After insisting for months, you've decided to fulfill your child's requests and give him his first smartphone. Talking about your choice with your best friend, he too, who is a parent like you, advised you to use Family Link: a free service from Google that allows you to remotely manage the devices of children and teenagers and to monitor their activities and usage time. Being interested in the subject but having never heard of the service in question before, you would like more information about it and, above all, know its main features.
That's the way it is, am I right? Then let me tell you today is your lucky day. In fact, with this guide, I will explain to you how FamilyLink works also providing you with all the information necessary to configure the service in question, both on your smartphone and on your child's device. Furthermore, I will tell you how to monitor the latter's activities, also showing you the procedure for setting daily usage limits and device block times. Interesting, right?
Index
- Preliminary information
- How Family Link works with Android
- How Family Link works with iPhone
- How Family Link works from a computer
- In case of dubbi or problem
Preliminary information
Prima di enter the live of this tutorial and spiegarti how FamilyLink works, it may be useful to know which devices are compatible and the requirements to use the service in question.
First, to use Family Link as a parent, you need to have at least 18 years of age, have a Google account and reside in the same condition as your child. As far as Family Link compatible devices are concerned, the Family Link app dedicated to parents can be installed and used on both Android devices and iPhone/iPad. Furthermore, some Family Link settings can also be managed from a computer via a browser.
As for the supervision of your child, the latter must also have a Google account: if he is under 13, the parent can create one during the Family Link configuration, while if the child is over 13 he can create one one autonomously with the supervision and permission of a parent. In addition, the child to be "monitored" must have an Android device with the Family Link app for children and teenagers installed. All clear? Well, then let's get to the action.
How Family Link works with Android
Come configurare Google Family Link
To set up Family Link, first start the parental app on your device, tap the icon freccia rivolta verse il basso three consecutive times and press the button Start, then select yours Google account and, on the screen Who will use this phone, select the option Parent.
At this point, press the buttons Start e Yes, go on, to create your family group, and select options No e NEXT (twice in a row), to create a Google account for your child. Then enter the data in the fields First Name e Last name, specify your date of birth using the drop-down menus Preferred Date, Month e Year and points to his gender of belonging selecting one of the available options (Man, Woman, I prefer not to specify it e Customize) in the appropriate drop-down menu.
At this point, in the screen Choose how [name] will log in, put the check mark next to one of the Google accounts proposed on the screen or select the item Create your Gmail address, to create a custom one by entering it in the field Create a Gmail address. Then press the button NEXT, create a password to be associated with the account in question (by entering it in the fields Password e Confirmation) and tap the button NEXT.
Now, enter the email address or mobile number and password associated with your Google account in the fields Parent's email or phone number e Enter your password, award-winning NEXT twice consecutively and select the option Accept, to add your child to the family group created earlier.
At this point, you have to choose one of the available options among Confirm Password e Use a credit or debit card, to prove you're the parent of the child you're creating a Google Account for. In the first case, enter the Password of your Google account in the appropriate field and press the button NEXT.
If, on the other hand, you have chosen to verify your identity using a credit or debit card (prepaid cards cannot be used), enter the data in the fields Card number, MM e AA (with month and year of expiry) e CVV and press pulsating Accept. It will be useful to know that this operation is only necessary to further verify your identity and you will not be charged for it.
Regardless of your choice, if everything went the right way, you will see the message on the screen You have created a Google Account for [child's name]. Then press the button NEXT twice in a row and take your child's Android smartphone/tablet to connect the two devices.
Then log in at Settings of your child's device, select the options Google e Parental control, award-winning Start, select the option Child or boy e fai tap sul pulsating NEXT. Now, select the option Add or create accounts for your child, enter the data of the account created previously in the fields Email address or telephone number e Enter your password and press pulsating NEXT. On the screen Parental permission, tap on yours Google account, enter its Password in the appropriate field and press the buttons NEXT e Accept.
Now, in the section Check settings, tap on the items Check on Google Play, Filters are Google Chrome e Filters on Google Search, to set filters for Google Play, Chrome and Google searches (you can also do it later from the Family Link app) and press the button NEXT for two consecutive times. Then enter a name to associate with your child's device in the field Enter a name for the device e fai tap sul pulsating NEXT three consecutive times.
Then press on the item Attiva, to activate profile management with Family Link and, in the section Google services, move the lever relating to the servos you wish to disable (e.g. Backup to Google Drive, Use geolocation, Allow scanning) Of the ON a OFF. Once this is done, press the button Accept, to connect your device with your child's and complete the Family Link setup.
If everything went well, both on your smartphone and on your child's device, you will see the message The devices are connected, indicating that parental controls are active on your child's device and that you are ready to use Family Link on your smartphone. Then press the buttons NEXT e end, to complete the setup and return the device to your child.
