Google Family Link is Google’s free parental control app: link your child’s Google account to your phone, then approve apps, set screen time and see where their device is. It works on almost any Android phone or tablet, including the budget tablets many Kenyan families buy for children.
Updated 29 October 2026.
What Family Link can do
- Approve apps before your child installs them from the Play Store.
- Set screen time: a daily limit, a bedtime (downtime), and limits per app.
- Filter content in Chrome, Google Search and the Play Store.
- See the device’s location when it’s on and online.
- Lock the device remotely.
- See activity: which apps they use and for how long. It doesn’t read messages.
Set it up step by step
- On your phone, install Google Family Link from the Play Store or App Store and sign in with your Google account.
- Tap to add a child, or create a Google account for them in the app (the only way for under-13s).
- On the child’s device, sign in with the child’s account. If it’s already signed in, open Settings > Google > Parental controls and follow the steps.
- Enter your own password on the child’s device, choose which apps to keep, and finish on your phone.
Key settings: apps, time, location
| Setting | Where in Family Link | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| App approvals | Controls > Content restrictions > Google Play | Set to require approval for all content at first |
| Daily limit | Controls > Screen time | Weekdays shorter than weekends works well |
| Downtime | Controls > Screen time > Downtime | Stops use at bedtime |
| App limits | Controls > App limits | Block or time-limit games and video apps |
| Location | Location tab | Needs location and internet on |
Menu names change over time. See also limiting screen time on Android and parental controls on Samsung.
Family Link on iPhone and Chromebook
Can you use Family Link from an iPhone? Yes. The parent’s app works on iPhone, so you can manage a child’s Android device from it. The child’s device must be Android or a Chromebook; Family Link can’t set device limits on a child’s iPhone or iPad (use Apple’s Screen Time for those).
On a Chromebook, the child signs in with their supervised account and the same controls apply.
Adding a second parent: in Family Link, open the menu, go to your family group, invite the other parent’s Google account, then make them a parent. Both of you can then change settings.
When a child turns 13
Google emails both of you before the birthday (13 in most countries). Depending on Google’s current rules, your teen may manage their own account or need your approval to stop supervision. Check the email and talk to your child before the date.
For a wider look at options beyond Family Link, read our guide to parental controls on Android.
Quick answers
Install Family Link, add your child’s account, then on their device follow Settings > Google > Parental controls.
Yes, as the parent. The child’s device must be Android or a Chromebook.
Invite them to your family group from the Family Link menu, then set them as a parent so they can manage settings too.
