How to Set Up Parental Controls on Android: A Parent's Guide (2026)

Step 1: Set up Google Family Link

1. Install Family Link. On your own phone, install Google Family Link from the Play Store (Android) or App Store (iPhone).
2. Create or add your child's account. In Family Link, tap to add a child. Under 13 (age varies by country), create a new Google account for them; older kids can link their existing account and must agree to supervision.
3. Sign in on their device. On your child's Android phone, sign in with their Google account and follow the prompts to link it to you. Approve the supervision on both phones.

Tip: Supervised teens 13+ in the US can turn off supervision themselves — and you'll get a notification. Keep talking about why it's on.

Step 2: Approve and limit apps

1. Require your approval for new apps. In Family Link, open your child → Controls → Google Play and turn on Require your approval for new apps. Approve or deny each request on your own device; Family Link does not set a child-side Play Store PIN.
2. Open App limits. Go to Screen time → Time limits → App limits and select an app.
3. Set each app's access. Choose Set limit for a daily allowance, Unlimited for an app that should not count toward the cap, or Blocked to stop the app opening.

Step 3: Set daily limits and downtime

1. Set the Daily limit. Open Screen time → Time limits → Daily limit, set the allowance, and use Weekly schedule for different days.
2. Use Bonus time or Lock/Unlock. Give temporary Bonus time when needed, or use Lock/Unlock to change device access immediately.
3. Set School time. Open Screen time → Schedules → School time and choose the class-hours schedule and allowed apps.

Step 4: Filter the Play Store, Chrome and YouTube

1. Play Store ratings. Under Controls → Content restrictions → Google Play, set the maximum rating for apps, games, movies and books.
2. Chrome. Under Content restrictions → Google Chrome, choose Try to block explicit sites, or Only allow approved sites for younger kids.
3. Google Search. Under Content restrictions → Google Search, review and turn on SafeSearch.
4. YouTube. Under Content restrictions → YouTube, choose YouTube Kids or a supervised YouTube content setting. See our YouTube guide for the details.

Step 5: Turn on location

1. Enable Location. In Family Link, open your child → Location and turn it on. High-accuracy location must also be enabled on your child's device for the best result.
2. Set Family places alerts. Go to Location → Family places, save places such as home or school, and turn on Arrives and Leaves alerts.

Step 6: Review devices and purchase authentication

1. Review signed-in devices. In Family Link, open your child → Controls → Signed-in devices and remove or check any device you do not recognize.
2. Require purchase authentication. Separately, in Play Store Settings → Authentication, set Require authentication for purchases to For all purchases. This is a Play Store purchase setting, not a Family Link app-approval PIN.