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Home / Family & Kids / Parental Control Apps / Google Family Link
7.1 Tested Aug 23, 2026 by Team RankingRight

Google Family Link review 2026

Free control of Android phones and Chromebooks: app approval, time limits, location and SafeSearch, managed from any phone

PriceFrom $0 · checked Sep 11, 2026
Checklist blocked28 /40
Per year0 $

Is the Google Family Link Worth It?

Best free option for Android and Chromebook. Family Link is the right starting point for a child's first Android phone or a school Chromebook and it costs nothing. It filters the web less precisely than Qustodio and does nothing on an iPhone.

Google Family Link Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Approve or block every Play Store install
  • Daily limits, bedtime and per-app limits on Android and Chromebook
  • Location with a device-locate button
  • Free and built into Android setup
Cons
  • Cannot control an iPhone
  • Web filtering is Chrome-only and coarse
  • Teens can remove supervision at 13 with notification to the parent

Google Family Link at a Glance

7.1 Editor Score
Filtering & limitsWeb and app filtering accuracy on our 40-item checklist, daily limits, schedules, app blocking.
20/30
MonitoringActivity reports, location, and (where offered) alerts on messages and social media.
9/20
Platform coverageHow much of the feature set works on iOS, which is the hardest platform, as well as Android, Windows, Mac and Chromebook.
12/20
Ease of useSetup time per device and how understandable the parent dashboard is.
10/10
ValueAnnual price for a family of five devices.
20/20
Reader ratingNo reader ratings yet — not part of the score
–
Own one? Rate it:

Rubric v1: Filtering & limits 30 · Monitoring 20 · Platform coverage 20 · Ease of use 10 · Value 20. Score = Σ ÷ 10, locked Sep 11, 2026. How we rank.

Where to buy — prices checked Sep 11, 2026

Google — $0

Best priceVisit Site

Google Family Link specifications

PriceFree
DevicesUnlimited Android and Chromebook
PlatformsAndroid, Chromebook (parent app on iOS too)
Free tierYes
Full iPhone supportNo — parent app only
Web filterChrome SafeSearch and site blocking
Screen-time limitsYes, daily limits and bedtime
LocationYes
Message & social alertsNo

Why it scored 7.1

Family Link is the right starting point for a child's first Android phone or a school Chromebook and it costs nothing. It filters the web less precisely than Qustodio and does nothing on an iPhone.

Where it loses

Filtering precision; no iPhone.

Still the right pick for

Android-only families.

Changelog: Sep 11 — rank 5 → 6; Sep 11 — rank 3 → 4; Sep 11 — rank 4 → 5 · all changes

Google Family Link7.1 · $0
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