Google Family Link review: our verdict

This Google Family Link review looks at the free parental control tool Google builds into Android and ChromeOS. Family Link lets a parent set screen time limits and a bedtime, approve or block apps, filter what a child sees in Chrome, Search, Google Play and YouTube, manage the child's Google Account, and see where their Android phone is. It costs nothing, needs no third-party software on the child's device, and is tightly woven into the operating system.

Our assessment is that Family Link is the best free starting point for families whose children use Android phones, Android tablets or Chromebooks, especially younger children. Its limits are just as clear: it cannot supervise an iPhone or iPad, it does not read messages or monitor social media, and its web filtering only applies in Chrome. This is an editorial assessment based on Google's own Family Link pages and help centre and on independent reviews; NerdBible did not run its own hands-on trial.

What Google Family Link is and who it is for

Family Link is two things at once. It is a way for a parent to create and manage a Google Account for a child under 13, or the minimum age in their country, and it is a set of device controls for that child's Android phone, Android tablet, Chromebook or compatible Fitbit device. Parents manage everything from the Family Link app on their own Android phone or iPhone, or from the Family Link website (Google: Get started with Family Link).

It is best for parents of children roughly in primary and early secondary school who have, or are about to get, their first Android phone or a Chromebook. It also works for families where the parents use iPhones but the child has an Android device, since the parent app runs on iOS. It is a poor fit if the child uses an iPhone, because Google states plainly that iPhones, iPads and computers other than Chromebooks cannot be supervised with Family Link.

Key features

Screen time, bedtime and school time

Parents can set a daily limit for each device, a weekly schedule with different limits for different days, and a downtime or bedtime window when the device locks. Google's help centre describes adding bonus time for a single day without changing the regular schedule, and Wirecutter notes that a redesign added a separate school time schedule. When time runs out the device locks, though calls still work and parents can mark certain apps as always allowed.

App approvals and limits

App management is where Family Link stands out. Parents can approve or block downloads from Google Play, set content ratings for apps, films, TV and books in Play, require approval for purchases, block individual apps, set time limits per app and review app permissions. Safety Detectives singles out the ability to filter what a child can even see in Google Play and to approve purchases as features most third-party apps cannot match, because only Google has that level of access to Android.

Content filters in Google services

Family Link applies settings inside Google's own services: SafeSearch for Google Search, site filters in Chrome (block mature sites, allow only approved sites, or keep custom allow and block lists), and controls for YouTube. Google's Family Link FAQ is candid that these filters are not perfect and that explicit or graphic content sometimes gets through. Children can ask for access to a blocked site, and parents can approve the request remotely.

Location and device tools

Parents can see the location of a child's Android device or compatible Fitbit on a map, get alerts when the child arrives at or leaves a place, ring the device and check its battery level (Family Link overview). Google notes the device must be powered on, recently active and connected to the internet for location to work.

Account management

For children under the minimum age, the parent is in charge of the Google Account. Google's privacy guide for children explains that a parent can change the password, edit personal details, choose activity controls and delete the account. Parents can also decide whether Google saves the child's web and app activity, a setting Wirecutter points out is on by default (Google: Manage your child's account).

Is Google Family Link free? Plans and pricing structure

Family Link has a single plan, and it is free. There is no paid tier, no trial, no in-app purchase to unlock features, and a parent can supervise more than one child from the same app; Tom's Guide lists no limit on the number of devices. The trade-off is that Family Link is part of Google's ecosystem: the child needs a Google Account, the device needs to be Android or ChromeOS, and Google's services remain ad-supported. Google says children with supervised accounts will not see personalised ads, but may still see ads in Google products.

Safety and privacy

Family Link gives parents a lot of control, but it is worth understanding what Google itself collects. The children's privacy guide says Google stores information a child or parent provides, such as a name and birthday, and information about how the child uses Google apps, and uses it to run and improve its services, keep people safe and show non-personalised ads. Parents can review and change activity settings, and Google says it notifies the parent when a child changes certain privacy settings.

The age question matters too. US law, through the FTC's Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule, is the reason many online services set 13 as the age for their own accounts. Google's current FAQ says teens between 13 and 18 need parental approval to stop supervision and that a parent can end supervision at any time, while a child reaching 13 can choose to update to a supervised teen account. Some reviewers describe older behaviour, where a 13-year-old could switch supervision off themselves, so check the current wording in the Family Link app before relying on it for a teenager.

Family Link does not give parents access to a child's messages, call logs or social media activity. For many families that is a reasonable balance between oversight and trust. If you are worried about a specific risk, such as contact from strangers, talk to your child and to their school as well; no app replaces that conversation.

