Google Family Link

Google LLC

About this app

Google Family Link is a parental controls app that helps you keep your family safer online. Every family’s relationship with technology is unique, so we built tools for you to choose the right balance for your family, and help them create healthy digital habits. You can use the app to see 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 — Find the screen time that works best for your child. Family Link lets you set daily time limits, with school time and downtime schedules for their devices, so you can help your child find a healthy balance.
• Manage your child’s apps — Give your child the flexibility they need when it comes to app usage. Set individual app time limits, and unlimited time for educational or regularly used apps. You can block apps, too.

Manage content filters and security & privacy
• Manage what they see online — Set up parental controls on Google services like Chrome, Play, YouTube, and Search. Family Link allows you to block inappropriate sites, require approval for new apps, manage permissions for apps and websites, and more.
• 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.*

*Children over the applicable age can manage their own account.

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.

Ratings and reviews

One really nice addition would be to able to add additional time for a specifc app just for the day. For example, my son has already used up his 1 hour of YouTube for the day. I would like to be able to give him an additional 30 minutes just for the day, and tomorrow, the original limit still applies. Right now, if i want to change limits for YouTube, the change stays until I change it back.... which i usually forget about it.

mostly does what I need it to do. but, I really wish we were able to see more details on the activity screen. for instance, not just how many minutes they used the app, but at what times. I leave texting and calls on unlimited so she can get ahold of me in an emergency when she's not at home. but, I also want to see at what times after downtime she using her texting app.

Can't locate the phone, but other than that pretty accurate overall, I mean what's it made to do.... Now, since there were some updates, it doesn't let me know when my child leaves or arrives at a location right away like it used to, or 10 or 15 minutes later now which really sucks. The more (Updates) the worse it gets. I used to be able to set makers for my son if he went somewhere, and when he left I would get a notification, not anymore!!!!!! I can barely even find his location now. Fix it!

What’s new

New simplified design and screen time tab.