How to block apps and sites on Google family link? We are living in an era when technology is evolving rapidly, and trends are changing rapidly as well. There are certain things parents need to keep in mind when they have kids in the house. As technology advances continuously, our lifestyles are also changing along with it, as well as the way we live.

Due to the prevalence of smartphones and the abundance of apps, it is becoming increasingly difficult for parents to keep track of the activities of their children. It is a common practice for parents to closely monitor the activities of their children at all times. With both parents working, it is impossible for them to stay and monitor their children 24 hours a day. #How to block apps and sites on Google family link?

In this case, you will need to develop an application or a service to assist them in making that happen. It turns out that Google has a solution to this problem as well. #How to block apps and sites on Google family link?

It is possible to restrict your kids’ smartphone usage with Google Family Link, block apps on their devices, and track all their activities on their devices with Google Family Link.  The purpose of this post is to explain what Google Family Link is and how to set up and use it to block an app on a kid’s device.

What Is Google Family Link?

In March 2017, Google introduced a new service called Family Link. With the Parental Control feature, you can manage how much time your kid spends on their smartphone by blocking or removing apps, as well as setting a daily limit for their screen time.

With the help of weekly or monthly reports, you can keep track of how much time you spend on your favorite apps. In order to ensure that your child gets a proper night’s sleep, the device has a unique feature that enables you to set the bedtime so that your child does not strain his or her eyes by staring at the screen all night long. In addition to the features already mentioned, Google Family Link has a lot more to offer.

You can read about them in this article if you would like to know more about them. #How to block apps and sites on Google family link?

Using Google Family Link, we can block an app using the next section.

Who is the Google Family Link App For?

It should be noted that the Google Family Link app was primarily designed to cater to two sets of people – children below 13 years of age and teens above the age of 13 (or the relevant cut off age in your country).

There should be a Google account that is associated with a phone or tablet that is supervised by a parent for children under the age of 13. As a parent of an older child, you are not required to supervise the child’s account, but you are still able to monitor the teenager’s account through Family Link, which allows you to see what the teenager is doing online.

How to Block Inappropriate Content with Family Link?

However, parents can’t block the Family Link app from blocking all inappropriate content that appears on their children’s phones, despite the fact that the app is supposed to do so. It is important to note that, when it comes to child-safe filtering options, only some apps offer them.

Family Link can be used to access specific filtering options for both Google Search as well as Chrome that can be accessed through the Family Link web interface. YouTube also has a “restricted mode” that you are able to use if you wish to watch certain videos.

Using this optional setting, you can filter out all content that has been flagged as ‘mature’ or ‘inappropriate’ by the browser. There is an automatic filtering mode available in this mode that uses a variety of tools. There are several tools that assess the title, language, metadata, etc., of a video to determine whether it is appropriate for children.

YouTube’s restricted mode enables the user to block a variety of types of content, including:

  • Defamatory or inflammatory content directed at a particular individual or group of individuals.
  • Contains profanity and adult language.
  • Racial slurs, swear words, etc., in videos.
  • The depiction of violence, political conflict, terrorism, war, crime, etc.
  • News reports, videos, and descriptions of violence.
  • Discussions or depictions of sexual content.
  • Tobacco, alcohol, or drug use (or discussion).

There is a problem with these filters, however, since they don’t work perfectly well. The restricted mode of YouTube has enabled many users to access content from these purportedly blocked categories despite the fact that they were supposedly blocked. It should also be noted that this mode is not customizable either.

There is no way to specifically set up a filter that prevents your child from seeing toy reviews that include manipulative advertisements, for example, if you don’t want them to see these reviews.

In my opinion, the best alternative would be to allow children to access only YouTube Kids, which is a YouTube app that only contains content that is suitable for children. Human moderators are employed by YouTube in order to create playlists that are approved as educational and kid-friendly by the company. #How to block apps and sites on Google family link?

How to Prevent Children from Altering their Own App Restrictions?

This is one of the most common questions asked by parents – is it possible for their children to begin customizing their Family Link account as per their wishes? There is no doubt that it is not an easy task, especially if you have set up strong passwords on your computer.

