Android's parental control story runs through Google Family Link — a free app that lets you supervise your child's Google account, approve apps, set screen time limits, and filter web content. When set up correctly, it's a solid system. When set up halfway, it leaves more holes than most parents realize.
I'm a cybersecurity professional and father of three. This guide covers the complete Family Link setup, what it can and can't control, the bypasses kids find (especially the sideloading gap), and the one date you need to have a conversation with your child before it arrives: their 13th birthday.
This guide applies to Android 7.0+ on any manufacturer's hardware — Samsung, Google Pixel, OnePlus, Motorola, and others. Samsung devices have additional controls covered in Section 8.
Before you start
Have these ready:
- Your child's Android phone or tablet
- The Google Family Link app installed on your phone (parent account)
- Your Google account password (kids should not know it)
- 15–20 minutes for account linking and first limits
Optional: home-router DNS filtering (network-wide website blocking) for coverage outside Family Link — see our DNS guide when you are ready.
1. Setting Up Google Family Link
Family Link works by linking a child's supervised Google account to your parent Google account. The child uses their supervised account on their Android device; you manage everything from the Family Link app on your phone.
Download the Family Link app on your phone
Search for "Google Family Link" in the Play Store or App Store (it's available on both). Sign in with your Google account — this becomes the parent/manager account. Do not use your child's Google account here.
Create a supervised Google account for your child
In the Family Link app, tap Create a profile → Child or teen. Follow the prompts to create a new Google account for your child. Children under 13 must have a supervised account — Google requires parent approval for accounts created for under-13 users. You'll provide your Google account credentials to approve the child account creation.
If your child already has a Google account (even one they created themselves), you can link it for supervision from the Family Link app under Add child → Manage existing Google Account.
Link the supervised account to your child's Android device
On your child's Android device, sign in with their supervised Google account (not yours). During setup the device will ask if parental supervision applies — confirm it. The device is now linked to your Family Link app. You should immediately see their device appear in the app.
Make sure your child's device only has their supervised account
Android allows multiple Google accounts on a single device. If your child adds your Google account or any unsupervised adult account to their device, they can switch to that account and operate completely outside Family Link controls. After setup, go to Settings → Accounts on the child's device and verify only their supervised account is logged in. Remove any others.
2. Play Store Restrictions & App Approvals
Require your approval for every app download
In the Family Link app, go to your child's profile → Controls → Google Play → Apps & Games. Set this to "Ask to approve all content." Now every time your child wants to download an app — including free ones — you receive a notification and must approve it before the download proceeds. This is the single most important Play Store setting.
Set content rating limits
Under Controls → Google Play → Content Restrictions, set the maximum allowed content rating for apps, games, movies, TV, and books. For apps/games: Everyone 10+ is a reasonable floor for most children; Teen (13+) for older kids. This filter applies automatically without requiring per-app approval for apps that fall under the limit.
Disable in-app purchases
Under Controls → Google Play → Purchases and downloads, require authentication for all purchases, including free downloads. This prevents your child from making in-app purchases in games without your knowledge.
3. Screen Time Limits & Bedtime
Set a daily screen time limit
In the Family Link app, go to Controls → Screen time → Set daily limit. Set a total daily usage limit for the device. When the limit is reached, the device locks and shows a message explaining why — your child can send a request for more time through the device, which you approve or deny from your phone.
Set a bedtime schedule
Under Screen time → Set a schedule → Bedtime, configure the hours during which the device is locked. You can set different bedtimes for weekdays and weekends. During locked hours, the device can still make emergency calls but all apps are inaccessible.
Screen time limits don't block phone calls or some system apps
When a Family Link screen time limit is reached, the device locks most apps — but phone calls, emergency services, and certain system functions remain accessible. This is intentional for safety. However, some manufacturers (especially Samsung) include apps classified as "system" that may remain accessible. Check your specific device to see what stays available after lockout.
Managing controls across every device?
CyberDaddy tracks Family Link status, DNS filtering, and parental controls across Android, iPhone, gaming consoles, and your home network — one dashboard instead of six apps.
4. Chrome Filtering & SafeSearch
Family Link's web controls apply specifically to Chrome. They do not apply to other browsers installed on the device, which is why controlling app installation (Section 2) is essential.
Enable SafeSearch in Chrome
In Family Link, go to Controls → Google Search → SafeSearch and enable it. This locks SafeSearch on for Google searches in Chrome, filtering explicit results. Your child cannot turn this off while supervised.
Set web content restrictions in Chrome
Under Controls → Google Chrome → Permissions, choose one of three modes:
Allow all sites — No filtering (not recommended for young children)
Try to block mature sites — Enables Google's SafeSites filter, which attempts to block adult content. Not foolproof but covers most categories.
Only allow approved sites — Most restrictive: your child can only visit sites you've explicitly whitelisted. Practical for young children; impractical for teens who need broad web access.
For most families with children under 12, "Try to block mature sites" combined with DNS filtering at the router is the most balanced approach.
These filters only work in Chrome — not other browsers
If your child downloads Firefox, Brave, Opera, or any other browser app, they can bypass Chrome's content filter entirely. This is why requiring app approval for every download is critical — deny any browser apps you haven't approved. You can also use DNS filtering at your router as a backstop that covers all browsers regardless.
