Google Family Link lets parents manage selected settings and see limited activity on supported supervised devices; it does not provide a live view of everything a child does. Parents can check app-use time, set limits, approve or block some Google Play apps, and locate supported Android devices. Google says parents cannot remotely view a child’s screen or listen to calls. Other information—including messages and browsing history—is also unavailable through the cited Family Link features, with some exclusions specifically documented for existing supervised accounts.
What can parents see and control with Family Link?
App use and screen-time controls
On supported supervised devices, Family Link can show which apps a child uses and how long they are used. Google defines this activity time as time when an app is open and displayed on screen; time spent running in the background is not counted. Parents can set daily device limits, limits for individual apps, schedules, and remotely lock a device. Availability depends on the device and software version, and system apps cannot be assigned app limits. Google also allows app activity collection to be disabled. Google’s guide to managing a child’s Google Play apps and its app time-limit requirements describe these features.
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Apps, purchases, and settings
Parents can approve requests for Google Play apps and block apps, and can manage some Google Account, service, and content settings. Purchase approval is narrower than a general spending control: it applies to transactions made through Google Play’s billing system, not every purchase the child might make elsewhere. Google Play app controls and Family Link setup and availability information explain the scope.
Location
Family Link can show the location of supported Android devices when location features are available and configured. It does not report the location of a child’s Chromebook. Google Maps location sharing has separate age and account rules: children under 13, or the applicable local age, with managed accounts can share real-time location only with parents; older children whose existing accounts have supervision added may share with parents and others. These distinctions are covered in Google’s device supervision guidance and Google Maps guidance for children’s accounts.
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What can’t parents monitor through Family Link?
Screen contents and calls
Google’s Family Link help states: “Parents can’t remotely see what’s on their child’s screen.” It also says parents cannot remotely listen to phone calls. Family Link is therefore not a live screen-viewing or call-listening tool. Google’s supervision overview describes these limits.
Messages, email, and history
For a child’s existing Google Account with supervision added, Google also lists these actions as unavailable through Family Link: reading emails or messages, finding past searches, checking Chrome browsing history, and checking YouTube watch history. The account distinction matters: these exclusions are stated in Google’s guidance for adding supervision to a current account, so they should not be treated as a complete statement of every rule for every Google service or setup. Google’s current-account supervision help lists the exclusions.
Managing a filter or account setting is not the same as seeing the underlying content or history. For example, parents may manage some content restrictions without receiving a readable log of a child’s browsing.
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What changes by the child’s device?
| Child’s device | What Family Link supports | Important limits |
|---|---|---|
| Android phone or tablet | Supervision, app activity, time controls, and device location, subject to software and feature requirements. | App activity is foreground display time, not background runtime. Some controls have minimum Android versions, and system apps cannot receive app limits. Google’s app-limit requirements |
| Chromebook | Supervision and supported app or screen-time controls, subject to ChromeOS version. | Location reporting is unavailable for Chromebooks. Google’s device guidance |
| Child’s iPhone or iPad | The child can sign in to some Google apps under the account arrangements Google describes. | Family Link screen-time limits, device location, app activity, app blocking and permissions, and Chrome website or permission restrictions do not work in this situation. Google’s iPhone and iPad sign-in guidance |
| Other computers | A child may sign in to Google websites or use a Google Account. | Most Family Link supervision tools do not work, and computers other than Chromebooks cannot be supervised as devices. Google’s device guidance |
A parent may use the Family Link app on an iPhone or iPad. That is different from supervising a child’s iPhone or iPad: the parent’s device compatibility does not make the child’s Apple device a supervised Family Link device. See Google’s current-account supervision help and child iPhone and iPad guidance.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Answers to common monitoring questions
Can parents see texts with Family Link?
No. Google says parents cannot read emails or messages through Family Link for an existing supervised account. Family Link may manage settings, but that does not expose message contents.
Can Family Link see browsing history?
For an existing supervised account, Google says parents cannot retrieve past searches or check Chrome browsing history or YouTube watch history through Family Link. Website and content filters are controls, not a history viewer.
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Does Family Link track an iPhone?
Not when the child is using Google apps on an iPhone or iPad: Google says Family Link location and other key supervision tools do not work in that situation. This differs from a parent using the Family Link app on their own iPhone.
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Can Family Link show what my child is doing right now?
No live screen view is available. Parents can see app activity summaries on supported devices, including time apps are open and displayed, but Google says they cannot remotely view the child’s screen.
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