Are you a teen parent or a parent to young children and you want to monitor what they do with their phones all the time? I have the perfect solution for you; Google family link.
This article is going to discuss how to set up a Google Family link app for your young children and teenagers.
With the help of the Google Family Link, parents can monitor their children’s smartphone activities, control which apps they may download and use, establish screen time restrictions, lock their devices, and even follow their whereabouts.
While other apps have their filtering features, Google Family Link does not restrict undesirable information.
In Family Link, you may find filtering options for Google programs like Search and Chrome.
Restricted Mode on YouTube is an optional feature that can be used to help filter out mature content for parents of teenagers 13 and older.
Family Link is available to children and teenagers who use Android devices with version 7.0 or higher. Family Link might work on some Android 5.0 and 6.0-powered devices too.
As long as it’s an Android device running version 4.4 or higher, as well as iPhone running iOS 9 or higher, parents can use Family Link on it.
A Chromebook can also run Family Link. You can control which websites your child may visit using Chrome, keep tabs on their app activity, and more using the Family Link app.
And yes only Chromebooks running Chrome OS 71 or higher versions can make use of Family Link.
So, you should first check the Android version that is installed on your device to make sure you are following the correct set of instructions. You might be able to change it if it isn’t current.
Let’s see how to check your phone’s Android version as shown below;
- Press the Settings button on the home screen.
- Choose About Phone or Tablet by scrolling down.
- To see the Android Version, scroll down. The number you see here represents the Android version that is installed on your smartphone.
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Article Road Map
How To Set Up Google Family Link On A Smartphone
First, install the Family Link app on your device whether it’s an Android or iOS device.
If your kid has an existing account, Family Link will show you how to connect your account and that of your child.
Your child might also have to install the Family Link Child/Teen app to their phone as part of that procedure to finish linking the accounts.
You can also set up a Google account or Gmail for your child if they don’t already have one so that you can use Family Link if they don’t.
Any child under 13 can also have a Google Account created using Family Link.
Once the sign-up is finished, kids can use the new account to log into their devices.
After the accounts are connected, you can use Family Link to establish ground rules on how to make use of devices for your family.
How To Block Or Unblock An App On Family Link
- Log into the Family Link app on your phone.
- Click on your child’s device.
- Locate the Apps installed card.
- Click on More.
- Click on the name of the app you want to allow or block.
- Now you can turn “Allow app” on or off.
How To Prevent Your Child From Downloading Mature Apps Using Google Family Link
By following the steps outlined below, you can configure parental controls to limit the content your child can access or acquire from Google Play:
- Activate the Family Link app on your device.
- Choose the child’s device.
- Look for the Settings card.
- Click Manage.
- On Google Play, click Controls.
- Choose your filters under “Content restrictions”: Movies, TV, Video Games, and Apps
- Select the highest maturity level of content that you want to make available for download or purchase by your child.
- Choose whether you want to limit downloads or purchases of explicit content for music and books.
How To Prevent Your Child From Changing Their App Permissions
- Log into the Family link app.
- Click on your child’s device as usual.
- Find the Device card.
- Click on View settings.
- Click on App permissions.
- Tap on a permission.
- Choose “Only parents” or “Your child and parents”.
By choosing the only parents option, your child won’t be able to give permission to any app on their device, whether it is a new app or an existing one.
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How To See Your Child’s App Activity Using Google Family link
Right from their Android devices or Chromebooks, you can monitor how much time your child spends using apps.
When the app is open and visible on the screen, time is tracked; however, when the app is running in the background, time is not recorded.
Follow the steps below to achieve this:
- Open the Family Link app.
- Select your child.
- Look for the App activity card.
- Click on Set up.
Within a few hours of activating App Activity, you’ll be able to see your child’s app usage.
How To Manage Your Child’s Screen Time Using Google Family Link
Your child will receive a notification when a screen time limit is set for the first time on their Android smartphone or Chromebook.
when the device is locked, your child will be unable to view notifications, they can’t use any applications or unlock the device.
However, if the device has a calling plan, your child can answer calls and hit Emergency to place a call (Android phones only)
To set the screen time, follow the steps below:
- Open the Family Link app
- Choose a child’s device
- Find the card with the daily limit.
- Tap to edit limitations.
- To set daily restrictions, follow the instructions you see on the screen.
Every Android device or Chromebook your child uses is subject to these daily restrictions when they’ve been set.
Your child would only be permitted to use each device for two hours each day, for instance, if you set a two-hour daily limit.
The internet access on your child’s gadget can also be turned off at any moment.
FAQ
Is Google Family Link Free?
Parents can manage their child’s Android phone by downloading the free Google Family Link app to their iPhone or Android device.
Parents can schedule the phone to be inaccessible at night, set a time limit on how much time their child can spend on it, and easily block their child’s phone use.
How Do I Set Parental Controls On Google?
– Open the Google Play application.
– Tap the profile icon in the top right corner.
– Select Settings Family. parental restrictions.
– Set the parental controls to on.
– Create a PIN that your youngster doesn’t know to protect the parental restrictions.
– Choose the content category you want to filter.
– Select a filtering or access restriction method.
Can I See My Child’s Text Messages On Family Link?
Yes, you can. You can view your child’s text messages, SMS texts, and social media texts with Google Family Link, and you can even ban the specific activity.
Why Can’t I Find My Child’s Location On Google Family Link?
If your child’s device is turned off, the Family Link app won’t show you where your child is.
Also if they don’t have an internet connection to their gadget or The phone has not recently been used.
Can Family Link See Your Deleted Search History?
Now that you’re curious, can your parents see what you’ve searched for? The short answer is that, unless you have removed it or searched in private search mode, your parents can view your search history.
What Can Parents See On Family Link?
Parents can set screen time restrictions on their child’s Android or ChromeOS devices via Family Link.
They can see where a child’s active and signed-in Android devices are located
They can limit the availability of content depending on maturity ratings, or approve your child’s downloads and purchases on Stadia and Google Play.
What happens To Family Link when A child Turns 13?
Your child will have the choice to upgrade to a regular Google Account when they become 13 (or the legal age in your country).
Parents will receive an email before their child turns 13 informing them that their child will become responsible for managing their account on their birthday and that they will no longer be able to do so.
What Are The Downsides Of Family Link?
Some downsides of Google family link are:
It does not support iOS children’s gadgets.
Very little web filtering is available.
It has fewer features all around
Can My Child Delete Family Link?
The Google Family Link app is guarded against kid manipulation. You must input the group password for the parents’ Family Link account and remove the child’s account from the group to uninstall Family Link on the child’s device.
The child’s smartphone won’t have any restrictions limiting the simple removal of the app till that time.
Can Family Link See Snapchat Messages?
Yes, it can. Snapchat introduced parental restrictions to help supervise teenagers’ use of social media.
Parents can see who their teen is contacting on Snapchat through the Family Center, but not their messages.
Without their child’s knowledge, parents may also report accounts that they don’t like.
Can Family Link Access WhatsApp Messages?
Yes, WhatsApp communications can be viewed by parental control. Remember that a family link is an outside application that monitors all activity on the target device, including WhatsApp messages.
Conclusion
I’m sure all parents that want to check what their child is doing on their smartphones, absolutely loved this article.
By following the steps listed in this article, you can set up a Google Family link on your child’s device and get to monitor how they use their phones all the time.
Would you like to try out the Google Family link? Tell us in the comments section.