Google Family Link Setup Guide — Monitor & Control Your Child’s Phone

Keeping children safe online has become just as important as protecting them in the real world. With smartphones, social media, games, and unlimited internet access, it’s easy for kids to spend too much time on their devices or accidentally access content that isn’t appropriate for their age. That’s where Google Family Link comes in.

Google Family Link is a free parental control tool that helps you monitor your child’s screen time, manage the apps they use, apply content filters, and even track their device — all from your own phone. It gives parents the right balance of supervision and flexibility, allowing children to explore the digital world safely.

In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to set up Google Family Link and how to use its most important features to protect your child’s digital life. Whether you’re setting up parental controls for the first time or improving your existing setup, this guide will walk you through everything in a simple and beginner-friendly way.

What You Need Before You Start

Before setting up Google Family Link, it’s important to prepare a few things so the setup goes smoothly. The process only takes a few minutes, but both the parent and child devices must meet some basic requirements.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• A Google account for the parent or guardian
• A Google account for the child (you can create one during setup if needed)
• The parent’s phone (Android or iPhone)
• The child’s Android device
• A stable internet connection on both devices

If your child doesn’t have a Google account yet, don’t worry — Family Link will guide you through creating a supervised child account during the setup process. Once everything is ready, you can move on to installing the Family Link app and linking both devices.

Step 1: Download Google Family Link on the Parent’s Phone

The first step is to install the Google Family Link app on the parent or guardian’s phone. This app acts as your control center — from here you’ll monitor screen time, approve apps, and manage your child’s settings.

Use the correct version depending on your device:

After installing:

1. Open the Family Link app
2. Sign in using the parent’s Google account
3. Tap Get Started

Once you’re signed in, the app will ask whether your child already has a Google account. In the next step, we’ll link or create your child’s account.

Step 2: Link or Create Your Child’s Google Account

After signing in on the parent’s phone, Family Link will ask whether your child already has a Google account. This step connects your child’s account to your supervision.

If your child already has a Google account

1. Tap Yes
2. Select your child’s account from the list
3. Continue to the supervision setup

If your child does NOT have a Google account

1. Tap No
2. Choose Create an account for your child
3. Enter your child’s name and birthday
4. Create a Gmail address
5. Set a secure password
6. Review and accept Google’s terms

Family Link will automatically create a supervised child account linked to your parent account.

Once this is done, the app will ask you to switch to your child’s device to complete supervision. In the next step, we’ll enable parental controls directly on the child’s phone.

Step 3: Enable Supervision on Your Child’s Device

Now take your child’s Android phone or tablet. This step links the device to your Family Link account and turns on parental supervision.

Follow these steps on the child’s device:

1. Open Settings
2. Tap Google
3. Select Parental controls
4. Tap Let’s do this
5. Choose the Google account you want to supervise
6. Tap Supervise → Next

If multiple Google accounts are signed in, Android will ask you to remove the extra accounts first. Simply tap Sign out and continue, then proceed.

Next:

7. Enter the parent’s Google email and password
8. Review the permissions carefully
9. At the bottom, enter the child’s account password
10. Tap Next
11. Tap Allow supervision

The system will now apply parental controls and show setup options for Google Play, Chrome, and Search. Tap Next until the setup completes, then tap Done.

Once finished, the child’s device is fully supervised and linked to your Family Link account. In the next section, we’ll confirm everything from the parent’s phone and explore the dashboard.

Step 4: Confirm Setup on the Parent’s Phone

After completing supervision on your child’s device, switch back to the parent’s phone. The Family Link app should now automatically detect that the setup is finished.

1. Tap Done on the parent’s screen
2. Wait a few seconds while the devices sync
3. You’ll now see your child’s profile inside the Family Link dashboard

This dashboard is your main control center. From here, you can see activity reports, manage apps, set time limits, and apply content filters — all remotely.

If your child’s device doesn’t appear immediately, make sure both phones are connected to the internet and reopen the Family Link app.

Now that everything is connected, let’s go through the most important features you should configure right away to keep your child safe online.

Daily Limit: Manage Your Child’s Screen Time

The first setting you should configure is the Daily Limit. This feature controls how long your child can use their device each day. Once the limit is reached, the phone automatically locks.