5. Location Sharing
Enable location sharing
In the Family Link app, your child's location is shown on a map by default when location sharing is enabled. On the child's device, verify Location Services is on (Settings → Location → On) and that Family Link has location permission. You can see their current location, recent location history, and set up notifications when they arrive at or leave specific locations (like school or home).
A child can disable location on the device itself
While supervised, your child cannot change most Family Link settings — but they can still pull down the notification shade and toggle Location off at the system level. Family Link will show their last known location with a timestamp indicating when location was last updated. If location stops updating, have a conversation rather than assuming the app is broken.
6. Digital Wellbeing (On-Device Controls)
Google's Digital Wellbeing app is built into most Android devices and provides per-app usage tracking and limits directly on the device — separate from and complementary to Family Link.
Set per-app limits in Digital Wellbeing
On the child's device, go to Settings → Digital Wellbeing & Parental Controls → Dashboard. Here you can set daily time limits for individual apps — for example, 30 minutes for YouTube, 45 minutes for TikTok. When the limit is reached, the app icon is greyed out and the app cannot be opened until midnight.
Digital Wellbeing timers require a PIN to bypass — but aren't fully locked
App timers in Digital Wellbeing show a "Need more time?" prompt with an option to dismiss the limit. Without a PIN set, your child can dismiss it freely. Some Android versions allow setting a PIN to require authorization before dismissing. Check your device's Digital Wellbeing settings for a PIN option. Family Link's screen time limits are more reliably enforced than Digital Wellbeing app timers alone.
7. Samsung-Specific Controls
Samsung Android devices include additional parental control features beyond Google Family Link. These can be used alongside Family Link for extra layers of protection.
Samsung Kids mode
On Samsung devices, Samsung Kids is a locked launcher that gives children access to a curated set of apps in a safe, colorful interface. When Kids mode is active, the child can only access apps you've approved within the Kids environment. Exiting Kids mode requires the device PIN or pattern. Useful for younger children (under 8) on shared Samsung devices.
Galaxy Store parental controls
The Samsung Galaxy Store (separate from Google Play) also has content rating controls. If your child uses a Samsung device, configure parental controls in the Galaxy Store app as well — otherwise they could download Samsung-specific apps that bypass Play Store restrictions.
8. Bypass Tricks to Know About
Apps can be installed outside the Play Store entirely
Android allows installing apps from APK files downloaded from the web — completely bypassing the Play Store and your app approval controls. This is called "sideloading." A child who knows this can download any app without your approval.
To block it: In Family Link, make sure app installation from unknown sources is restricted. On the device, go to Settings → Apps → Special app access → Install unknown apps and verify no browser or file manager has this permission enabled. Also, require Chrome content restrictions so they can't easily browse to APK download sites.
Adding an unsupervised Google account bypasses all Family Link controls
As mentioned in setup: if your child adds an adult Google account to the device (even temporarily), they can switch to it and use the phone outside Family Link entirely. Check Settings → Accounts regularly and remove any accounts other than your child's supervised one. Enable a screen lock so they can't change account settings without the PIN.
Factory reset removes the supervised account
If your child factory resets the device, they can set it up with any Google account — including a new unsupervised one. Prevent this by enabling a strong screen lock PIN that your child doesn't know, and by requiring the Google account password to perform a factory reset (Google's Factory Reset Protection). After any reset, the phone requires the previous Google account credentials to set up.
A VPN bypasses Chrome content filtering and DNS filters
VPN apps route traffic through external servers, bypassing both Chrome's content filter and any DNS filtering you've set at the router. Block VPN installation by requiring app approval for all downloads and denying VPN apps when requested. For a full guide on detecting and removing VPNs from kids' phones, see: How to Block VPN Apps on Your Kid's Phone.
Want all of this verified automatically?
CyberDaddy checks your Family Link configuration, verifies unknown-sources is blocked, and alerts you if a new account appears on the device — so you catch bypass attempts before they become habits.
9. The Age-13 Cliff
This is the most important section in this guide for parents of kids approaching their teens, and the one most Android parental control guides skip entirely.
Google notifies your child — not just you — before supervision ends
When a child supervised by Family Link approaches their 13th birthday, Google sends notifications to the child's device explaining that supervision is about to end and they can choose to remove it. On their 13th birthday, the child can opt out of Family Link supervision entirely — and if they do, all controls are immediately gone. You have no override.
This isn't a bug — it's Google's interpretation of COPPA and children's privacy rights. But it means you need to have a direct conversation with your child well before their 13th birthday about what oversight continues and why.
What to use once Family Link supervision ends
For teens who've outgrown supervised accounts, shift to:
Digital Wellbeing — App timers and Screen Time features still work on unsupervised accounts, though they're easier to bypass.
Router-level DNS filtering — Works regardless of what account is on the phone. See: Best DNS Filtering for Families.
Open conversation — At 13+, the most durable protection is an ongoing dialogue about what they're doing online, not software that teens know how to bypass. Most security professionals with teenagers will tell you the same thing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Android is one device in your household.
iPhones, gaming consoles, smart TVs, and your router all need their own parental controls. CyberDaddy gives you one dashboard to set up and verify all of them — including alerts when Family Link supervision status changes.
Not ready yet? Get the free setup checklist by email: