Google Family Link

4.6
2.59M reviews
100M+
Downloads
Content rating
Everyone
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About this app

Google Family Link is a parental controls app that helps you keep your family safer online. We know that every family’s relationship with technology is unique, so we designed tools like Family Link that give you the flexibility to choose the right balance for your family, and help them create healthy digital habits. Family Link’s easy to use tools allow you to understand how your child is spending time on their device, see their device location, manage privacy settings, and more.


With Family Link, you can:

Establish Digital Ground Rules
• Set screen time limits — Family Link lets you set downtime for your child’s device and time limits for apps, so you can help them find a healthy balance.
• Guide them to age-appropriate content — Approve or block apps your child wants to download. Family Link also allows you to choose the right YouTube experience for your child: a supervised experience on YouTube, or YouTube Kids.

Manage and secure your child’s account
• Protect their privacy — Permissions management in Family Link allow you to make meaningful choices about your child’s data. View and manage permissions for websites and extensions accessed through Chrome as well as apps downloaded on your child’s device.
• Secure their account — Family Link gives you access to manage your child's account and data settings. As a parent, you can help change or reset your child’s password if they forget it, edit their personal information or even delete their account if you feel necessary.

Stay connected on the go
• See where they are — It’s helpful to be able to find your family when they’re on the go. With Family Link, you can locate your children on one map, as long as they’re carrying their device.
• Get notifications and alerts — Family Link delivers critical notifications including when your child arrives or leaves a certain location. You can also ring devices and view the device’s remaining battery life.


Important Information

• Family Link’s tools vary depending on your child’s device. See a list of compatible devices at https://families.google/familylink/device-compatibility/
• While Family Link helps you manage your child's purchases and downloads from Google Play, they will not need approval to install app updates (including updates that expand permissions), apps you have previously approved, or apps that have been shared in Family Library. In addition, purchase approvals will apply only when your child makes a purchase through Google Play’s billing system and will not apply to purchases made through alternate billing systems. Parents should regularly review their child’s installed apps and app permissions in Family Link.
• You should carefully review the apps on your child’s supervised device and disable those you don’t want them to use. Note that you may not be able to disable some pre-installed apps such as Play, Google, etc.
• To see the location of your child or teen’s device, the device must be powered on, recently active, and connected to the internet through data or wifi.
• Family Link parental controls are only available for supervised Google accounts. With supervised Google Accounts, children get access to Google products like Search, Chrome, and Gmail, and parents can set up basic digital ground rules to supervise them.
• While Family Link provides tools to manage your child’s online experience and keep them safer online, it does not make the internet safe. Family Link can not determine the content on the internet, but it can give parents the opportunity to make decisions about how their child spends time on their device, and determine what path to online safety looks best for your family.
Updated on
Nov 30, 2023

Data safety

Safety starts with understanding how developers collect and share your data. Data privacy and security practices may vary based on your use, region, and age. The developer provided this information and may update it over time.
No data shared with third parties
Learn more about how developers declare sharing
This app may collect these data types
Personal info, Financial info and 7 others
Data is encrypted in transit
You can request that data be deleted
Independent security review

Ratings and reviews

4.6
2.55M reviews
Tracy Barnes
December 2, 2023
The app used to work really well, but after about 2 weeks, it stopped alerting me. If I don't actually go into the app, I never get the alert. I have checked my phone settings, checked the app settings, checked for updates for my phone and the app, restarted my phone, deleted it, and reinstalled the app... NOTHING. As of late, along with the alerting issue, the location isn't always accurate anymore. This is so disappointing.
23 people found this review helpful
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Google LLC
December 2, 2023
That's unexpected, Tracy. Please report your issue from the Family Link app by clicking on "Help & Feedback", "Send Feedback" and we'll investigate. Thank you!
Norma Jimenez-Salazar
October 12, 2023
It use to work great. Lately when the phone turns on in the morning it shows the time limit is up in a few minutes. When I go in and look at the apps it shows none of them have been used but it's still showing downtime will start soon. It's been happening very often. I have to go in manually and unlock the phone or add time because of that. The location is horrible. It doesn't update.
1,292 people found this review helpful
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Google LLC
October 12, 2023
Hi Norma. We would like to know more about your experience with Family Link which will help us improve the app and the experience for parents and children. Feel free to send us your feedback here: Open the app - In the top left, tap Menu - Help & Feedback or Send feedback.
Amanda Howell
October 27, 2023
We've used this app for years without issue. Since this recent update, it's completely useless. Changes don't sync to the kids' phones, location never works, and the layout is clunky and unnecessarily complicated. I guess they've never heard the phrase "if it's not broken, don't fix it." All this update did was make it non functional. Don't waste your time with this app. We're removing and looking into other options.
614 people found this review helpful
Did you find this helpful?
Google LLC
October 27, 2023
That's unexpected, Amanda. Please report your issue from the Family Link app by clicking on "Help & Feedback", "Send Feedback" and we'll investigate. Thank you!

What's new

Several stability improvements and bug fixes.