SkieSkie vs Google Family Link
Google's free parent app against device-owner control on a phone or tablet you already own
Google Family Link lets a parent manage a child's Google account and Android device from a parent app on Android or iPhone. Its page lists screen time limits, app limits, downtime, app approval, SafeSearch, location on a map and a remote ring. Skie takes a different route: it runs as the Android device owner and enforces app, web, schedule, location and SOS rules at device level, with no message reading. Family Link has time limits and Skie does not yet.
Skie matches Family Link on apps, web, schedules and location and goes deeper on tamper resistance by working as the device owner, while Family Link is stronger on screen time limits.
Side by side
| What you are comparing | Google Family Link | Skie |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A free Google parent app that supervises a child's Google account and Android device. | Android device management software for parents, schools, hostels and organisations. For families it runs as the Android device owner on the child's phone or tablet. |
| Main audience | Parents of younger children, mainly under 13 or the age set for their country. | Parents with a child on an Android 12 or newer phone or tablet; Skie for Enterprise covers schools, hostels and companies. |
| Platforms | Parent app on Android and iPhone. Child side on supported Android and Chrome devices. Chrome controls also reach iPhone and iPad. | Any Android 12 or newer phone or tablet where Google Play services are present. Parents use a browser dashboard. No iPhone or iPad support yet. |
| Do you have to buy hardware from them | No. It is software for devices you already own. | No. Skie is software. You use a device you already own or buy your own. |
| Works on devices you already own | Yes, install the app on the child's existing device. | Yes, after the device is freshly set up or reset once and any Google account is removed. |
| Mobile plan or carrier included | No. The family keeps its own carrier. | No. Skie has no SIM or mobile plan, so the family keeps its own carrier. Wi-Fi-only tablets work for most features. |
| Level of control on Android | Account supervision built into Android and Google's apps, set up through the child's Google account. Not publicly documented as a device owner policy. | Device owner. Android itself enforces the rules, with each protection a separate policy switch. |
| Can the child remove it or reset around it | Google's pages note that signing out of Chrome or using other browsers can sidestep Chrome settings, and that a child who passes the applicable age manages their own account. Beyond that: Not publicly documented. | Built to be tamper-proof. Factory reset from Settings, safe mode, developer options, adding users and uninstalling Skie are blocked by default, and Factory Reset Protection ties a wiped device to the Skie organisation's Google sign-in. If anything did get through, the parent is alerted immediately, down to the exact device. |
| App control | Approve or block apps, with app time limits and an Unlimited time option. System apps cannot be limited. | Parent chooses which apps work. An app installed later that is not allowed is removed silently. The Play Store can be hidden. Blocking beats allowing. Apps are hidden or suspended, not deleted. |
| Web filtering and safe search | Content filter for Chrome and SafeSearch; allow or block named sites and approve the child's requests. Incognito is off while the child is signed in to Chrome. | Adult-site blocking with a filter locked on the device, so it works on any Wi-Fi or mobile data. SafeSearch and YouTube restricted mode are forced in Chrome, and more than 50 other browsers, VPN apps and proxy apps are always blocked. No per-website allow or block lists yet. |
| Schedules, bedtime or school-hour modes | Downtime or school-time schedules, plus a daily limit per device. | Yes. Study and bedtime windows with days, start, end and allowed apps; windows can run overnight and the device switches app sets on its own. |
| Location, geofences and SOS | Map of family members when the child's device is on and connected, alerts for saved places, remote ring and battery level. SOS: Not publicly documented. | Live location and trail, geofences with alerts, a go-to directions button, and an SOS button that calls the emergency number. |
| Lost or stolen device handling | Not publicly documented beyond location lookup. | Lost mode locks the device, shows a contact message, tracks it, and builds evidence for a police report (IMEI, serial, SIM details, location trail). Mark found to return to normal. Remote erase is not available yet. |
| Replace or reassign a device | Not publicly documented | Yes. Replace a device and keep the child, group and history; the old seat is freed. A reset device is recognised by IMEI or serial and does not take a second seat. |
| Alerts and who gets them | Requests for more time or app approval go to the parent in the Family Link app. | A breach centre shows tamper and compliance events, and a missing check-in counts as a breach. Email alerts and push notification of alerts to parents are not available yet. |
