Google Family Link is designed to help parents monitor and manage their child’s device, but there may come a time when you need to remove it — whether your child is old enough to manage their own account, you’re switching devices, or you no longer need parental controls. Removing Family Link must be done carefully, because incorrect steps can temporarily lock the supervised account. In this guide, I’ll walk you step-by-step through the safe process of removing Family Link from both the child’s Google account and the parent’s account.
Before You Start
Before removing Family Link, it’s important to prepare a few things to avoid account lock issues.
Make sure you have:
- Access to the parent (family manager) Google account
- The parent’s Google password or passkey
- The child’s device nearby
- A stable internet connection
⚠️ Important notes:
- If the child is under 13 (or the minimum age in your country), Google may restrict removal until supervision is transferred or the account is deleted.
- If the child is 13 or older, you can usually stop supervision normally.
- Removing Family Link in the wrong order can temporarily lock the child’s device.
The correct order is:
👉 Stop supervision → Remove member → Delete family group
We’ll follow that exact sequence.
Step 1: Stop Supervision for the Child Account
This is the most important step. You must stop supervision before removing the child from the family group.
On the parent’s phone:
- Open the Family Link app
- Select your child’s account
- Tap Controls
- Go to Account settings
- Tap About supervision
- Scroll down and tick the confirmation box
- Tap Stop supervision
- Follow the on-screen instructions
Once completed, supervision is removed from the child account (if age requirements are met).
After this step, tap Back to Home in the app.
Step 2: Remove the Child from the Family Group
After supervision is stopped, you can safely remove the child from the family.
On the parent’s device:
- Open the Family Link app
- Tap the menu icon
- Select Manage family
- Tap your child’s name
- Tap Remove member
- Enter your Google password/passkey to confirm
Once removed, the child will receive an email notification confirming they are no longer part of the family group.
If you have multiple supervised members, repeat the same process for each one.
Step 3: Delete the Family Group (Remove Parent Account)
If you want to remove Family Link completely from the parent account, you must delete the entire family group. Only the family manager can do this.
You can manage the family group from Google’s official page:
Steps:
- Sign in with the parent (family manager) account
- Click Delete family group
- Confirm using your password/passkey
Once deleted, Family Link is completely removed from the parent account.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
If Family Link refuses to remove or shows errors, here are the most common fixes.
Can’t stop supervision
- Check the child’s age (under-13 accounts have restrictions)
- Update the Family Link app
- Make sure you are signed in as the family manager
- Try again with a stable internet connection
Remove member option missing
This happens if supervision is still active.
Fix:
👉 Go back and complete Step 1 (Stop supervision) first.
Can’t delete family group
Google will block deletion if a supervised account still exists.
Fix:
- Remove all child accounts first
- Then try deleting the family group again
Child device gets locked after removal
This usually happens when steps are done out of order.
Correct order:
👉 Stop supervision → Remove member → Delete family group
If the device is locked, reconnect it to Wi-Fi and sign in with the parent account to unlock.
Final Words
That’s it! You’ve successfully removed Google Family Link from both the child and parent accounts. As long as you follow the correct sequence, the process is safe and won’t lock the device.
If you ever need Family Link again, you can always create a new family group later.
