How to Set Up Parental Controls on Android | Google Family Link

How do you set up parental controls on Android?

    Most parents are unaware of this feature. In fact, you can use a smartphone to manage your child’s phone, see their location, block websites they visit, set time limits for social media, and, when necessary, turn on school mode to restrict smartphone use. Google Family Link can be used for this.    First, the parent must download the Google Family Link app from the Play Store on their smartphone and then sign in to the app with the Google account that is active on their phone. The screen will then ask whether their child has a Google account. If the child has a smartphone and a Google account, select “Yes.”    After this step, on the child’s phone, first go to “Settings,” then “Google services,” followed by “All services.” Under “Kids & family” below, select “Parental controls.”    After tapping the “Get started” button, select the Google account to be supervised and tap “Supervise account.” In the menu that opens, tap “Next,” and the parent must sign in to their own Google account. At this stage, the parent’s account information is specifically required.    First enter the email address, followed by the password. After reviewing the terms in the window that opens, scroll to the very bottom of the page.    In the final section, the password for the child’s Google account is required. If the parent does not know the password, they should ask their child. If the child does not know the password either, they can sign out of the existing Google account on the phone, create a new account with a known password, and repeat the steps shown.    After entering the password, tap “Next.” Finally, granting permission confirms that management of the child’s phone is linked to the parent’s phone.    The child’s account information will then appear in the Google Family Link app on the parent’s smartphone. From there, limits and other management settings can be adjusted easily.    For example, TikTok use can be limited to 30 minutes a day, access to adult websites can be blocked, and the phone can be set to lock during lessons and have restricted use at night. When needed, location information can be viewed with a single tap.    These steps are for smartphones running the Android operating system. The next article will explain how to set up parental controls on devices running the iOS operating system.