How to set up parental controls on Android

What parental controls on Android decide

Parental controls on Android decide what your child can install, use, and see on their phone — and for how long. You can set daily screen-time limits, schedule downtime for bedtime, block specific apps, filter web content, and restrict store downloads by age rating. The controls work at two layers: on-device controls that live in the phone's own Settings and are protected by a PIN, and Google Family Link, which runs on your phone and manages a supervised Google Account across every device your child uses.

What you need before you start

• Your own Google Account — it becomes the family manager account that supervises your child's devices.
• The free Family Link app installed on your phone (Android or iPhone) — no ads, no subscription.
• Your child's phone charged and connected to Wi-Fi.
• The parent must be 18 or older and live in the same country as the child.

Method 1: Set up Google Family Link (the full solution)

Google Family Link is the closest thing Android has to a complete parental-control solution. It creates a supervised Google Account for your child and lets you manage screen time, apps, content, and location from your own phone.

1. Create a supervised Google Account for your child

Open the Family Link app and follow the prompts to add a child. If your child is under 13 (or the applicable age in your country), Family Link creates a supervised Google Account for them, which you manage from your own phone. Setup asks for parental consent, usually a credit-card authorization or a government-ID upload — the card step is only an identity check: Google does not charge the card, and the temporary hold clears within about 48 hours.

2. Link your child's device

Sign in with the new supervised account on the child's phone, then follow the pairing prompts. Once linked, every setting you change applies across all of their devices. If your child is over 13, add supervision to the account they already use instead.

3. What Family Link lets you control

• Screen time: a daily limit, School Time schedules, and Downtime that locks the device during set hours. Per-app time limits can cap a game while leaving homework apps unlimited (system apps are exempt from app limits).
• Apps: block apps completely and require your approval for new installs.
• Content: filters for Chrome, Google Play, YouTube, Search, and communication.
• Location: your child's current or last-known position on a map, with arrival and departure alerts for places you choose and a ring-the-device option. Location accuracy can be set to High, Battery saving, or Device only.

Method 2: Use the on-device controls in Android Settings

If you'd rather keep everything on the child's phone, Android has parental controls built into Settings. They arrived with Android 16 on Pixel phones and cover Android 17 devices — on other devices and versions, menu names and availability can differ, so check your phone's Settings.

To open them, go to the device's Settings app and tapParental controls. The first time, you'll set a 4-digit parental-controls PIN — choose one your child doesn't know. New Play Store content-restriction PINs default to this same device-level PIN, so one code protects both layers.

Set screen-time limits and schedule downtime

The screen-time tools work like a daily budget. Set a daily usage limit and the device locks once your child reaches it — your child can ask for extra time from the lock screen, which you grant with the PIN. Downtime is a separate scheduled window, so you can lock the phone during dinner, homework, or bedtime. A consistent downtime schedule helps kids sleep and gives everyone a predictable break from screens.

Approve, block, or set time limits on individual apps

The same section manages apps one at a time: set a time limit for a single app, or block it completely — a blocked app disappears from the app drawer. Approval for new installs lives in Family Link, so pair this with Method 1 if that's what you need.

Filter inappropriate web content (Chrome and SafeSearch)

Web filtering is handled through Chrome and Google Search. Turn onBlock explicit sites to filter adult content, and enable Filter explicit search results via SafeSearch. These filters apply only inside Chrome and Google Search — content opened in other apps or browsers won't be filtered.

Method 3: Restrict the Google Play Store with a content-restrictions PIN

The Play Store's content restrictions stop your child from downloading apps, games, movies, TV, and books that don't match their age. Google Play content ratings are set by local rating authorities, so the levels vary by country.

Set up the PIN

On your child's device, open the Google Play app, tap the profile icon at the top right, then Settings →Family → Content restrictions →Go to Parental controls, and create a PIN your child doesn't know. The PIN must be entered any time the restrictions are changed. Avoid guessable PINs — skip birthdays, repeating digits, and the same passcode your child already knows from the phone's lock screen.

Filter apps, games, movies, TV, and books by age rating

Once the PIN is set, pick an age-rating level for apps and games, movies, TV, and books — everything above that level is blocked from download. Content restrictions apply only to the device they're set on, so repeat the setup on each phone.

How to manage, change, or recover your controls later

Parental controls should change as your child grows. In Family Link, open the app on your phone and choose your child's account — every change requires your Google Account password. For the on-device controls, open Settings → Parental controls and enter the current PIN to update limits; you can change the PIN from the same screen. Play Store restrictions are edited the same way.

If you forget the Play Store PIN

Google documents a self-service reset: on the device, open Settings → Apps & notifications →Google Play Store → Storage →Clear data (or Clear storage). This resets your content restrictions and the PIN — note your existing settings first so you can set them up again — then add the restrictions fresh in the Play Store app (Google Play Help).

If your child figures out a PIN

Change it quickly: from your phone for Family Link (protected by your Google Account password), or on the device for the Settings controls and Play restrictions. Then review the settings regularly — a known PIN is no protection at all.

Samsung and other Android brands: extra parental-control settings

Samsung Galaxy devices add their own kids mode. Samsung Kids sets up a separate, curated home screen with approved apps, content, and playtime limits, and supports profiles for up to 6 children. Turn it on from the Quick panel and set a PIN or reuse the device lock — the PIN is required to exit or change its settings, and after 5 incorrect attempts the device asks for your Samsung Account password to reset it.

On most other brands, the same controls appear in Settings under Parental controls; menu names differ, so check your device.

When built-in controls aren't enough: Guardian Angel

For most families, the built-in controls and Family Link are enough. When you want ongoing visibility into how a device is actually used, our Guardian Angel app adds the monitoring layer: you install and configure it on your child's device yourself, and it reports back to your private account — no email, no password, just an account number.

• Free tier: short-term usage statistics of every app, a DNS-based ad blocker, and cleanup & maintenance.
• Guardian Angel Lite — $5 / 30 days: read installed apps and read messages, covering up to 5 devices per account.
• Guardian Angel Pro — $15 / 30 days: everything in Lite, plus read call logs and view photos & media. Switch between Lite and Pro anytime.

Plans are top-up subscriptions: add time whenever you like — no auto-renew, no stored card — and paying with crypto saves 15%. See the full lineup on our pricing page, ordownload Guardian Angel to start with the free tier. If you need stronger web filtering or social monitoring instead, dedicated third-party apps such as Qustodio add another layer — most offer a free tier for a single device, with paid plans for multi-device families.