How to use Google Family Links
Once you have completed the first configuration of Google Family Link, you should have already set up the main controls relating to the Google services associated with your child's account and the applications installed on their device.
That said, you should know that you can manage and change your Family Link settings at any time. To do this, launch the relevant app on your smartphone, press on name of your child, select the option Manage settings and, on the screen Parental settings, choose the option of your interest.
- Check on Google Play: not only allows you to set an authorization request to download applications from Google Play, but also to set restrictions for downloading applications/games (eg. PEGI 3, PEGI 7, PEGI 12 etc.), movies, books and music.
- Filters are Google Chrome: is the section for choosing which sites your child can visit. By choosing the option Allow all sites no restrictions are applied while choosing one of the options between Try blocking adult sites e Only allow specific sites you can create lists of sites to block and sites to allow.
- Filters on Google Search: Activate/deactivate SafeSearch, a feature that helps filter explicit sexual or violent content in Google search results
- Google Assistant: to manage settings related to Google assistant.
- Android App: this is the section that allows you to view the usage time of the various applications installed on your child's device and to set usage limits (limit imposed) and to block access to certain applications (Block). It can also be accessed from the Family Link home screen.
- Location: by moving the lever relating to the option View your child's location da OFF a ON e premendo sul pulsating Attiva, allows you to activate geolocation on your child's device and know its location at any time.
- Account detailst: to change your child's personal data (First Name, Last name, Birthday e Gender), to set a new one Password for your Google account or to permanently delete it.
On your child's Family Link main screen, you can quickly view their location (if you have location services enabled), activity over the past 30 days related to application usage, and the number of new apps installed in the past week .
How do you say? Would you like to set a device usage limit? If so, locate the box Usage time, tap on the item Tax and, in the new screen that appears, move the lever next to the option Not scheduled da OFF a ON. Once this is done, press on the days of your interest (eg. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday etc.) and set a daily usage limit (minimum 15 minutes e maximum 8 hours). Selecting the option instead Block all day, you can set a total block of the device for the selected day.
In the Time to go to sleep, you can also set the device to lock at a certain time. If so, move the toggle next to the entry Not scheduled da OFF a ON, place a check mark next to the days you are interested in and set the block time slot. It will be useful for you to know that while the device is locked, calls will be allowed.
Furthermore, it is possible set screen lock creating an unlock password, manage app permissions and, even, of reset the device deleting all data.
How Family Link works with iPhone
Be your intention è use Family Link with iPhone, you should know that the initial configuration procedure is almost identical to what I have indicated in the paragraphs dedicated to the configuration on Android. However, as I have already pointed out in the initial lines of this guide, you can only use an iPhone as a "parent" device.
Also, it will be useful for you to know that if your child is over 13, you will not be able to create their Google account using Family Link on iPhone. In that case, you need to create an account directly from your child's Android device settings.
As far as how Family Link works, there are no differences between the Android app and the iPhone app. From the Family Link main screen, pressing on name of your child, you can view the playpen Settings, to access the section Parental settings and set controls and filters, and options dedicated to position, All 'activity app and usage time.
How Family Link works from a computer
As mentioned in the initial lines of this guide, some Family Link features dedicated to parents can also be accessed from a computer, by accessing Google Family.
All you have to do to use Family Link from a computer is, therefore, connect to the main page of the service, press the button Start, select your Google account, enter it Password in the appropriate field and click on the button NEXT, to login.
In the new opened page, press on name of your child, to access the Family Link settings and set the filters and controls of your interest. Keep in mind, however, that only a few features are available: to create usage limits, set block times and, above all, to view the location and activities related to the use of the device, you need to use the Android app and iOS/iPadOS.
In case of dubbi or problem
If you have followed the instructions I have provided you in the previous paragraphs step by step but, despite this, you still have some doubts regarding the configuration and/or use of Family Link, you can access the FAQ section of the official website of the service.
To do this, connect to the Family Link main page, select the option FAQ and identify the topic of your interest, to find the answers you are looking for in complete autonomy. Alternatively, you can access the Help Center section and click on the option Contact us, to request assistance from an operator in the flesh.
If so, specify the subject of your request in the field Please indicate the issue you need assistance with, award-winning Successful Passaggio and select the option of your interest from those shown on the screen. Finally, press on the entry Email, enter the requested data in the appropriate fields, specify the problem encountered in the field Describe the problem and click on the button Sendto request assistance.
If, on the other hand, you have tried Family Link but were not satisfied with the service and would like to retrace your steps, you can delete your account from Family Link and delete the app from your devices. In this regard, my guide on how to uninstall Family Link may be useful.
