How do you set up parental controls on a child's phone?
Use Family Link on Android and Screen Time on iPhone to set screen, app and content limits in 20-30 minutes.
Short answer
On Android, create an under-13 Google account for your child, install Family Link on their phone and link it to your own account, then manage daily screen time and app permissions from your phone. On iPhone, open Settings > Screen Time, set a separate 4-digit Screen Time passcode, then turn on Content & Privacy Restrictions. The whole process takes 20-30 minutes.
What you need
Step by step
Prepare the phone and account
Connect the child's phone to Wi-Fi and install updates from Settings > System > System update (on iPhone, Settings > General > Software Update). Older versions are missing some parental control menus. Keep the battery at least 50 percent, since setup may involve a few restarts.
Create a child account on Android
Install the Google Family Link app on your own phone, open it and complete the "Create family group" step. Then on the child's phone go to Settings > Google > Parental controls > Get started and either create an under-13 account or select the existing one. Enter the date of birth correctly, because age sets the default filter level.
Link the two phones
Enter the 9-digit linking code shown on the child's phone into your Family Link app, then confirm by typing your own Google password on the child's screen. In the final step, grant the "Device administrator" permission, otherwise remote locking will not work. Linking takes about 5-10 minutes.
Set screen time and app limits
In Family Link, tap your child's name, then go to Controls > Screen time > Daily limit and enter values such as 1 hour on weekdays and 2 hours at weekends. Set bedtime to run from 21:00 to 07:00. Use the Apps tab to add per-app limits, for example 30 minutes a day for YouTube.
Turn on Screen Time on iPhone
On the child's iPhone go to Settings > Screen Time > Use Screen Time Passcode and pick a 4-digit code the child does not know. Keep it different from the phone's unlock code. Add your own Apple ID for recovery so you will not have to factory reset the phone if you forget the code.
Set the content filter on iPhone
Open Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions. Under Content Restrictions > Web Content, select "Limit Adult Websites". In the App Store, Media, Web section set the app age rating to 9+ or 12+, and under iTunes & App Store Purchases set "Installing Apps" to Don't Allow.
Test the restrictions
From the child's phone, try opening a site you blocked and downloading an app; both should be blocked. Open an app you time-limited and confirm the "Limit reached" screen appears. The test takes 5 minutes and immediately reveals any setting you missed.
Record the codes and talk to your child
Write the Screen Time passcode and the Google account password on paper or store them in a password manager. Explain the limits you set clearly to your child, because controls installed in secret often end in an attempt to reset the phone. Review the limits every three months as your child grows.
Tips
Watch out
Do not make the Screen Time passcode the same as the phone's unlock code, and do not skip adding an Apple ID for recovery. If you forget the code, the only way to remove the restrictions is a full factory reset, which erases photos and messages. On Android, if you do not grant the "Device administrator" permission, remote locking and time limits fail silently.
Frequently asked questions
+Can a child remove parental controls?
Not without the code, though a factory reset can bypass them. On Android the account has to be re-added after a reset on a Family Link device, and on iPhone the Screen Time passcode is tied to your Apple ID.
+Up to what age does Family Link work?
When the child turns 13 the account becomes an adult account and they can remove supervision themselves. You get a notification when this happens, and supervision can continue if you both agree.
+Do both phones need to be the same brand?
No. Family Link also runs on iOS, so you can manage an Android child phone from your iPhone. Apple Screen Time, however, works only between Apple devices through Family Sharing.
+Do parental controls cover mobile data too?
Yes. App time limits and bedtime work regardless of connection type, and the web filter applies to sites opened over mobile data in Chrome and Safari.
+Does setup delete the child's data?
No, existing photos, messages and apps stay in place. Only access to some apps is restricted, and a few apps may ask you to sign in again after switching to an under-13 account.
Sources and verification
Last verified: September 15, 2026. tell us.
This content is for information only; for official procedures the relevant institution’s current announcements take precedence. Details: disclaimer.