Modern-day smartphones can be addictive because of the presence of some interesting elements like social media, games, and other interesting apps. It is hard to stay focused when you have a handy smartphone with multiple options to keep you entertained. The parents have a hard time controlling their children over their mobile usage. The pandemic has added to their difficulties because now online education has made possession of a smartphone, a necessity for every child.
Smartphones may be a necessity but they should be taking over your children’s lives. You must regulate its usage by implementing some controls. Advising them on their limited usage is wise. However, technology also gives you certain powers which enable you to pull the reigns and help your children to use their smartphones in a limited way.
Here is how to manage your child’s screen time on Android.
How To Manage Child’s Screen Time On Android
Google lets parents create a Google Account for their children and manage it with the help of Family Link. This lets the parents provide access to their children to certain apps such as Gmail, Chrome, etc. Family Link also enables them to regulate their children’s usage of the phone.
- You need to create a Google Account for yourself by following the instructions and putting in your basic information such as name, age, country, etc.
- Then you must first create a Family Link by downloading the app (instructions below). You just need to follow the step-by-step instructions and you can create a Family Link that will let you manage up to six accounts.
Remember: You must have devices that run on Android 9 and later to be enabled to use the Family Link to manage your child’s account. All the accounts that you control, including yours, should have a Google Account.
Step 1: Create Google Account
If you don’t have a Google Account then create one by visiting the Google Sign Up page. Create a Google account by filling up the required details.
Step 2: Download Family Link on Android Phone
- You can download Google Family Link from the Play Store
- Once the download process is complete, create a family group by following the instructions and then link your Google account with your children’s Google account(s)
Step 3: Add Family Members to Family Link Account
You can create a Google Account for your children in the Family Link app. You will require giving your credit card information to complete the process. This is to ensure that the law has the consent of the parents before they can collect the personal information of their children. The transaction is canceled and the amount (small) is refunded when the account creation is completed.
Download the Family Link app on your children’s phones and sign in with their account details. The parent will receive a notification on their app about the child’s device being linked with theirs.
Sign in to the device using the child’s Google account. Once again you will be notified about being linked with your child’s device.
Repeat the same process for all your children.
Step 4: Manage Your Children’s Screen Time:
Open Family Link
Click on the profile that you would like to set the screen time for
Tap on Screen Time
Tap on Edit Limits or Set up
Ensure that you can see the Daily Limit Tap right on top of your screen. Tap on the option next to the days for which you want to set a limit.
You will also find a Bedtime option on the top
Tap on it to select the bedtimes according to the days of the week
Children cannot use their devices beyond the set time by their parents. Family Link allows parents to monitor several other activities of their children besides just managing the screen time. Some other features include:
- Monitoring Chrome’s browsing activity
- Parents can learn the location of their children
- They can manage their app downloads
- They also have control over their digital footprints
Google Family Link is a great app that allows you to monitor your children’s actions on their devices. It is easy to download and use. Follow the step-by-step instructions mentioned above to help them sleep on time by limiting their device usage after a set time period.
Experiencing difficulties with your Device, check out our “How To” page on how to resolve some of these issues.
