Family Link parental controls

Easy, powerful parental controls to guide healthy digital habits for your child or teen

Family Link parental controls is the companion app to Family Link for parents. Install this version only on a device used by a child or teen. Designed for modern families, this tool helps you set digital ground rules from your own phone while supporting online learning, safe screen time management for kids, and everyday digital well-being. It also includes essentials parents often search for, like the best parental control app for Android and mobile parenting safety tools.

For children under 13 (or the applicable age of consent in your country), you can create a supervised Google Account with access to most Google services—helping them explore the internet responsibly as they learn, play, and grow.

What you can do with Family Link parental controls:

Guide them to good content

• View app activity – Activity reports show daily, weekly, or monthly app usage, helping you understand how your child spends screen time and make healthier decisions together.
• Manage their apps – Approve or block Google Play Store downloads, control in-app purchases, and hide apps remotely from your own device.
• Feed their curiosity – Discover teacher-recommended apps on Android to easily add safe, age-appropriate options to their device, supporting better digital learning at home.

Keep an eye on screen time

• Set limits – Decide the right amount of screen time by setting daily limits and device bedtimes across supervised devices.
• Lock their device – Remotely lock a supervised device when it’s time for a break, family time, homework, or offline activities.

See where they are

• Locate your child on the go as long as their device is powered on, recently active, and connected to the internet—ideal for busy families and everyday check-ins.

Important Information

• Features vary by device. See compatible device information at families.google.com/familylink/setup
• Kids do not need approval for app updates, previously approved apps, or Family Library-shared apps. Review installed apps and permissions regularly.
• Review and disable any apps you don’t want your child using. Some pre-installed apps cannot be disabled.
• Location requires an active, powered-on, internet-connected device.
• Teacher-recommended apps are available only on US Android devices for parents of children of specific ages.
• Family Link offers tools to help manage your child’s online experience, but it does not make the internet safe. It empowers parents to shape healthy digital habits and encourage conversations about online use.