Use Google Family Link to supervise a child's Google Account on Android and Chromebook: screen time limits, app allow/block, Play content filters, and location on supported devices. This is parental controls, not antivirus, and it is not the same as iPhone Screen Time or Microsoft Family Safety on Windows. For most U.S. households the buy-nothing path is enough: parent Google Account → Family Link app → child's supervised account → daily limits and app controls.

What Family Link can and cannot do

Family Link manages a supervised Google Account on Android (6.0+) and Chromebook (ChromeOS 71+). It does not supervise iPhone, iPad, or non-Chromebook computers the same way.

Google documents that with Family Link a parent can:

  • Change some of the child's Google Account settings
  • Manage apps on supervised devices (download/purchase approvals, block or allow apps, permissions)
  • Set bedtime or daily screen limits and see time on apps
  • Check location of the child's Android or compatible Fitbit device
  • Restrict mature content on Google Play

Important limits from Google's help: Family Link may not be available in every country; Google Workspace for Education accounts are not managed by Family Link; purchase approval settings apply only to purchases through Google Play's billing system.

What you need first

You need a parent Google Account (age 18+ or the local adult age), the Family Link app, and a child Google Account on a supported device.

  1. Create or sign in to your own Google Account if you do not have one.
  2. On your phone or tablet, install Family Link (Android 6.0+, iPhone/iPad iOS 16+, or a Chromebook that supports Android apps). You can also manage some settings at familylink.google.com.
  3. Live in the same country as your child (Google's requirement for this setup).
  4. For a child under 13 (or the applicable age in your country), create a supervised Google Account with parental consent. For an older child who already has an account, add Family Link supervision to that existing account.
  5. Put a strong password and 2FA on the parent Google Account before you rely on Ask a parent approvals.

Create or supervise the child's Google Account

Google documents several paths; pick the one that matches your child's age and device.

New supervised account (under 13 / applicable age)

  1. Open Family Link, select your child's profile → Add child, and follow the on-screen steps, or go to Google's create-account flow for a child and provide parental consent with your parent Google Account.
  2. On a new Android device: during setup, choose Create account / For my child, enter the child's details, then sign in with your parent account to consent and pick settings.
  3. On a device that is already set up: remove other accounts you do not want the child to use, then add the new child account through the same create-for-child flow.

Existing account (typically 13+)

  1. Have the child create their own Google Account if they do not have one.
  2. In Family Link, add supervision to that account and finish any restart Google asks for on Chromebook.

School-issued Workspace accounts are separate: Google says Family Link parental supervision features do not apply to that school account even if it is added as another user on the device.

Set the controls that matter most

After the supervised account is on the child's Android or Chromebook, set screen time, apps, and web filters from your Family Link app.

Screen time (Family Link → child's name → Screen time)

  1. Tap Time limits and turn on Daily limit.
  2. Open Weekly schedule, pick a day, enter the allowed time, then use Apply to all days of the week if you want the same limit every day.
  3. Use Bonus time when you want extra minutes for today without rewriting the weekly schedule.
  4. Google notes daily limits apply per device: a 2-hour limit means up to 2 hours on each supervised device, not 2 hours total across every device.

Apps

  1. Open Screen time → Time limits → App limits (or the Family Link app controls for apps).
  2. Select an app and toggle Allowed / Blocked. Blocked apps sync in a few minutes when the device is online; if the child is in the app, Google gives about a one-minute warning before the block.
  3. Some system apps cannot be blocked because supervision or the device needs them.

Chrome and web (especially Chromebook)

  1. Open Family Link → child → Controls → Google Chrome and Web.
  2. Choose Allow all sites, Try to block explicit sites, or Only allow approved sites.
  3. Under Manage sites, add approved or blocked websites/domains. Google's tip: include www. when you mean one site; use a domain when you want related hostnames covered.
  4. Optionally turn off site permissions (location, camera, notifications) under Advanced settings so the child cannot grant them.

You can also open the child's settings at g.co/YourFamily.

FAQ

How do I set parental controls on my child's Android phone?

Install Family Link on your device, create or supervise the child's Google Account, sign the child into that account on the Android phone, then set daily limits, app blocks, and Play/content filters in the Family Link app.

Is Family Link the same as iPhone Screen Time or Microsoft Family Safety?

No. Family Link is Google's Android/Chromebook path. Use Screen Time for iPhone and Family Safety for Windows when the household mixes platforms.

Do I need to buy antivirus for Family Link?

No. Family Link is free parental controls. It is not antivirus. Buy-nothing is valid here.

Can Family Link supervise an iPhone?

Google's Family Link help says iPhones, iPads, and computers other than Chromebooks can't be supervised with Family Link the same way. Use Apple Screen Time for iPhone.

What if my kid's game account gets hacked anyway?

Parental app limits help, but game logins are a separate risk — see kids' game account hacked.

Family Link parental controls do not require a paid antivirus. Microsoft Defender remains a valid buy-nothing choice for many Windows PCs in the same household. Habits that help are a locked-down parent Google Account with 2FA, per-device screen limits, and Play purchase approvals. If the household later wants multi-device paid protection, use only these on-site paid links: TotalAV (paid link), Norton (paid link), Bitdefender (paid link), McAfee (paid link), Avast (paid link).