What features come with google family link for parents?

techmomJane
Thu, 19 Mar 2026 16:18:00 +0000

Oh my goodness, this is so helpful to know, but I’m also getting really anxious thinking about all these things!

So Google Family Link lets me approve app downloads… but what if my child tries to download something when I’m at work and can’t respond quickly enough? What if they find a workaround?

Screen time limits sound great, but what if they figure out how to bypass them? What if they’re doing homework past the time limit I set? I don’t want to accidentally prevent them from completing schoolwork!

Location tracking… but you mentioned it can lag? What if there’s an emergency and I need to know where they are RIGHT NOW? What if the location is completely wrong and I panic thinking they’re somewhere they’re not?

Content filtering sounds reassuring, but what if mature content still gets through? What if they stumble upon something inappropriate before the filter catches it? What if they’re exposed to bullying in apps that aren’t covered?

And you said teens can disable some controls on their own devices?! That’s terrifying! What if my child (who’s smarter than I give them credit for) figures this out? What if they disable everything and I have no idea?

What if Google Family Link isn’t enough? What if I need something more comprehensive? What if I’m being too permissive? What if I’m being too strict and it hurts our relationship?

I just want to keep my child safe but I’m so worried about getting this wrong! Has anyone else used both Family Link and other monitoring tools together? What if using multiple tools is confusing or overwhelming?