Google Family Link explained fairly, and when a family needs more

What Family Link is

Family Link is Google's own parental supervision service. A parent installs the Family Link app, creates or links a supervised Google account for the child, and then manages the child's device through that account. It is free, widely used and made by the company that makes Android.

Google changes the feature set over time, so check Google's current Family Link pages for the exact list.

What it generally does well

• Approving or blocking apps the child wants to install
• Setting time-related limits and a bedtime from the parent app
• Showing the child's device location
• Filtering content in Google products such as Chrome, Search and the Play Store
• Working for the child on devices where they sign in with their account

Where a family may want more

Family Link works through the child's Google account and the supervision settings Android allows to a normal app. A family that wants rules enforced by Android itself, such as blocking uninstall, factory reset from Settings, VPN setup and alternative browsers, can look at a device owner approach. Device owner versus Family Link sets this out in detail.

Some families also want one tool that works the same for a phone, a tablet and, later, a school device. Skie is Android device management software that covers parents, schools, hostels and organisations.

How Skie differs

Where Family Link is ahead

Daily time limits and screen time reporting are features Family Link offers, according to Google. Skie does not yet have per-app time limits or screen time reports. Those are not available yet, and the team is working on them. Skie schedules change which apps are allowed at set times, which covers part of the need. If minute counting is vital to you, say so when you compare.

Family Link also costs nothing, which matters. Start there if you are unsure. See study time and a bedtime lock for what schedules can do.

Can they be used together?

A device that is managed as device owner by Skie must be set up without a Google account in place, since Skie asks you to remove any Google account first. That makes the two approaches alternatives for a given device, not layers. Choose by what your family needs.

People also ask whether a child can turn off Family Link. Google's current guidance explains the supervision settings for your country and the child's age, so read it. For Skie, a child cannot uninstall or stop the app; see parental control that a child cannot uninstall.

Questions to ask before you choose

• Does my child already have a Google account, and am I comfortable with it?
• Do I need rules a child cannot change from the device itself?
• Do I need daily time limits and reports today?
• Do I want the same tool for a phone and a tablet?
• Am I willing to reset the device once to use a device-level tool?

A fair way to start

If you are new to parental controls, start with something free and see how it works for a month. Notice what you wish it did. If the gaps are about time limits and reports, Family Link may keep you well served. If they are about the child switching things off or finding other browsers, a device-level tool may fit better.

Neither choice is a mistake, and you can change. Switching to Skie later means resetting the device once and removing the Google account first. Plan it for a time when your child is not in the middle of exams.

Frequently asked questions