Google Family Link

4.6
2M 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
May 25, 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
1.97M reviews
LAURA GRESEN
May 30, 2023
App was great but the location is all messed up since her 13th birthday. Constantly alerting our child left home and a minute later they are back. It will do this at all hours of the day/night. We have tried everything reinstalled, reset all controls even took her phone for the night and still no fix. The first time it happened it said she left at 3am and we panicked. I think we will be looking for a different app.
41 people found this review helpful
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Google LLC
May 30, 2023
Hi Laura. 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.
Genna Mott
May 30, 2023
I have been so frustrated with this app! I set a 2-hour screen time limit on my kids' devices, but apparently, if you just restart the device, the setting resets to "no limit". We've also had issues with the permissions settings. I set it up so that they would need a parent's permission for EVERYTHING, but my kids have been able to access websites and download stuff that hasn't been approved. Such a disappointment.
28 people found this review helpful
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Google LLC
May 31, 2023
Hi Genna. That's unexpected. Please report your issue from the Family Link app by clicking on "Help & Feedback", "Send Feedback" and we'll investigate. Thank you!
Ashley R
May 31, 2023
Works well, for the most part. I can control limits and time usage on the phone and certain apps. Since end recent update, it's been hard trying to use end location feature which is the main reason why I use this app. Their location is on and mine is a well. Hopefully this will get fixed soon. Otherwise, it's a great app.
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What's new

Several stability improvements and bug fixes.