Managing your child’s online activity can be a challenge, but Google Family Link lets parents supervise a child’s Google Account, and that includes the sites they can visit in Chrome when they are signed in with it. This guide will help you set up and manage Google Family Link, allowing you to create a child Google account, manage Chrome browsing, set screen time limits, and approve app and extension installations.
Creating a Child Google Account
To use Google Family Link, your child needs a Google account that you supervise. For a child under 13 (or the applicable age in your country), you create it; an older child can make their own and you add supervision. Follow these steps:
- Open the Family Link app on your phone or tablet (see the next section to install it).
- At the top left, select your child’s profile, then Add child.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to create a Google account for your child, entering their name, the email address they want and their birthday.
- Sign in with your own Google Account to give parental consent. Ensure that you enter accurate birthdate details to set up appropriate parental controls.
You can also create the account while setting up a new Android device or Chromebook for your child. It takes about 15 minutes, according to Google’s help on creating a child’s account.
Installing Family Link on Parent Device
To monitor and manage your child’s activity, install the Family Link app on your device:
- Download the Google Family Link app from the Google Play Store on Android or the App Store on iPhone and iPad.
- Open the app and select your Google account as the parent account. You must be 18 or older (or the applicable age in your country) and live in the same country as your child.
- Follow the prompts to link your child’s account and device.
Only Android devices and Chromebooks can be fully supervised. On an iPhone, iPad or Windows, Mac or Linux computer, Family Link can still control Chrome while your child is signed in to it with their account, but they can sign out or use another browser.
Managing Chrome Browsing on Child Device
Once the Family Link app is set up, you can manage Chrome browsing settings on your child’s device:
- Open the Family Link app on your device.
- Select your child’s profile and tap Controls > Google Chrome and Web.
- Choose the appropriate setting: Allow all sites, Try to block explicit sites, or Only allow approved sites.
- To allow or block particular sites, under Manage sites tap Approved sites or Blocked sites.
- To manage cookies and other tracking settings, navigate to Settings > Privacy and security on your child’s Chrome browser.
Setting Screen Time Limits
To ensure a healthy balance of online and offline activities, set screen time limits. They apply to your child’s Android devices and Chromebooks, not to Chrome on other devices:
- Go to the Family Link app and select your child’s account.
- At the bottom left, tap Screen time > Time limits, then turn on Daily limit.
- Tap Weekly schedule, select a day and enter how much screen time is allowed. To use the same limit every day, tap Apply to all days of the week.
Approving App and Extension Installs
Control which apps and extensions your child can install and use:
- Open the Family Link app on your parent device.
- Select your child’s profile. On supervised Android devices and Chromebooks, you can decide which apps your child can download, and block or allow apps they already have.
- Approve or deny the app requests your child sends you.
- For Chrome extensions, tap Controls > Google Chrome and Web > Advanced settings and turn Extensions on or off. To review extensions already installed, visit
chrome://extensionson your child’s device.
Additional Tips
- Incognito mode is turned off while your child is signed in to Chrome with their supervised account, so they can’t use the usual keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl + Shift + N or Cmd + Shift + N) to get around your settings.
- Under Advanced settings, turn off Permissions for sites if you don’t want your child to let sites use their location, camera or microphone.
- Access
chrome://settingson your child’s device for more detailed browser settings. - Visit the official Google Family Link Help Center for more in-depth solutions and support.
Conclusion
By setting up and managing Google Family Link, you can effectively manage your child’s browsing in Chrome. This guide provides you with the necessary steps to create a child account, install Family Link, and configure browsing settings. Regularly review and adjust these settings to ensure they meet your family’s digital safety needs.