How to Set Up an Android Phone for a Child With Google Family Link, Step by Step
Set up a child's new Android phone with Google Family Link: what you need, the setup steps, the controls to switch on first, what changes at 13, and a Christmas morning plan.
Install Google Family Link on your own phone, then turn on the child's new Android phone and, when asked to sign in, create or use your child's Google Account and sign in yourself to give parental consent. After setup, use Family Link to set daily limits and downtime, require approval for apps, filter Chrome and pick Play Store ratings. Google says the filters are not perfect.
Short answer: Google's free Family Link is the parental-control system built for Android. You install it on your own phone, set the child's new phone up with the child's Google Account, and approve it with yours. Everything below comes from Google's own Family Link help pages, checked on 2 November 2026. Menus differ a little between phone makers and Android versions, so we describe the steps in words rather than screenshots.
Setting up an iPhone instead? See our iPhone Screen Time setup guide. Not sure your child is ready? Try the first phone readiness check or read when should a child get a phone.
What you need
From Google's Get started with Family Link page:
- You: aged 18 or over (or the age of adulthood where you live) with a Google Account, and the Family Link app on an Android phone, an iPhone or iPad on iOS 16 or later, or a Chromebook.
- Your child: a Google Account, and an Android phone or tablet, a Chromebook or a Fitbit. You and your child must live in the same country.
- Android version: Google's device compatibility page says supervision runs on Android 7.0 (Nougat) and higher. Screen-time limits, downtime and school time need Android 7 or later.
- Family Link is not available in every country, and an iPhone or iPad cannot be supervised with it.
Step 1: Install Family Link on your phone
Download the Google Family Link app from the Play Store or the App Store and sign in with your own Google Account.
Step 2: Set up the child's phone with their own Google Account
For a child under 13 (or the age that applies in your country), Google's account creation page gives these steps on the new phone:
- Turn on the phone and follow the setup steps.
- When asked to sign in, tap Create account (on some phones, More options, then For my child).
- Enter your child's name, birthday, gender, email address and password.
- Follow the instructions to sign in with your own Google Account, give parental consent and choose your child's settings.
You can also create the account first, from the Family Link app: open it, select your child's profile at the top left, tap Add child, and follow the steps until you see a confirmation. In the EU, parents of children aged 13 to 15 should use the device steps above.
If your child already has a Google Account, Google's sign-in page says to remove any previous account from the phone, turn it on, sign in with your child's account when asked, verify that you are a parent, and follow the on-screen steps.
Step 3: Supervising an older child's existing account
For a teenager who already uses the phone, supervision is added from the child's phone: Settings, then Google, then All services, then Kids & Family, then Parental controls (Google). Your child has to agree. A child under 18 needs a parent's approval to stop supervision, and you are both notified if it stops.
Step 4: The controls to switch on first
All of these are in the Family Link app on your phone.
| Control | What it does | Google's help page |
|---|---|---|
| Daily limit | Sets how long the phone can be used each day, with a weekly schedule; you can give bonus time | Screen time limits |
| Downtime and school time | A schedule when only the apps you allow can be used, for example overnight | Set a schedule |
| App approvals | Lets you approve each app your child downloads or buys from Google Play | Google Play controls |
| Content ratings | Maximum maturity ratings for apps, games, films and TV on Google Play, and a block on explicit books | Google Play controls |
| Chrome | Allow all sites, try to block explicit sites, or only allow approved sites; Incognito is turned off | Chrome controls |
| Location | See where your child's phone is, if it is on, online and recently used | Find your child's location |
Two limits Google states plainly:
- Filters are not perfect. Google's FAQ says Family Link does not block inappropriate content on its own, and that its filters are not perfect. Its Chrome page adds that a child may be able to use other browsers, where the Chrome settings do not apply.
- Approvals cover Google Play only. App approval works for purchases made through Google Play billing.
Some apps cannot be blocked because supervision needs them to work. If your child ever needs to get past a lock while you are away, Family Link shows a parent access code on your phone (Google).
Before Christmas, check the age rules for the apps your child will ask for in our app age requirements chart, and agree the house rules with the family screen agreement builder.
What happens at 13
When your child reaches 13 (or the age that applies in your country), Google emails you both. Nothing switches off automatically: supervision stays the same until your child chooses to update their account. Under 18, they need your approval to stop supervision, and you will both be notified if it stops.
After the setup
Parental controls work best alongside rules a child understands. Our parental control setup checklist covers the router, consoles and other devices in the house, and do parental controls work? explains what the evidence says. From 2027, some US states will also require app stores and phones to check ages; see kids' online safety laws starting in 2027.
Sources
All Google help pages checked on 2 November 2026:
- Get started with Family Link
- Family Link device compatibility and Family Link FAQ
- Create a Google Account for your child
- Sign in to your child's account on a new device
- Add supervision to your child's existing account
- Set screen time limits and set a schedule on your child's device
- Manage your child's Google Play controls
- Manage your child's Chrome settings
- Find your child's device location
- Parent access codes
- When your child turns 13