To set it up:

1. Open the Family Link app on the parent’s phone
2. Select your child’s profile
3. Tap Daily limit
4. Choose the day of the week
5. Set the allowed screen time
6. Tap Save

You can customize limits for each day. For example:

• Weekdays: 2 hours
• Weekends: 3 hours

This flexibility helps balance school days and free time.

If needed, you can also temporarily extend time directly from the dashboard — useful for homework or special occasions.

Downtime: Lock the Device During Bedtime

Downtime lets you schedule hours when your child’s phone cannot be used. Think of it as an automatic bedtime lock. During downtime, most apps are blocked so your child can’t stay up late using their device.

To set Downtime:

1. Open Family Link on the parent’s phone
2. Select your child’s profile
3. Tap Downtime
4. Choose the start time
5. Choose the end time
6. Tap Save

For example, you might lock the phone from 10:00 PM to 6:30 AM.

You can adjust this schedule anytime, and even turn it off temporarily if needed. Downtime is especially helpful for improving sleep habits and preventing late-night screen use.

Next, we’ll look at App Limits, which lets you control how much time your child spends on specific apps.

App Limits: Control Time Spent on Specific Apps

While the Daily Limit controls total screen time, App Limits lets you manage individual apps. This is useful if your child spends too much time on games or social media.

To set an app limit:

1. Open Family Link on the parent’s phone
2. Select your child’s profile
3. Tap App activity
4. Choose the app you want to control
5. Tap Set limit
6. Select a daily time allowance
7. Tap Save

Once the limit is reached, that specific app will be locked — even if your child still has remaining screen time.

You can also:

• Block an app completely
• Allow unlimited access for educational apps
• Remove limits anytime

This gives you fine control without banning the device entirely.

Next, we’ll configure Content Restrictions to filter unsafe websites and apps.

Content Restrictions: Keep Your Child Safe Online

Content Restrictions help filter what your child can see and download. This is one of the most important parts of Google Family Link because it protects children from inappropriate apps, websites, and search results.

To open content controls:

1. Open Family Link on the parent’s phone
2. Select your child’s profile
3. Tap Controls → Content restrictions

Here’s what you can manage:

Google Play Restrictions

You can set age ratings for:

• Apps & games
• Movies
• TV shows
• Books

You can also require parent approval before your child downloads anything.

YouTube Restrictions

Enable Restricted Mode to reduce mature content.
This doesn’t block everything, but it filters most inappropriate videos.

Google Search (SafeSearch)

Turn on SafeSearch to hide explicit images, videos, and websites in search results.

Chrome Website Controls

You can:

• Block adult websites automatically
• Allow only approved websites
• Manually block specific sites

Take a few minutes to review these settings carefully — they form the core of your child’s online protection.

Next, we’ll look at Account Settings, where you manage your child’s Google account details.

Account Settings: Manage Your Child’s Google Account

The Account Settings section gives you control over your child’s Google account details and privacy options. This is where you manage identity information and supervision settings.

To access it:

1. Open Family Link on the parent’s phone
2. Select your child’s profile
3. Tap Account settings

From here, you can:

• Update your child’s name and birthday
• Change or reset the account password
• Review privacy-related settings
• Manage Google services access
• Stop supervision (if needed in the future)

This section is important for keeping your child’s account secure and up to date. Always use a strong password and avoid sharing account details with others.

Next, we’ll explore the Devices section, where you can see activity, battery status, and location tracking.

Devices: Track Activity, Battery, and Location

The Devices section helps you keep track of your child’s phone in real time. You can see whether the device is active, how much battery is left, and even its location.

To open it:

1. Open Family Link on the parent’s phone
2. Select your child’s profile
3. Tap Devices

Here you can:

• View battery percentage
• See when the device was last active
• Check all devices linked to your child’s account
• Locate the device on a map
• Ring the device if it’s lost nearby

Location tracking is especially useful if your child misplaces their phone or if you want extra safety when they’re outside.

And that’s it — your Google Family Link setup is complete! You now have full parental controls to manage screen time, apps, and online safety from your own phone.