Google Family Link

A Google user

Fairly easy to set up and use but it's way too easy to defeat it in multiple ways. When "time is up" or in "bedtime", it can still easily be used by pulling down the menu bar and opening up Settings, going to Apps, and clicking on an app. The app will open and then can be played for an unlimited amount of time, and this time will not show up on the parental app. After changing permissions so that ALL downloads had to have my approval, he was still able to download new apps without approval. Overall, just too many flaws/ways to be defeated.

Christie Watt-Wentland

I read on several compliant reviews that the bedtime/ limits doesn't work. Not only doesn't work but my experience they constantly reset. I can't get on it every night to reset. I'm deleting unfortunately. Not to mention, make sure you go threw all the settings. After 3 years of using, I've found an area where they also gave access to change certain app settings.

A Google user

Muh! Good, but far from great. There was a lot of frustration trying to set this up because the instructions aren't very clear or easy to understand. If you have a device that already had someone signed into a Google account, good luck with trying to change that over without doing a factory reset. When you finally get this set up, it does a great job at restricting screen time and what your child downloads from Google Play.

Parker Bailey

Great to control your children's phone time, but some of the features are confusing. There is a bedtime mode that allows you to lock the phone during the night, but how the times work are very confusing. It would be nice to see some sort of calendar or visual screen that shows you hour by hour when the phone is locked.

Brett Tayler

Whew, it does what it says, but it severely lacks the regular Google quality and attention to detail. If there is an alarm going off after a bedtime there's no way to turn it off without parent access. It's a little absurd. I haven't tried calls or texts but I wish I were able to customize way way more. I can only assume my child can't contact me after the set time, which misses the whole point of them having a phone. Gets him to bed on time now though... Wish it was more like other Google apps.

Tammy Malone

It's a great app. I love how it tracks the time per each app, the cut-off feature and the ability of control that it gives the parent/guardian to alter the settings from their own personal phone. As an example, I was on a school bus with my daughter for a field trip, four rows apart. Earlier I blocked her Instagram account. She texted and asked if she could have temporary access to upload photos of her field trip. I simply opened the family app and within seconds she had access. Thanks Google!

Dan Martin

UPDATE: Somehow, a person gained access to the account. Change settings and used the find my phone feature to locate my childs location. It was a scary moment as I was in the middle of changing passwords when this happened. I emailed support and all they did was try to blame the user "since there is no way someone else could have gained access without the password" I deleted the app.

Samantha Cantley

So far, the app has been useful. I'm not a fan of the loopholes, like using the google search bar to get to youtube videos. I would find it more beneficial to be able to split the daily schedule/bedtime schedule. Having the 1 schedule option just doesn't work out for day-to-day life. Being able to set an alarm clock or use certain apps during bedtime would be beneficial, too. Sure, the alarm goes off, but you can't silence, snooze, or shut it off without parent access.

A Google user

Really was hoping this wasn't as easy to bypass as other parental control apps. Screen time can be easily bypassed. The edge panel can be accessed to drag and drop the app to the pop-up window. This will allow apps to be used in pop-up view, after bed time limits have been set. Will update if this gets fixed, but otherwise everything else works as expected.

A Google user

It has some decent basic features. I like the location tracking integration with Google Maps, and the alerts when he installs new apps. My kid has thoroughly defeated the time limits. Apparently, when he wakes his phone there is a brief screen that pops up before the lock screen. If he taps that screen the phone operates normally, even if it is supposed to be locked after the time limit is reached. If he doesn't catch that screen at first, he can reboot the phone and try again. I also hate that much of the data I get about his phone says it is an hour to several hours old, and I don't have an option to refresh. I have to wait for the app to decide to refresh?? Some decent features, but fails at a primary function.