When you use Family Link to manage your child’s Google Account, you can choose to limit the apps your child can use on certain devices.
To manage your child’s apps, your child must be using one of the following devices:
- An Android device (running Android 5.1 or higher)
- A Chromebook (running Chrome OS version 71 or higher)
Important: System apps can't have app limits placed on them. You can set limits for Android 7 and up devices.
Choose which apps from Google Play your child can use
Block or unblock an appThe app will be blocked or unblocked in about 5 minutes, or once the device is connected to the internet. If your child is using the app at the time you block it, they'll get a 1 minute warning to finish up before the app is blocked. The app should be blocked on all of your child's Android devices or Chromebooks.
Important: Some apps can't be blocked because they're required for parent supervision settings to work, or for your child's device to work.
Family Link app
To go to the child's account settings that you last visited in the Family Link app, tap the button below:
Block or unblock an app on Family Link- Open the Family Link app
.
- Select your child.
- Tap Controls
App limits.
- Select the app you want to allow or block.
- Tap Block
Tips:
- Whether or not your child can control their own account settings doesn't change the settings themselves. We recommend parents make sure the settings are correct after they change this control.
- You can also manage your child's account when you click on your child's name at g.co/YourFamily.
- Open the Family Link app
- Select your child.
- Tap Controls
- Select your desired app.
- Tap Always allow
Tips:
- Always allowed apps don't count toward your child’s screen time limits and aren't available when your child is in downtime.
- If you tap "Lock," Always allowed apps aren't available, unless you change this setting from the device lock screen.
- Select Devices
- Tap Lock screen settings
- Select Devices
- Open the Family Link app
- Select your child.
- Tap Controls
App limits.
- Select your desired app.
From here you can select an option to:
- Always allow
.
- Set a time limit
.
- Block an app
.
Tips:
- Always allowed apps don't count toward your child’s screen time limits and aren't available when your child is in downtime.
- If you tap "Lock," Always allowed apps aren't available, unless you change this setting from the device lock screen.
- Select Devices
- Tap Lock screen settings
- Select Devices
Learn how to manage your child's purchase approvals on Google Play.
You can set up parental controls to restrict the content your child can download or purchase from Google Play.
- Open the Family Link app
- Select your child.
- Tap Controls
- Under "Content restrictions," choose your filters:
- Apps, Games, Movies, and TV: Choose the highest maturity level of content you want to allow for download or purchase.
- Music and Books: Choose whether you want to restrict downloads or purchases of explicit content.
Tips:
- Whether or not your child can control their own account settings doesn't change the settings themselves. We recommend parents make sure the settings are correct after they change this control.
- You can also manage your child's account when you click on your child's name at g.co/YourFamily.
Google Play
First, check if the content has the "Teacher Approved" badge 
Play, apps, games & music
- On your child's device, open the Play Store app
.
- Tap the inappropriate music, app or game.
- At the bottom of the page, tap Flag as inappropriate.
- Choose the reason you find the content inappropriate.
- Tap Submit.
Important: When you turn on your child’s Play Games profile, your child gets signed in automatically when they open a supported game.
- On your device, open the Family Link app
- Select your child.
- Tap Controls
- Tap Google Play
- Select Approve child’s Play Games profile or Delete child’s Play Games profile.
Tips:
- The Play Games setting only displays on your parent device once your child requests consent.
- Supervised account profiles can’t record and share their gameplay.
- Supervised account profiles can’t have friends on Play Games.
- Supervised account profiles will be given an auto-generated gamer tag.
- Not all games support automatic sign-in with a Play Games profile for children.
If you haven’t done so yet, you can make a Play Games profile:
- On your child’s device, go to Android Settings
.
- Tap Google
- Tap Play Games
- Select your gamer name and avatar.
- Tap Save.
- To approve the new profile on the child’s device, tap Ask in person.
- Enter your parent password.
To switch to another Play Games profile:
- On your child’s device, go to Android Settings
- Tap Google
- Tap Play Games
- Change your profile for:
- All games
- A subset of games
Parental controls don't change the games you see in the Play Games app, including games you've bought or recommended games.
If you try to install a game using the Play Games app, you’ll be taken to the Play Store app where your parental controls settings may restrict access.
- Open the Family Link app
- Select your child.
- Tap Manage settings
- Tap the type of content you want to filter.
- Choose how to filter or restrict access.
Tip: You can also manage this setting by clicking on your child's name at g.co/YourFamily.
Check your child's app activity
You can check how much time your child spends on apps on their Android devices or Chromebooks. Time is tracked when the app is open and shown on the screen, but not when the app runs in the background.
- Open the Family Link app
- Select your child.
- Tap Highlights
Troubleshoot problems
If your child has access to an app you don't want them using, follow the instructions above to block the app.
If you want to approve each app your child downloads or purchases, change your child's purchase approval settings.
Important: Apps that you previously installed or approved, or those available through your Play Family Library will not require additional approval to download.
You can set up Google Play Family Library to share eligible paid apps with your family.
Important: If you set up parental controls for your child, they won't see any apps that exceed the parental control settings you chose.
Your child will see this error if they try to download a Google app that isn't available for children under 13 (or the applicable age in your country).
Using Family Link, you can manage third-party sites and apps with access to your child's account.
If you don't want to monitor your child’s app activity, you can turn off the additional Family Link app activity setting.
Important: If you turn off this setting, your child's Family Link app activity data will be deleted.
- Open the Family Link app
- Select your child.
- Tap Controls
- Tap Privacy settings
- Follow the on-screen instructions.