Manage Parental Privileges using Google One on android phone or tablet. Once you add a family member, you can either make him a parent or child. This should preferably be based on age.

There are two types of apps to supervise parental controls on Android from Google. One you need to install on the parent mobile and other on the child’s device.

  1. Google Family Link for Parents
  2. Google Family Link for children & teens

As a Google One Manager, you can manage the family group. Supervise your children with a Family Link app. In addition, you can add another parent to help supervise your children. This will lay the digital ground rules to set time limits and keep an eye on your child.

Open this app and you can see all your family members. At the top you can see their profile pics. Tap the family list. From this screen, you can either “Invite other family member” or “Supervise a family member” as a parent.

Another alternative is tap the “+” symbol on the main screen. The following question is  –

Does your child have a Google account – Ending @gmail.com”.  Click on “Yes” to proceed. If your kid doesn’t have one, you can tap “No” and create a user account on Google. This will approximately take 5 minutes.

The next screen will ask to “Get your child’s device”. With help of both your and kid’s devices, you will set up supervision on the child mobile. Tap on “Next”.

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Then, you have to install the “Google Family Link for children & teenagers” app on the kid’s device. Then you have to enter the Family link setup code to connect both your devices.

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Once you link up both mobiles, you can see the kid’s name in the parent app. Tap on “view” to see further options.

Tap on “Manage settings” to set parental controls on teen’s mobile.

  1. Controls on Google Play
  2. Filters on Google Chrome
  3. …  Google Search
  4. Filters on YouTube
  5. Android Apps
  6. Location
  7. Account Information
  8. Account supervision
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and More.

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Google Play Controls

You can manage what your kid or teen can browse, purchase or download on Google Play on this screen.

Purchases and download approvals

The following options are available –

  • All content
  • All purchases using the family payment method
  • Only in-app purchases
  • No approval required.

You can leave the default option of “All content” which will require your consent whenever your kid wants to purchase on the Google Play Store.

Content restrictions

As a parent, you can control the following things. He needs your permission to browse on Google Play. Even for payments she still requires consent, except for items in the Family library.

  1. Apps & games – Content restrictions can be placed based on age. Age group options  – 3+, 7+, 12+, 16+,18+ and Allow all, including unrated.
  2. Films – The following restrictions apply. U, UA,A, S, Allow all, including unrated.
  3. Books – Restrict sexually explicit books option.
  4. Music –  Restrict music marked explicit by content providers.
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Filters on Google Chrome

You can decide which sites your kid can browse on Google Chrome. She can still ask for permission to visit the blocked sites. The following options are there –

  • Allow all sites
  • Try to block mature sites
  • Allow only certain sites

When you tap on ‘Manage sites” you can decide allowed and blocked sites.

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Turn the “SafeSearch” option to ON. This will enable SafeSearch to help filter sexually explicit and violent results on Google Search.

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Filters on YouTube

Switch the YouTube Restricted mode to ON. This can hide videos with potentially mature content that you don’t want your kid to see. Though it is not 100% accurate, it will help prevent sex and explicit content being shown to your child on YouTube.

Android Apps

You can see the app activity and set limits. See the different apps used by your kid and the amount of time used for each app. This can be categorized based on Today, Yesterday, Last 7 days, Last 30 days.

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On the Limits tab, you can click the “hourglass” symbol to set the time limit for each app. There are two options – Set limit, Block. The set limit option can be used to set a time limit in hours or minutes. Too much time on YouTube or Games can be prevented.

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Location

Turn on the option that says “See your child’s location”. Then you need to provide device administrator privilege on your child’s phone. In this way you can track the locality of your child. The mobile phones of your child are listed here.

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When you click on the kid’s device, 3 modes can be set – High accuracy, Battery saving, Device only. This will allow Family Link and other apps that you select, to determine the place of your kid’s signed-in smart phones.

Parents can change their child’s position settings and what information Google stores about them.

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Account Information

This will show the first name, last name, birth details, sex group etc. You can also stop supervision from here.

Account supervision

This screen will tell what parents can see and do –

  • Account settings and controls
  • Apps on supervised devices
  • Location
  • Screen time on supervised devices
  • Google Chrome, Search and Play filters

You can also stop supervision from here.

More

There are additional parental controls using the google app on Android. You can decide whether parental permission is required when your kid signs in to iPads, iPhones, browsers and platforms that can be supervised.

The Privacy Settings feature can be used to control data collection and processing controls. This includes whether you can see your kid’s app pursuit in Family Link. Manage Google movement using this option.

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The Google account activity can also be managed by the parent depending upon the option chosen here. You can decide whether it can be managed by the parents or both you and kid.

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Below the “Manage Settings” you can set up kid’s area tracking.

Turn On Location

To view the site of your kid’s Android mobile, turn on this setting for your child’s Google account. Location works best on Android phones with a mobile data plan. When you turn on this option and allow administrator control on the kid’s phone, GPS option can be controlled from your mobile. This uses Google’s location services.

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Lock and Unlock

Tap on “Lock now” to lock your kid’s android phone. He will not be able to use it till you unlock or permit him to use it.

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Bedtime

The bedtime timing also can be scheduled and controlled using the Family Link app of the parent. Perhaps, this will interlock the phone after the scheduled hours. Also, it’s a good way to tell the kid that it’s time to sleep.

The list of apps installed on the last 7 days can also be seen here. To find your kid’s phone if misplaced, you can play the ringtone of the mobile. This is to easily find the kid if he is using it.

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Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ

  • What is the best parental control app for Android?

The Family Link app from Google is a powerful app for parental control on Android. Since both the mobile OS and the app come from the search engine giant, it is more compatible with all the Android devices. As a parent you can supervise your kid’s activity which includes browsing and apps. Lock the kid’s phone and track the place easily. Uninstall should also be a breeze.

  • How do I bypass parental controls on Android?

The child can use a VPN to forego parental privileges on Android. Using Google Play Store settings also, kids can turn off these controls. If you are using an app like Family Link, one can remove the Google account that is being monitored by your parent. This will remove parental management settings and all the other data.

  • How do I child proof my Android phone?

The best way to bolt a child’s device is using a PIN or FingerPrint method. Some phones also allow you to hide the important apps. Make an unique profile for you and your kid. Then you can restrict your kid’s activity on that profile with a parental app like Family Link. It can block apps and websites that are harmful and with explicit content.

  • How do I set parental controls on my phone?

You can simply use the Family Link app to set parental controls on your Android phone. Once  you install the kid’s version of the same app, then you can monitor their activity and have control over their phone. You can even manage their Google account activity. Using “Manage Settings” on the parent app, you can set all the different controls.

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