Family Link

Family Link is a Google based Parental Control system. This is usable on both Android and iOS devices (v11 or higher). The installation is easy and set up is quick. Once your child is ready for their first Android or ChromeOS device, you can install Family Link and have the ability to monitor their devices for appropriate content.

Note: Google has updated their policies to include what they refer as the 'National Age of Consent'. This means that when your child turns 13, they will have the ability to choose to no longer be monitored through Google Link. This change happens on the day they turn 13. Parents and children are then notified that this will be happening and once the child selects to no longer be monitored, their device locks up for 24 hours. Only the parent on the account can unlock the device in that time. In order to continue monitoring your child's device, you will have to ask for access through Google Link. Then your child will have to accept the monitoring. This means you and your child will need to have an open discussion about this change, what it means for your family, and if the device will ultimately be taken away if monitoring is stopped. This is a very frustrating change for parents relying on Google Link. Please use this as an opportunity to keep those discussions going!

If you decide to get an Android or ChromeOS device for your child, they will need to have a personal account. This cannot be a school supervised account. Family Link will not allow it to be monitored and your device will not allow your child to use it. Make sure that your child knows that you will have the password to this new account so they understand that you can monitor their device or log in any time.

Once you set up a Family Link account on both devices, you can then go into their account and set up time limits, acceptable websites, and more! You will need to set all the filtering options because Google Link does not do this automatically. But this is a great way to become more familiar with the app itself.

Setting down time limits and screen limits are also very user friendly. Once your child's device is linked, you can go into the parent app and simply click on their profile. You can then adjust the time for that particular day or for all the time. This is a great option if your child has a late night game or concert that you need to be able to get ahold of them and don't want to worry about the phone being turned off early!

Even though Google Link has a few hiccups with monitoring due to age, this is still a great way to keep your kids devices safe for them to use and is very user friendly!