Android: Family Link web controls plus an app review

For a child's supported Android setup, use Family Link to review both web access and the apps that remain available. A Chrome restriction is not the same as a universal filter inside every installed app.

Recommended setup

1. Confirm supervision. Open Family Link and select the child's actual account and device. Verify that you are managing the device used for everyday browsing.
2. Set Chrome's web controls. Under the child's Controls, open Google Chrome and Web. Choose the option that attempts to block explicit sites or the narrower option allowing only approved sites.
3. Review the site lists. Inspect approved and blocked sites, including any exceptions already granted. ¹
4. Review the app list. Use Family Link's app-management controls to inspect what is available and remove access to apps outside the agreed plan. ²
5. Configure allowed services. Set parental controls inside each permitted streaming or video app separately.

Good to know

Google documents Chrome-specific protections for supported supervised accounts, including restrictions on Incognito use. Do not generalize that into a claim that every browser, device, or in-app experience is controlled identically. ¹

A child-account setup also has eligibility and platform requirements. It should not be represented as the same thing as an adult voluntarily choosing a filter on an independent account.

Check your setup

On the child's device, confirm the active account, inspect the allowed apps, and test an ordinary unapproved website when using an approved-sites-only setup. Check whether another browser or unreviewed app is available and whether settings require parental authorization.

Avoid explicit searches as a test. Configuration checks and harmless unapproved pages can reveal important gaps without introducing unwanted material.

After approving a new app, repeat the app-specific safety review. Installing it and configuring its content controls are two separate tasks.

Sources

1. Google: manage a child’s Chrome browsing
2. Google: manage a child’s apps with Family Link

Steps were checked against these official help pages on September 18, 2026. Menus change; when a step does not match your screen, follow the linked page.