| Screen time reports and per-app limits | Yes. Daily limits, per-app limits, bonus time and locking from the parent app. Android 7 or later is required for limits. | Not yet. Skie has no daily screen time limits, per-app time limits or usage reports. Schedules with allowed apps cover study and bedtime. The team is working on it, with no dates. |
| Message or social media monitoring | Manages calls, texts and contacts per the maker; reading message content is Not publicly documented. | None, by design. Skie never reads messages, call logs, or records audio or video, and has no hidden mode. |
| Kiosk or single-app lock | Not publicly documented | Yes. Full-screen kiosk mode, and a one-app allow list locks a device to one app. |
| Tablet support | Android tablets and Chromebooks are covered as supervised devices. | Yes. Phones and tablets get the same controls. |
| Pricing model | Free to use on Google's page; the page reviewed lists no charge or plan. | Pricing is on request. One device per child. |
| Countries available | Depends on country; supervised account age rules vary by country. | Worldwide, subject to local law, wherever the device has Google Play services. |
| Setup effort | Install the app on the child's device and sign in. Not publicly documented for time taken. | A parent dashboard plus the Skie Provision app or a computer and cable. The device must be new or reset once. Guided steps with live progress. |
| Data and privacy approach | Tied to the child's Google account and Google's privacy terms. Details: see Google's family privacy pages. | Data is stored in an India region (Mumbai). No message reading, no audio or video, and the phone visibly shows it is managed. Location needs the family's clear consent. |
| Best suited for | Families already in the Google account ecosystem who mainly want time limits at no cost. | Families who want device-owner-level control on an Android phone or tablet they already own, with no message reading. |
As of November 2026, Google's Family Link page lists no price; it is offered without a subscription. Skie pricing is on request (contact us), and the device is one the family already owns.
Where Google Family Link is strong
- Free, with daily limits, per-app limits and downtime in the parent app.
- Parent app on both Android and iPhone.
- Approval requests from the child for apps and sites.
- Backed by Google, so it is familiar and works with Chrome and Play.
Where Skie stands out
- Runs as the Android device owner, so Android enforces the rules instead of an app asking for permissions.
- Works on any Android 12 or newer phone or tablet the family already owns, with no hardware to buy.
- Always-blocked list of more than 50 alternative browsers plus VPN, proxy and DNS changer apps, and a web filter locked on the device that works on mobile data.
- Lost mode with a contact message, tracking and police-report evidence, plus replace a device without losing history.
- Skie never reads messages, call logs or records audio or video, and the phone shows it is managed.
- Available worldwide, subject to local law, and also used by schools and hostels through Skie for Enterprise.
What Google Family Link is and how it works
Family Link is Google's own parent app. A parent links to a child's Google account, and the child's Android device or Chromebook is supervised through that account. On Google's page the parent can set screen time and app limits, set downtime, approve or block apps, turn on SafeSearch, see the child's location and ring the device. Families without a smartphone can also set it up online.
Supervised accounts are generally for children under 13, or the minimum age in their country. After that age the child can manage their own account, which changes how much control the parent keeps. It is a free tool that fits naturally if the family already lives inside Google accounts.
What it costs
Google's page does not list a price, and Family Link has no subscription tier shown there. For many families the total cost is zero beyond the phone. Skie is also software with no hardware to buy, but it is paid, with pricing on request. The honest cost comparison is free against paid, so the question is whether device-owner control and tamper resistance are worth paying for in your home.
Controls compared
On apps, both let a parent choose what is allowed. Family Link adds app time limits, and Google notes system apps cannot be limited. Skie hides or suspends apps, removes uninstalled-then-added apps that are not allowed, and can hide the Play Store, but has no time limits yet.
On the web, Family Link's Chrome controls work on Android and iPhone, but Google's own help notes that on iPhone a child can sign out of Chrome or use other browsers. On Android, Skie forces SafeSearch and YouTube restricted mode in Chrome, blocks incognito and always blocks more than 50 other browsers plus VPN and proxy apps, with a filter locked on the device.
Location is covered by both. Family Link shows a map and saved-place alerts and can ring the phone. Skie adds a go-to directions button, geofences, an SOS button that calls the emergency number and lost mode with police-report evidence. Skie does not offer daily screen time limits, per-app time limits or usage reports yet. What it does today is schedules: study and bedtime windows that switch the allowed apps on their own, plus remote lock. The team is working on usage limits, with no dates. If minute-by-minute limits and reports are the main thing you want, that is a real reason to choose a tool that has them.
