What is Google Family Link? An overview of the features
Learn how Google Family Link helps keep your kids safe on their devices. Manage screen time and set filters.
Google launched Family Link in 2017 to allow children under 16 to use their own Google account and Android device under parental supervision. Since then, the service has become one of the most popular parental control apps for a wide age group and has added additional features that significantly expand its functionality. Google Family Link is free and can be integrated directly into the Android operating system. Below, we will show you which features Google Family Link offers you as a parent.
What is Google Family Link?
Google Family Link is an Android parental control app. The app lets you create and manage a separate Google account for your child. This account is very similar to an adult account – but there are some limitations. Family Link then lets you manage your child’s device remotely, for example in terms of limiting screen time, device location and installation permissions. Family Link
is primarily designed for Android devices, but it also works on iOS. You can run it on any iPhone with iOS 11 or higher and on Android devices with version 7.0 or higher. The app is free to use.
Features of Google Family Link
The app offers a number of parental control features:
Screen time
With Family Link, you can monitor how long your child uses the smartphone and how much time they spend in certain apps. If you want to limit this, you can set screen time limits for your child’s device. For example, you can set how many hours your child can use the device daily or weekly. When the allocated time has expired, the device is automatically locked.
You can also set the device to be locked at certain times, e.g. before bedtime or during school time. To do this, you set quiet times in the app. Changing these times is quick and easy if you want to allow the child a little more time on the smartphone during the holidays, for example.
Always see how much time your child spends on their smartphone.
App management
You can set an individual limit for each app on your child’s smartphone and even block apps completely. You can also quickly view details about an app and check whether it contains advertising and in-app purchases and what age restrictions it has.
You can control every app.
Content filtering
Family Link offers content filtering options to help you control what your children interact with online. While the filtering options aren’t perfect, they help prevent your children from accessing inappropriate content unchecked. Google Family Link allows the child to request permission to view a website if they feel it is being blocked inappropriately. In addition to Google’s existing filter, you can set your child’s app to use Google’s SafeSearch filter for search results. You can also pre-approve or reject websites yourself by adding them to the lists in this section.
Determine which websites your child is allowed to visit.
Remote Lock
You can remotely lock your child’s device at any time. This feature is helpful for certain times when you don’t want your child to be distracted.
You can lock your child’s device at any time.
Location Tracking
You can track the location of your child’s device at any time. This feature is useful in many cases, such as when children are playing outside or when they are home alone. You can have the app notify you when your child leaves or arrives at a location.
Always know where your child is.
Google Play Restrictions
This feature lets you set Google Play purchase permissions and control which apps can be installed on the device. You have precise control over what your child can download, because they must get explicit permission from your device. This way, you can make sure your children don’t use risky apps that could potentially cause problems. You can
set restrictions on Google Play content in five categories: apps and games, movies, TV, books, and music. Each of these categories uses the age restriction rating system established for that content genre.
You can determine exactly which apps your child is allowed to install.
YouTube Filter
This filter is exactly the same filter that is used in the web filters above, but now for YouTube. There are already restrictions on what can be uploaded to YouTube, but with the filter, you have even more control over your child’s YouTube consumption.
The setting to disable autoplay is particularly useful here, as the automatic playback will keep running and can also lead to videos that are not suitable for children.
Restrict content for the YouTube app.
Privacy settings
You can set the privacy settings for your child’s Google account when you set up Family Link. When you set up your child’s device, you must even set settings like web and app activity, enabling YouTube search history, or personalized advertising. If your child changes these settings, you will automatically be informed and receive a notification.
Always know what privacy settings have changed in your child’s account.
Device details
Google Family Link lets you prevent your child from installing apps from unknown sources, add or remove users on the device, and enable developer options. These are all ways to bypass parental controls.
Device details is also the area in the app where you can make a sound on the child’s device. This is useful if the phone is misplaced or the child has turned on silent mode but you want to reach them. It also gives you the option to remotely reset the device if it’s stolen.
See important settings and features at a glance.
Share with multiple family members
Google Family Link enables comprehensive family management by allowing multiple children to be monitored under one account and multiple parents to have access to the same settings. This means parents can work together to monitor their children’s digital activities and ensure consistency of rules and limits across devices. Each child can have their own profile with specific settings tailored to their needs, while multiple parents can share the responsibility of managing these profiles. You can easily add members to your family group and determine for each member whether they are a parent or supervised member.
In the family group you can add additional members with whom you can use Family Link.
Upcoming features
A school mode is planned for 2025. This allows you to specify how your child can use their device while at school. The school time function is a simple operating mode that, among other things, restricts the use of applications. With Family Link, parents can automatically activate the mode on a school day and thus encourage their child to concentrate during lessons. In school mode, you can block calls or messages to certain numbers and you can also deny access to selected applications. This is particularly useful for turning off games and social media that could distract the child at school.
What happens when your child turns 16?
On their 16th birthday, a child can switch to a full adult Google account, which gives them access to all apps, websites, videos, and games. Google will send both parents and children an email informing them that their child can take control of their account on their birthday. After that, parents will no longer be able to manage their child’s account.
Your child can also choose to continue using the account under parental supervision. However, please note that the child can end parental supervision at any time after their 16th birthday. Parents will, of course, be informed if this happens.
If your child is old enough, he or she can decide whether he or she wants to remain under parental supervision.
- End Google parental controls
- YouTube: Enable parental controls
- YouTube Kids: How to use the video platform for Children
