How to set up parental controls on your child's phone with Google Family Link

Handing a child their first phone also hands them an app store, the open web and unlimited screen time. Google's free Family Link app lets you manage all of that from your own phone: the apps your child wants land on your screen for approval, the device locks when the daily limit runs out, and filters kick in on Chrome and Google Search.

In Türkiye a child cannot manage their own Google Account until they turn 13, so a parent creates and supervises the account for younger children. If your child already has an account, supervision can be added to it with their agreement.

This guide covers the whole setup: requirements, creating or linking the account, app approvals, screen time, content filters, location and what happens when your child turns 13.

1. Check the requirements and limits first To use Family Link as a parent you must be 18 or older and live in the same country as your child. Supervision only works on your child's Android device, Chromebook or compatible Fitbit; an iPhone or iPad used by the child cannot be supervised with Family Link. School-issued Google Workspace for Education accounts cannot be managed either. Check your child's Android version under Settings → About phone and update it first if it is older than 6.0.
2. Install Family Link on your own phone Download the Family Link app for parents from Google Play on Android or the App Store on iPhone and sign in with your own Google Account. From here on you will do everything in this app; some settings can also be managed at familylink.google.com. Allow notifications: your child's app and website requests arrive as notifications, and with notifications off you will never see them.
3. Create an account if your child does not have one In Family Link, tap the profile area at the top left, choose Add child and follow the on-screen steps. If you are setting up a new Android device, you can also start at the Google sign-in screen by tapping Create account, or More options → For my child if that option is not shown. Enter your child's name, date of birth, gender, chosen email address and password, then sign in with your own account and give parental consent. Get the date of birth right: it decides which rules apply. You will see a confirmation message when it is done.
4. Add supervision if your child already has an account On your child's phone open Settings, tap Google → All services and choose Parental controls under "Children & family". Tap Get started at the bottom right, pick the account to supervise and follow the steps. Your child has to accept supervision on this route, so have them and the phone next to you. On a Chromebook the same process starts from Settings → Accounts, with the Set up button next to Parental controls.
5. Require approval for downloads and block unwanted apps In Family Link select your child and tap Controls → Google Play. Under "Purchase & download approvals" tap Require approval for and choose All content, so that free apps cannot be installed without asking you either. When your child requests an app you get a notification and tap Approve or Deny; if you are with them you can also approve on their device with your own Google password. To switch off an installed app go to Screen time → Time limits → App limits, select the app, tap the Allowed toggle so it changes to Blocked and tap Done. The block takes effect within about 5 minutes or as soon as the device goes online; some system apps the device needs cannot be blocked.
6. Set a daily screen time limit and a weekly schedule In Family Link select your child, tap Screen time → Time limits at the bottom left and turn on Daily limit. Tap Weekly schedule, choose a day and enter the limit; to use the same limit every day choose Apply to every day, then tap Done. When the time runs out the device locks, although your child can still answer incoming calls and use the Emergency button to place a call. To give a single app its own allowance, select it in App limits and tap Set limit; for apps you do not want counted, such as homework apps, choose Unlimited time. For a special day you can add Bonus time under the device name on the Screen time screen without changing the regular limit.
7. Choose filters for Chrome, Google Search and Google Play Tap Controls → Google Chrome and Web and pick one of three options: Allow all sites, Try to block explicit sites or Only allow approved sites. The last one is the strictest choice for young children; you can add individual sites with Add a website under Approved sites and Blocked sites. On Google Search, the SafeSearch filter is already on and locked for a child account; check under Controls → Google Search that it is still set to Filter. Finally, go to Controls → Google Play, tap each content type you want to filter and choose an age-appropriate limit. Incognito mode is already disabled in Chrome for a child account.
8. Turn on location sharing and family places In Family Link tap Location → Set up location, choose the child if you have more than one, then tap Next and Turn on. Finding the location for the first time can take a little while, and it only works for your child's Android device or compatible Fitbit. For home and school, tap Location → Family places → New place, enter the address and give it a label; there are also Add school and Add home shortcuts. Arrival and departure alerts first need Location Accuracy or High Accuracy turned on for the device under Location → your child → More → Location settings.
9. Know what happens when your child turns 13 In Türkiye the age for managing your own Google Account is 13. When your child reaches it, Google emails both of you inviting you to update the account (on a Turkish account the subject reads "Google Hesabınızı güncellemeye hazır mısınız?"). If your child does nothing, the settings stay exactly as they are; with Update account and I agree they can switch to a supervised account for teens. Under Google's current rules a child under 18 needs parental approval to stop supervision, while you can end it at any time via Controls → Account settings → About supervision → Stop supervision. Both of you are notified when supervision stops.

⚠ This guide is general information. Yudum cannot be held responsible for the outcome of following it; for official procedures always rely on the institution's own statement. Steps and fees change over time.

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