Removal and bypass: app level versus device owner
Parental control tools work at two different levels, and the difference matters when a child is determined. An app on the child's profile relies on permissions the device grants it, such as device administrator, accessibility or usage access, and Android lets the person holding the device review or change some of those. A device owner is set when the phone is first configured, so Android itself treats it as the authority and Settings gives the user no way to remove it. That is a general difference between the two models, not a verdict on any one product, and each maker documents its own protections. Skie runs as the device owner and is built to be tamper-proof. Factory reset from Settings, safe mode, developer options, adding users and uninstalling Skie are blocked by default, and with Factory Reset Protection a wiped device asks for the Skie organisation's Google sign-in, which only Skie holds, so a reset device is of no use to whoever took it. If anything ever did get through, the admin or parent is alerted immediately, down to the exact device. The trade-off is setup: the phone or tablet must be freshly set up or reset once, with any Google account removed first.
Who should pick Google Family Link and who should pick Skie
Pick Family Link if you want free time limits, a parent app on iPhone and the lightest setup. It works with a child's existing Google account and needs no reset.
Pick Skie if the child is old enough to look for workarounds, if you want the phone enforced as device owner, or if you also want one system for a school or hostel. Skie is for Android 12 or newer phones and tablets and needs a one-time fresh setup.
How setup with Skie works
Setting up Skie for a family uses the parent dashboard in a browser and the Skie Provision app from Google Play, or a computer and a cable. Because Android only allows device owner management on a device that has not been set up, the phone or tablet must be new or reset once, and any Google account removed first. You pair over Wi-Fi, follow the guided steps, and watch live progress with a clear reason if something fails. A new device model goes through a one-time model review during setup. After that you pick the apps that work, hide the Play Store if you want, turn on adult-site blocking, add study and bedtime windows and set geofences. The phone shows that it is managed, with no hidden mode. Skie does not include a mobile plan, so the family keeps its own carrier. Pricing is on request, and it is one device per child.
Choose Google Family Link if
- You want free screen time and app time limits today.
- You want one app that includes a child's Google account controls.
- Your child is young and you are comfortable with account-level supervision.
- You already use Chromebooks and want one family tool.
Choose Skie if
- You want rules enforced as device owner rather than at account level.
- You want a locked web filter that follows the phone onto mobile data.
- You want an SOS button and geofence alerts with lost mode on a tablet or phone.
- You want protection that does not depend on the child's Google account.
- You want a school or hostel to use the same system later.
Family Link is a strong free choice for younger children and for families who want screen time limits now, and it has a parent app on iPhone. Skie is the better fit when the priority is device-owner enforcement, a web filter that stays locked on mobile data, geofences, SOS and lost mode on a phone or tablet the family already owns. The gap that matters most is limits: Family Link has them, and Skie does not yet. Many families will decide on that single point.
Questions people ask
Skie vs Family Link: which is better for a 10 year old?
Family Link is free and has screen time and app limits, which many parents of a 10 year old want. Skie is a better fit for device-owner enforcement, a locked web filter, geofences and SOS, but it has no time limits yet. Pick by which need comes first.
Can a child turn off Family Link?
Google's help pages say signing out of Chrome or using other browsers can sidestep Chrome settings, and that a child who reaches the applicable age manages their own account. They do not describe a general removal method. For comparison, Skie runs as device owner and blocks uninstalling it.
Does Skie need a Google account like Family Link?
No. Skie does not rely on the child's Google account. The device must be freshly set up with any Google account removed first, because Android only allows device owner management on a device that has not been set up.
Does Family Link work on iPhone?
The parent app runs on iPhone, and Chrome controls reach iPhone and iPad. Google lists the child side as supported Android and Chrome devices. Skie is Android only for the child's device.
Does Skie have screen time limits like Family Link?
Not yet. Skie has no daily screen time limits, per-app time limits or usage reports today. It has study and bedtime schedules with allowed apps, remote lock and kiosk mode. The team is working on usage limits, with no dates.
Will Skie read my child's messages the way some parental control apps do?
No. Skie never reads messages or call logs and does not record audio or video. It has no hidden mode, and the phone shows it is managed. If reading messages is what you need, Family Link describes its own approach on its site.
Sources
- Google Family Link overview
- Google Help: Family Link screen time limits
- Google Help: Family Link and Chrome on Android and iPhone
Not publicly documented when we checked: Whether a teen or child can remove supervision, as a documented method; Android version needed for all features; SOS button; Lost mode beyond remote ring.
This comparison was prepared from publicly available information and was last checked on 12 November 2026. Product features, prices and availability change, and anything we could not find is marked as not publicly documented. Google Family Link and other product names belong to their owners and are used here only to identify their products. Skie is not affiliated with or endorsed by Google. If something here is out of date or wrong, email contact@knowphone.in and we will check and correct it promptly.