To be extra sure, here are some things that you should do to prevent your children from being able to change their own app permissions and restrictions –

  • The Device Card option can be found by selecting your child’s profile in the Family Link app.
  • On the right side of the screen, tap “View Settings.” An option called “App Permissions” will appear – click it.
  • The permissions section of the app should be set to “Only Parents”.

How to View Your Child’s App Activities on Family Link?

You need to determine how much time your child spends on each app so that you can adjust accordingly. Each app’s usage time starts tracking right when it is opened and displayed on the screen. Music players and MP3 players won’t be fully counted since apps running in the background won’t be counted as active.

  • Launch the Family Link app.
  • The “App Activity” section will appear when you select your child’s profile.
  • Turn on the “Turn on App Activity” option under “Set Up”.

In the “App Activity” section, your child’s app activity details will be displayed after a few hours.

Even if children download new apps from the Google Play Store without their permission, parents can require their approval every time.

  • Go to the “Menu” section (on the left) of the Play Store app on your Android phone/tablet.
  • You can select the “Family” option by clicking on your account.
  • There is a section titled “Manage Family Members” that displays all accounts that are linked to your account.
  • The Family Link account of your child will appear when you click the option.
  • You can select “purchase approvals” from the menu.
  • Restrictions should be set appropriately. It is possible to restrict all downloads, just paid downloads, or just in-app purchases.

How to Oversee a Child’s Screen Time using Family Link?

Whether your child is using a Chromebook or Android device, you can set screen limits for their use of the device.

  • The Family Link app can be opened by clicking on it.
  • Your child’s profile can be selected by clicking on it.
  • The “Daily Limit” card is the one to look for.
  • Afterwards, select “Set up” by tapping the “Daily Limit” card (you’ll also see a “Edit Limits” option).
  • Screen time limits can be set using the app. The app guides you through the process.

It is highly recommended that you set a daily limit of four hours for your child’s Android device or Chromebook so that it will automatically lock after four hours. The Family Link app can also be used by parents to block internet connection on their children’s devices at any time, just by using the app.

In order to understand what happens once your children start setting limits on their screen time on a daily basis:

  • As soon as the parent sets the screen time (only Android phones), your children will receive a notification.
  • Additionally, children receive notifications about their phones right before they go to sleep.
  • Using the screen time controls prevents children from unlocking their phones, using apps, or viewing notifications once they are locked.
  • Their phones can answer phone calls, but they can only make calls using Emergency mode (available only on Android phones).

There is also the option for parents to set specific time limits on certain apps. Located within the app’s “Today’s Activity” section, you will be able to select the option to “Set Limits”. Make a selection of the apps/games that you would like to limit and then specify a time limit for each. There is no way to limit the time spent on system apps or third-party apps – this feature is only available to apps that are downloaded through the Play Store.

Recent updates to the parental control system of the app have made it more pandemic-friendly since Google has updated it recently. It is now possible for parents to specifically “Always Allow” any app that relates to education or remote learning. It is also worth noting that these must-access apps are not considered when the app calculates your child’s total screen time every month based on the app’s algorithm. #How to block apps and sites on Google family link?

How to block apps and sites on Google family link?
How to block apps and sites on Google family link?

How to Set Up the Google Family Link App?

In order for the app to be installed on an Android phone or an iPhone, parents should first download the Family Link app. #How to block apps and sites on Google family link?

From within their Family Link app, parents can create supervised Google accounts for their children under the age of 13, when needed. Once your child has created that account, he or she will be able to sign into it on their device.

A parent who wants to link their child account to his or her account through Family Link will be guided through the steps of how to link that account to the parent’s account by Family Link, if the teen already has a Google account. In order to complete the account linking process, the Family Link app will typically have to be installed on the child’s device and then connected to the account.

As soon as the parents and children’s accounts have been linked, they can then set digital rules for their children based on these accounts. #How to block apps and sites on Google family link?

How to Block/Unblock Apps using Family Link?

  • Go to the Google Family Link app and open it.
  • You can select the profile of your child.
  • The “Apps Installed” card will appear.
  • Your child’s device will list all the apps it has. Click “more” to see them all.
  • You can block or unblock apps by selecting them.
  • You can choose between “Allow app on” and “Allow app off”.

#How to block apps and sites on Google family link?