How to set up and use Google Family Link

Google Family Link is a parental control app for people with kids. The app launched a couple of years ago, but it became a part of stock Android starting with Android 10. You’ll still have to download the app, but you can access the options directly from the Settings menu. It offers a surprising amount of control over child devices with this app, and it has a lot of great options for managing your child’s phone usage.

If all you need to do is set up parental controls on the Play Store, there is an easier way to do it, so check out our tutorial for Google Play parental controls.

How to set up Google Family Link

Getting Family Link set up is a bit tedious, but requires nothing overly complicated. Before we start, please make sure you have met the following prerequisites. Otherwise, the tutorial won’t work.

Prerequisites:

1. Your child needs their own Google account. If the kid doesn’t have one, you’ll need to create one for them to use Family Link.
2. Your child’s Google account needs to be a part of your family network. If you don’t do this beforehand, Family Link will force you to do so during set-up, and it’s way easier to do it beforehand.
3. Your child’s Google account has to be the only one on the child’s device. Family Link will forcibly remove all other Google accounts during set-up.
4. The child will need an Android device running 5.1 or higher, a Chromebook running at least Chrome OS 71, or a compatible Fitbit device.
5. The parent must also have a Google account.
6. The parent needs to be 18 years or older.
7. The parent will need an Android 5.0 or newer device, an iPhone or iPad with iOS 13 or newer, or a Chromebook that supports Android Apps.
8. The parent needs to live in the same country as the kid.
9. Not all countries support Family Link. You need to live in a supported market.

Okay, now that everything is set up and ready, let’s get started. We’ll go through the step-by-step process. Since this requires input on two different devices, we’ll specify which device each step requires. If it says Parent Device, you do that step on your phone, and likewise for the Child Device.

How to set up Family Link:

1. Both Devices: Download the Google Family Link for parents app on the parent device and the Google Family Link for children & teens app on the child device. Please note that those are two different apps.
2. Parent Device: Open the Family Link app and hit next to navigate past the opening screens. Select your Google account if prompted. Google will ask if it’s a parent’s or child’s account. Select Parent.
3. Parent Device: Select your child’s Google account as the account you want to supervise.
4. Parent Device: The app will prompt you to get your child’s phone. Hit the Next button on this screen to show the link code.
5. Child Device: Open the Family Link app. Again, cycle through the opening screens and then select your child’s Google account when prompted.
6. Both Devices: The Child Device will ask for the link code from the Parent Device. Input the link code from the Parent Device into the Child Device.
7. Child Device: Enter your child’s Google account email to verify if prompted.

Okay, two potential things can happen at this point. If you made your child’s account part of your Google Family before now, proceed to the next part of the tutorial. If you did not, Family Link will stop you and make you add the child account to your Google Family before allowing you to proceed. In my testing, this reset the entire process and made me start over once I added my Google Family account.

1. Parent Device: Hit Next until the app prompts you to finish setup on the Child Device.
2. Child Device: At this point, the app will ask for several permissions. Just keep hitting Next to allow all of them.
3. Child Device: Name the child device when prompted.
4. Child Device: The app will then ask which apps you want your child to have access to. Deny or accept the ones you want and hit next.

That’s it! You are now connected via Google Family Link. We found this process to be buggy and surprisingly frustrating. There are good odds that you’ll have to restart at least once. It took us a total of three tries to get to the end of the set-up without something going wrong. However, it’s doable with a bit of patience.

At this point, the child’s device is finished. It and your child can be on their merry way. The device is connected, and there is nothing left for the child to do. However, you can continue to configure Family Link on the parent device.

How to configure Google Family Link

Now that you’ve gone through the admittedly arduous task of connecting Family Link let’s get you using it to its fullest potential. From here on out, everything takes place on the parent device unless otherwise specified. There are a lot of things you can do so we’ll cover each one individually.

Locating the child’s phone

There is a specific tab in the Family Link app for locating the child’s phone; it reads Location. This should be on by default and is immediately accessible. With this feature, you can easily find your child’s phone (and, hopefully, your child). This also works well as a Find My Phone service in case your child leaves their phone somewhere.

Parental controls

Family Link grants access to basic parental controls. Look for the Controls tab. Tap on it, then go into Content restrictions. From here, you can restrict the content your child sees on Google Play and manage filters on Google Chrome, YouTube, Google Search, Google Assistant, Google Photos, and Google Play.

Track and limit your child’s activity

Do you want to know what your kid has been up to? You can see the apps they use and for how long. Just go to Controls > App limits, and you’ll find which apps they have used, and for how long.

If you tap on any app, there are options to Block, Set limit, or Always allow. You can end the fun if you decide that your kid is done playing that game they’ve been buried in all day.

From the main Controls menu, you can also set Daily limit or Downtime customizations. This way, your kid gets a limited screen time, and you can make sure children aren’t on the phone all night long.

Phone settings

You can also modify and control the device settings, as well as other features. To access this menu, go to Family Link > Controls > Devices, and pick the device. You’ll be able to do things like lick the device, play a sound, modify lock screen settings, customize app permission, allow sideloading, change the date and time, or even factory reset the child’s phone.

FAQs