🤖

Android — Family Link

Google's free parental control app for Android phones and tablets.

⏱ Takes about 10 minutes

Why bother?

Family Link locks your kid's Google account. It filters Google Search, blocks bad apps, sets bedtime, and you can see where the phone is.

1
On YOUR phone, install Family Link
Search "Family Link" in the Play Store or App Store. It works on iPhone too.
2
Open it and tap "Get Started"
Sign in with your Google account. This becomes the parent account.
3
Tap the + icon to add a child
If the kid is under 13, you'll create them a Google account. Older? Link the one they already have.
4
On the KID's phone, install Family Link Child
Or sign into the new Google account you just made — it'll prompt to install it.
5
Pair the two phones
Follow the on-screen code. Takes about 2 minutes.
6
Back on your phone, open Controls
Tap your kid's name → Controls.
7
Tap Content restrictions → Google Search
Turn on SafeSearch and lock it.
8
Tap Google Play → set rating limits
Block apps above their age group.
9
Set Screen time → Daily limit
Pick a number. 2 hours on weekdays is a normal starting point.
10
Set Bedtime
Phone locks itself at, say, 9pm.

We don't tell you setup is complete until you've tested it with your own eyes.

1. Open a normal website
On the device you just set up, open a regular site like google.com or your local news. It should load normally.
✅ It loaded normally
2. Try a blocked test website
Now open this safe test URL — it's a harmless page that adult-content filters block. If your blocker is working, the page will NOT load (you'll see an error or a block screen).
Open test page →🚫 It was blocked (didn't load)

Both tests didn't pass — what to try

Restart the device's Wi-Fi (off then on). On a phone, turn cellular data off so it has to use Wi-Fi. Then try the test again.

Both tests must pass before we mark this complete.

No parental control catches everything. Here's what slips through, and what to do about it:

If your child has a cellular data plan, blocks on your home Wi-Fi don't apply when they're not at home.
If your child turns their phone into a hotspot, other devices using it skip your Wi-Fi filters.
On a friend's Wi-Fi, your home filter does nothing.
A VPN can hide their traffic from filters that only check websites by name.
Installing a second browser can bypass a single-browser extension.

You did it. 🎉

Tell your kid you set this up, and why. It works way better when it's not a secret.