unhackchildhood.com/how-to/android-family-link · Checked against official instructions on September 24, 2026
THE WALKTHROUGH
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Secure your account and get the app
Your Google password approves your child’s requests and settings, so protect it first: open your Google Account > Security & sign-in > Turn on 2-Step Verification. Then install the Family Link app on your phone from Google Play or the App Store. You must be 18 or older, use a personal account, and live in the same country as your child.
Create or connect your child’s account
For a child under 13, create the account in Family Link: select your child’s profile > Add child. On a new Android device, you can instead tap Create account, or More options > For my child. A teen 13 or older makes their own account. Then, with the teen and device nearby, open Settings > Google > All services > Parental controls > Let’s do this. Your teen must agree.
Add the Chromebook
On a new Chromebook, choose For a child > Child’s Google Account during setup. On one already in use, sign out and select Add person > For a child. For an existing account, open Settings and, under Accounts, next to Parental Controls, select Set up. As the owner, open Settings > Privacy and security > Manage other people, turn off Guest browsing, and turn on Limit who can sign-in.
Set Google Play approvals and ratings
In Family Link, select your child, then Controls > Google Play. Under Purchases & download approvals, tap Require approval for and choose All content, Paid content only, In-app purchases only, or Never. Then tap each content type, like apps and games, and pick the highest rating allowed. In the US, app and game ratings come from the ESRB, such as Everyone, Teen, and Mature.
Set screen time and schedules
Tap Screen time > Time limits, turn on Daily limit, and set each day. The limit counts on each device separately. Use Screen time > Schedules to turn on Downtime for nights and School time for class hours. Under Time limits > App limits, cap or block single apps. To lock a device right away, tap Lock below its name on the Screen time tab.
Filter Chrome and Search
Tap Controls > Google Chrome and Web and choose Try to block explicit sites or Only allow approved sites. Add exceptions under Approved sites and Blocked sites. Then open Controls > Google Search: SafeSearch is on and locked by default, set to Filter. YouTube has separate settings under Controls > YouTube, and our YouTube guide covers them.
Decide on location and Gemini
Location works on Android devices and compatible Fitbit devices, not Chromebooks. Tap Location > Set up location, then Next > Turn on. Tell your child what you can see and when you will look. For a child under 13, Google says a parent must turn on Gemini Apps first. Check Controls > Gemini > Gemini Apps and set it on purpose.
FIVE-MINUTE CHECK
Verify, don't assume.
- Your child and each of their devices appear in Family Link
- A test app download on the child’s device asks for your approval
- A site you blocked does not open in Chrome
- Daily limit and Downtime appear on the Screen time tab
- Guest browsing is off, and your own 2-Step Verification is on
WHAT THE CONTROLS DO NOT SOLVE
- No filter is perfect. Google says so about Chrome’s explicit-site filter, and Play ratings do not hide restricted apps from search results or direct links.
- Family Link can’t supervise iPhones, iPads, or Windows and Mac computers, or manage school Google Workspace for Education accounts. On school-issued Chromebooks, district administrators decide what students can access.
- Teens gain control. A teen who had an existing account can stop location sharing at any time. Google says teens under 18 need your approval to stop supervision, and you both get notified.
OFFICIAL INSTRUCTIONS
Platform features and menus change frequently. This guide was checked against the linked official documentation on September 24, 2026.