What could be better

  • No iPhone supervision. A child on an iPhone or iPad can only be partially supervised through Google Account settings in Search and YouTube.
  • Chrome-only web filtering. Safety Detectives notes that filters and SafeSearch only apply when the child uses Chrome and Google Search, so parents should block other browsers through app controls.
  • Thin reporting. Activity reports cover screen time and apps, but browsing history has to be checked through the child's Google Account, and Wirecutter found the app sends few alerts.
  • Limited schedules. You get a daily limit, bedtime and school time, but not the multiple custom blocked periods some paid apps offer.
  • No message or social monitoring. By design, Family Link does not read texts or monitor social apps.

Who should choose something else

If your child uses an iPhone or iPad, Apple's built-in Screen Time is the tool to use, and Wirecutter recommends it for iOS households. If you need detailed web history, alerts, multiple blocked periods or cross-platform coverage including Windows and Mac computers, a paid parental control app such as Qustodio or Norton Family offers more, and both Wirecutter and Safety Detectives point to them for older children. Some families run Family Link alongside a paid app, because Family Link's Google Play controls are hard to replicate elsewhere.

What other reviewers found

  • Wirecutter named Family Link its top pick for Android households with children under 13, praising how easy and effective it is, but warned that YouTube filtering is limited and that the app sends little communication to parents.
  • Tom's Guide rated it a well-designed and competent free option with excellent performance, while listing the lack of iOS child support and very basic web filtering as the main drawbacks.
  • Safety Detectives called it basic but functional and especially strong on app supervision and Google Play controls, but did not recommend it as a family's only parental control tool because of its thin web supervision.
  • TechRadar's parental control roundup listed Family Link as the best free option for Google households, liking that it covers unlimited accounts and devices, but called it underpowered in most areas compared with paid apps.

Where they agree: all four outlets see Family Link as strong value for families using Android and Google services, and all four point to web filtering or depth of control as its weakest area. Three of the four single out its app and screen time controls as genuinely good.

Where they differ: Wirecutter is happy to make it a top pick for younger children on its own, while Safety Detectives sees it mainly as a companion to a paid app. The reviews also differ on what happens at 13, reflecting changes Google has made over time, and on location: TechRadar says Family Link lacks geofencing, while Google's own overview and Safety Detectives describe alerts when a child arrives at or leaves a place.

What that means for you: for a younger child on Android, start with Family Link and add a paid tool only if you find a gap. For a teenager, or a child on an iPhone, look at alternatives first.

Is Google Family Link worth it? Bottom line

For families with Android phones or Chromebooks, Google Family Link is the obvious first step: free, well integrated and genuinely capable on screen time, app approvals and purchases. It is not a monitoring tool and it does not cover iPhones, so parents of teenagers or Apple households will need something else. Used for what it does well, it is one of the best free parental controls available.

Frequently asked questions

Does Google Family Link work on iPhone?

Only for the parent. The Family Link parent app runs on iPhone, so a parent with an iPhone can manage a child's Android phone or Chromebook. Google says iPhones and iPads cannot be supervised as child devices. A child signed in to Google on an iPhone can only be partially supervised through settings in Google Search and YouTube. For a child's iPhone, Apple's Screen Time is the built-in alternative.

Can my child turn off Family Link?

Google's current Family Link FAQ says teens aged 13 to 18 need a parent's approval to stop supervision, while a parent can stop it at any time. When a child reaches 13, or the applicable age in your country, they can update their account to a supervised teen account. Some older reviews describe children switching supervision off themselves, so check the current settings in your app.

Can Google Family Link read my child's messages?

No. Family Link does not show text messages, call logs or social media conversations. It focuses on screen time, app approvals and limits, content filters in Google services, account settings and device location. You can block a messaging app or limit how long it is used, but not see what is written. Parents who feel they need message monitoring would have to look at a different, paid tool.

Is Google Family Link free?

Yes. Family Link has no paid plan, trial or premium features, and you can supervise multiple children at no cost. You need a personal Google Account, and the child needs a supported Android device, Chromebook or compatible Fitbit. Google's services remain ad-supported, but Google says supervised children will not see personalised ads, although they may still see other ads in Google products.

Does Family Link block inappropriate websites?

It can help, but not perfectly. In Chrome you can try to block mature sites, allow only approved sites, or keep your own allow and block lists, and SafeSearch filters Google Search results. Google admits filters are not perfect and some content gets through. Filters only apply in Chrome and Google services, so block other browsers through app controls if you rely on them.

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