Hello Readers,

Recently my partner and I allowed our daughter to have her very first mobile but as a Security Consultant within the world of IT, I wanted to make sure that we could protect her and also ourselves. As you hear horror stories all the time with children building up hundreds of pounds of mobile phone charges.

After a bit of research and testing, I realized I could easily protect our child using native a application from the Google Play store.

The Family Link app from Google helps parents stay in the loop as their child or teen explores on their Android device, and lets parents set certain digital ground rules for their family.

With Family Link you can perform the following;
– Check your child location using Location Services on their Android phone
– Check what applications your child is using and how long for
– Lock the device if your child device is lost, or if you want to prevent usage
– Set daily screen time limits
– Set bedtime screen access
– Check what applications have been installed if you dont set “Adult Approval for Applications from Play Store”

As parents we are always concerned what our child can access from their mobile devices

With Family Link you can prevent;
– Access to Age rated applications that are not appropriate for your child
– Block mature sites

Common Questions

Will my child be able to use their phone when locked in case of an emergency?

Yes, your child will be able to make phone calls to emergency services or favorite contacts from their device.

Is my child device compatible for Family Link?

Family Link runs on Android devices running version 7.0 (Nougat) and higher devices running Android versions 5.0 and 6.0 (Lollipop and Marshmallow) may also be able to run Family Link. You will need to check the Google Help Center for more details.

What child age is Family Link targeted at?

Parents can also use Family Link to create a Google Account for their child under 13 (or the applicable age in your country). Once complete, children can sign-in to their device with their new account.

Can I add accounts to Family Link I have already created for my child(ren)?

If a child/teen already has a Google account, Family Link will walk their parent through linking their account to their child’s account. As part of that process, the child/teen may also need to download the Family Link (Child/Teen) app on their phone to complete the process of linking the accounts.

Once the accounts are linked, parents can use Family Link to help them do things like keep an eye on screen time and manage the content they use.

If your child is using Andriod device today, go and get Family Link.

Regards
The Author – Blogabout.Cloud