Set Up Your Kid’s Android Phone

A few minutes of prep that makes everything else work.

• Install Family Link on your phone. Get it from the Google Play Store on an Android phone, or the App Store on an iPhone. Sign in with your own Google Account.

  Yes, iPhone parents can manage an Android kid. Only the kid’s phone has to be Android.

• Update your kid’s phone. Screen time limits need Android 7 or newer, and the new contacts controls need Android 14 or newer. Look for Software update in their phone’s Settings (where it lives depends on the brand).
• Add your co-parent as a parent. That way they can approve requests and change settings too. They need to be in your Google family group first, and only the family manager can add a second parent. Where to find it: Your kid›, then Manage Family›, then The other adult›, then Add parent privileges

Family Link works through your kid’s own Google Account. Once it’s supervised, your settings follow them to every Android phone and Chromebook they sign in on.

• Create a Google Account for them in Family Link. It takes about 15 minutes. Use their real birthday, and you’ll give parental consent with your own account at the end. Where to find it: Open Family Link›, then Your kid’s profile (top left)›, then Add child

  Setting up a brand-new phone instead? You can create the account right there during setup: tap Create account, then For my child.

• Add supervision to their existing account, together. Teens can have their own Google Account, and you add Family Link to it with their phone in hand. They’ll need to agree to it on their end. Where to find it: Their phone: Settings›, then Google›, then All services›, then Parental controls›, then Let’s do this

  You’ll find Parental controls under “Kids & family.” Their phone needs to be right there with you.

• Know what happens when they turn 13. Google emails you both. If nobody does anything, your settings stay exactly as they are. They can switch to teen supervision, but they’ll still need your approval to turn supervision off until they’re 18.
• Know how supervision ends. Your teen can’t just switch it off. Until they’re 18, stopping supervision takes your approval, and you’ll both get notified when it happens.
• Handing down your old phone? Remove your Google Account from it and delete any photos, apps, and data you don’t want them to have, before you add their account.

Sign them in the right way once, and a lot of the rest takes care of itself.

• Sign them in on their phone. Turn the phone on, sign in with your kid’s Google Account when it asks, and verify you’re the parent. Then follow the prompts.

  Already set up? Their phone’s Settings has an accounts screen (often called Passwords & accounts) where you can add their account later.

• Keep it to one profile. Family Link settings only apply to the profile your kid is signed in to, so leave Add/Remove user off. If you do add another profile, lock it with a PIN. Where to find it: Your kid›, then Controls›, then Signed-in devices›, then Their phone›, then Add/Remove user
• Leave Edit date & time off. It’s off unless you turn it on, and keeping it that way helps their screen time limits keep working the way you set them. Where to find it: Your kid›, then Controls›, then Signed-in devices›, then Their phone›, then Edit date & time

Apps, games, and purchases from Google Play.

• Require your approval for downloads. Choose All content, and every download (free ones too) comes to you as a request first. They can ask in a message or ask you in person. Where to find it: g.co/YourFamily›, then Your kid›, then Controls on Google Play›, then Require approval for

  This one is easiest from a computer at g.co/YourFamily. It covers purchases made through Google Play’s own billing.

• Set Google Play content ratings. Pick the highest rating allowed for Apps & games, Movies, and TV, and whether to restrict explicit Books. Where to find it: Your kid›, then Controls›, then Google Play

  Ratings don’t remove apps that were already on the phone before you set them, so check the next box too.

• Review the apps already on their phone. Tap any app to block it or allow it. If they’re using it when you block it, they get a one-minute warning to wrap up. Where to find it: Your kid›, then Screen time›, then Time limits›, then App limits

  A few apps the phone needs to work can’t be blocked.

• Decide who can give apps permissions. For things like location, camera, and microphone, you can set it so only parents can say yes. Where to find it: Your kid›, then Controls›, then Signed-in devices›, then Their phone›, then App permissions

  Choose a permission, then pick Only parents. It won’t undo permissions that were already given.

These filters work in Google’s own apps. If they have another browser or search app, block it in App limits so the filters can’t be skipped.

• Pick a Chrome filter. Only allow approved sites means they ask before visiting anything new. Try to block explicit sites helps hide sexually explicit sites and allows the rest (Google is upfront that no filter is perfect). Incognito mode is turned off automatically. Where to find it: Your kid›, then Controls›, then Google Chrome and Web

  For younger kids, Only allow approved sites is the calmest place to start.

  For most teens, Try to block explicit sites is a good middle ground.

