)

Step 9: Set Up Purchase Controls

In Family Link, go to “Controls” > “Google Play”
Under “Purchase approval”, toggle on “Require approval for all purchases”

This prevents your child from making any Google Play purchases (apps, in-app purchases, movies, books) without your explicit approval. Every purchase request sends a notification to your phone.

Critical setting: This also blocks in-app purchases in games. Many free games are designed to drive in-app purchases from kids. This single setting prevents surprise charges.

Step 10: Review and Adjust Weekly

Family Link sends you a weekly activity report showing:

Total screen time per day
Most-used apps and time spent in each
Apps your child tried to download
Websites visited

Review this report weekly for the first month, then bi-weekly once you’re comfortable with the settings. Adjust limits based on what you see. If your child is spending 90% of their screen time on YouTube, that’s worth a conversation.

Common Setup Issues and Fixes

“I can’t see my child’s location”

Make sure location services are turned on (Settings > Location) on your child’s device
Ensure the device has an active internet connection
Check that the Family Link app has location permissions on both devices
Restart both devices if the issue persists

“My child’s device says ‘supervised’ but I can’t see controls”

Open the Family Link app on your phone and pull down to refresh
Make sure both devices are signed into the correct Google accounts
Remove and re-add your child’s account if the link appears broken

“Screen time limits aren’t working”

Check that the device clock is set to automatic (Settings > Date & Time > Automatic)
Verify the time zone is correct on both devices
Make sure “Daily limit” is toggled ON (not just scheduled)

“My teen removed supervision”

Teens 13+ can remove supervision at any time. When they do:

You receive a notification immediately
Their device is temporarily locked for 24 hours
All Family Link settings are removed

This is designed as a transparency feature, not a punishment. Use it as a conversation: “I noticed you removed supervision. Let’s talk about why and what we do next.” Re-adding supervision requires your teen’s consent.

“Apps are being blocked that shouldn’t be”

Check your content rating settings in Google Play restrictions
Some educational apps are rated higher than expected—you may need to manually approve them
School-required apps sometimes need individual approval even with lenient settings

What Family Link Does Well

Free. No subscription, no premium tier, no upsell. Every feature is included.
Deep Android integration. Because it’s Google’s own tool, it has system-level access that third-party apps can’t match on Android.
App-level time limits. Limiting specific apps (not just overall screen time) is more useful than most parents realize.
Purchase controls. Blocking in-app purchases alone makes setup worthwhile.
Weekly reports. Automatic activity reports give you visibility without constant checking.

What Family Link Doesn’t Do

No text message monitoring. Family Link doesn’t read or flag text messages. For that, you need Bark or a similar monitoring tool.
No social media monitoring. Family Link doesn’t scan Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, or other social apps for concerning content.
No geofencing. You can see your child’s location, but you can’t set automatic alerts for arrivals/departures.
No call monitoring. Family Link doesn’t log or restrict phone calls (only app usage and internet).
No cross-platform support. Family Link only works with Android devices and Chromebooks. It does not work with iPhones or iPads.

Our recommendation: Use Family Link as your foundation on Android devices, then layer Bark Premium on top for text and social media monitoring. Together, they cover nearly everything.

Family Link vs. Other Parental Controls

Feature	Google Family Link	Apple Screen Time	Bark	Qustodio
Cost	Free	Free (iOS only)	$14/mo	$54.95/yr
Screen time limits	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
App-level limits	Yes	Yes	Limited	Yes
Web filtering	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Location tracking	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Text monitoring	No	No	Yes	Limited
Social media monitoring	No	No	Yes (30+)	Limited
Purchase controls	Yes	Yes	No	No
Platform	Android/Chromebook	iOS/Mac	Android/iOS	All platforms

Bottom Line

Google Family Link is the essential first step for any parent with a child using an Android device. It’s free, it’s powerful, and it gives you control over the things that matter most: screen time, apps, web content, and location.

Set it up before your child starts using the device—not after. The 15-20 minutes of setup time saves you hours of reactive problem-solving later.

Family Link handles device management. For content monitoring (texts, social media, online behavior), pair it with Bark or a similar tool. Together, they form a comprehensive safety net for your child’s digital life.

Next Steps

Download Google Family Link (free)
Read: How to Set Up Apple Screen Time (if you also have iOS devices)
Read: Bark Review — Layer monitoring on top of Family Link
Read: The Complete Guide to Parental Controls