• Pre-approve the sites they need. Add school sites ahead of time, and block any you already know you don’t want. While you’re there, check Permissions for sites under Advanced settings, which decides whether websites can ask for their location, camera, or microphone. Where to find it: Your kid›, then Controls›, then Google Chrome and Web›, then Approved sites
• Check that SafeSearch is on. It filters explicit results in Google Search, and only parents can change it. Where to find it: Your kid›, then Controls›, then Google Search Filter is on and locked for supervised kids
• Choose their YouTube. Pick YouTube Kids, or a supervised YouTube account with one of three content settings: Older kids (about 9+), Teens (about 13+), or Older teens (about 16+). You can also turn off autoplay and pause their watch and search history. Where to find it: Your kid›, then Controls›, then YouTube
• Turn on YouTube Restricted Mode. Once a teen manages their own YouTube, the supervised YouTube settings don’t apply anymore. Restricted Mode helps screen out most mature videos. Where to find it: Your kid›, then Controls›, then YouTube›, then Restricted Mode
• Decide about Gemini. Google’s AI app only works for kids under 13 if you turn it on, and you get an email the first time they use it. If you say yes, talk with them about it being a tool, not a friend. Where to find it: Your kid›, then Controls›, then Gemini›, then Gemini Apps

These work in Google Messages and the Google Phone app on Android 14 and newer. Apps like WhatsApp or Discord aren’t covered, so block those in App limits if you’re not ready for them. The Parental Controls Map has the controls inside those apps.

• Add yourself to their contacts. Start with you and your co-parent, then add anyone else from your own contacts (up to 100). Where to find it: Your kid›, then Controls›, then Contacts, calls & text›, then Get started

  Google’s steps for this section use Family Link on an Android phone.

  Contacts you create here only live on their phone unless they’re synced to Google Contacts, and they can disappear when your kid turns 13 and updates their account.

• Choose who they can call and text. Pick Anyone, Contacts I add & limited groups, or Only contacts I add. With the last two, they send you a request for new numbers, and you approve or deny it from a Family Link notification. Where to find it: Your kid›, then Controls›, then Contacts, calls & text›, then Allowed calls & texts
• Check that sensitive content warnings are on. Google Messages blurs images that may contain nudity and gives your kid a pause, with help resources, before they open, send, or forward one. It all happens on the phone. Where to find it: Your kid›, then Controls›, then Contacts, calls & text›, then Sensitive content warnings On by default for supervised kids
• Show them how to block someone. Walk through it together on their phone: blocking a number in the Phone app, and a sender in Gmail or Google Chat. The steps vary a little by phone, and Google has them in Help prevent people from contacting your child.

Let the phone be the one saying “time’s up” every night, instead of you. When it locks, they can still answer calls and make emergency calls.

• Set a daily limit. Turn on Daily limit, then set the time for each day of the week in Weekly schedule. Where to find it: Your kid›, then Screen time›, then Time limits›, then Daily limit

  Heads up: the limit counts separately on each device. Two hours means two hours on the phone and two on the Chromebook.

• Set Downtime for bedtime. The phone locks overnight on the schedule you pick. Calls always come through, but texting only works if their messages app is set to Unlimited time (the last box in this section). Where to find it: Your kid›, then Screen time›, then Schedules›, then Downtime
• Set School time. Limit the phone during school hours on the days you pick. Notifications go quiet, but they can still call and text. You can add a break, like lunch. Where to find it: Your kid›, then Screen time›, then Schedules›, then School time
• Add limits to the apps that eat the most time. Tap an app and choose Set limit to give it its own daily time. Where to find it: Your kid›, then Screen time›, then Time limits›, then App limits
• Choose their Unlimited time apps. Apps like Phone, Messages, or a school app can stay available after the daily limit runs out. You can also decide whether they work during Downtime and School time (under Allowed Apps in each schedule). Where to find it: Your kid›, then Screen time›, then Time limits›, then App limits›, then The app›, then Unlimited time

The last few steps make everything above easier to live with day to day.

• Find your Parent access code. It unlocks their phone or changes settings right on it, even when the phone is offline. It only shows up in Family Link, never in a text or email. Where to find it: Your kid’s profile (top left)›, then Parent access code
• Try the quick buttons. Under their phone’s name you can Lock or Unlock it right now, or give Bonus time for today without changing their schedule. Where to find it: Your kid›, then Screen time
• Set up location, if you want it. Turn on location sharing to see where their phone is. Add Family places like home and school, and you can get a heads-up when they arrive or leave (that part needs high accuracy location turned on). Where to find it: Open Family Link›, then Location›, then Set up location
• Decide who can change their activity settings. Under Activity controls, you can make it so only parents can change what Google saves to their account. Where to find it: Your kid›, then Controls›, then Account settings›, then Privacy settings›, then Account data settings
• Look at their app time together. Family Link shows which apps they use and for how long. Looking together keeps it a conversation instead of a report card. Where to find it: Your kid›, then Screen time
• Put a checkup on the calendar. Revisit these settings at birthdays and every new school year, and loosen things up as they show you they’re ready.