How does Family Link work?

Can my child turn off Family Link?

Family Link lets you choose the information your child needs to access online. You can decide what content is included, set up your own password, and choose when your child needs to turn it on or off.

Family Link lets you: View information about your child. Change who can see this information. Set a password. See how long your child has been online. View your child's online activity. Stop a child from having access. Choose how often you want your child to check in. Make sure you understand: Children need your permission to use Family Link. How much time they spend online is not recorded. You will have an ongoing obligation to provide Family Link information. What information does Family Link collect? It collects and stores: Your child's personal information. Their username and password. Your child's current location. The times your child checks in and out of Family Link. Information that identifies the device or software used to access Family Link, including which internet service provider, browser, mobile network, and operating system your child uses. If Family Link has not been used for six months, it will delete all information stored. When Family Link is on: Your child's online activity is recorded. The device they are using to access the internet is monitored. Family Link will ask your child to turn it off if they haven't visited or checked in for a period of time. This could be up to 1 hour.

Your child will be able to connect and use their device without logging into Family Link. Who can access information about your child. You as their parent or guardian can choose who can see your child's information in Family Link. You can also make your child's information public if you like.

Who can view your child's information in Family Link. Anyone who has entered your child's username and password. Any contact, such as teachers, healthcare providers, or other childcare services staff. Other Child Care Services. If you have agreed to provide childcare with another organisation, you must consent to their viewing your child's information in Family Link.

Can parents use Family Link on Android?

With FamilyLink, Android parents can register a child's mobile phone with their own personal details, so that they can communicate with their child using text messaging and email. They can also use Family Link to share photos and videos from the phone directly with each other. Parents can send messages to children using any device they are logged into, and family members will receive a notification when their message is received, providing a level of communication that's never been possible before.

However, until now, Family Link was only available on the iPhone and iPad, and did not work on Android devices. But now, after Apple removed Family Link in iOS 11 and later, Google has announced the rollout of Family Link for Android users in the form of an APK file, allowing the app to be installed on compatible devices without jailbreaking them.

The new rollout of Family Link does include some limitations. Android users won't be able to receive any push notifications while they are using Family Link, and there are also some restrictions around audio and video on the linked device. This is largely due to new messaging and media standards introduced by the Messages team, which are currently under development.

Family Link will eventually work as intended, but for now, if you have an Android phone, you'll need to get used to using it a little differently than you would otherwise. For example, you won't be able to send or receive texts from the phone unless you are logged into Family Link, and you'll also need to make sure that your family members and friends can contact you over the Family Link app, since you won't be able to send messages through text message, WhatsApp or other apps outside of Family Link.

Is Family Link for Android free? Yes, Family Link for Android is completely free, and if you want to download it, you can get the APK file here. So what's the downside? As noted, in its current state, Family Link for Android doesn't include all of the same features as the iOS version. There are some limitations that will require a little getting used to, such as being unable to send or receive messages without being logged into Family Link.

You'll also be unable to receive certain push notifications while you're using the app.

Can I see my child's text messages on Family Link?

I can read my child's texts on Family Link, but cannot see their texts. Is there any way I can see the texts sent to or from my child on Family Link? This is a feature that is currently being worked on. Here is the status of it: We are working on adding SMS capabilities to Family Link. We will soon have a feature available that will allow you to view your child's SMS text messages on your mobile device as they appear in Family Link.

So, this might be the ability you were looking for.

Does Google Family Link work for children over the age of 13?

I have created a Family Link account for my son, and I'm assuming that since he's over 13, it would have to use his Google Account. He doesn't use a phone, but a Chromecast (I have it signed in to the family link, and he has an email address I can send stuff to).

If that's the case, is it possible that I could then use it to send some videos to him, and he could have access to them? As in: "Son, here's a vid you can watch!". So far I haven't found anything that tells me whether or not that's possible. If it is, is it the same kind of setup as sending messages, or does it have to be from the mobile app? If there's not, is there a way for me to sign him up to a Family Link account in some way? If I understand Family Link correctly, you set up the Family Link account and then link your Google accounts (such as Gmail) to the accounts you create on Family Link. So, you have to set up Family Link first, and then you have to actually link your accounts to it.

If you already have a Family Link account for your adult children, it sounds like you could send them videos through Family Link, if they accept the video on their devices. But you'd still need to set up your account first.

If you don't have a Family Link account yet for your adult children, you'll need to send them a message to ask them to set one up. You can then send them a video and tell them that you sent it.

My daughter is 11 years old. She hasn't had her own smartphone (but has been using our phones since she was 4 or 5) so I haven't been able to do a single thing to help with her Google accounts (I have a G Suite business account).

If you want to link your kids' account to Family Link, you need to make a Google account for them (and link it to Family Link), and then add the accounts you want them to be able to access on Family Link. That is going to be very similar to the process for linking them to your business account.

Does Family Link turn off at 13?

I am considering using Family Link to set up my own personal page on Facebook and would like to know if it will allow me to have a Facebook page for my child who is 13 and already has her own Facebook account. Thanks.

I'm not a Facebook expert but I'd imagine you'd need to change your account settings to allow children under 13 to be able to have a Facebook page for their own personal page. You could also try asking a Facebook support person directly about this.

The following user gives a hug of support to kezdabear:coyotegirl (04-16-2012). Re: Family Link turns off at 13? Thanks for the reply. I really appreciate it. I think I will ask a FB rep.

The Following User Says Thank You to kezdabear For This Useful Post: coyotegirl (04-16-2012). The following user gives a hug of support to kezdabear:coyotegirl (04-16-2012). I'm not sure if it's possible, but there are some ways to make it easier for your 13 year old to get onto the family page. You can allow the younger sibling to login by themself (so that they can be added to the group), or you can add them to the family group as a guest. (So they can only see your profile, but not any of the posts or events that are shared.)
The following user gives a hug of support to kezdabear:coyotegirl (04-16-2012). Coyotegirl. I believe you will have to delete the child's profile and create a new one. That would give you and the child a way to post to the family page. I hope that helps!

The following user gives a hug of support to kezdabear:coyotegirl (04-16-2012)

Is Google Family Link really free?

I was researching the new Google Family Link app, and I found some interesting information about how the service works. According to their FAQ, Family Link allows users to create a profile for up to six members of a household. The profiles include the user's name, the contact details for the user (email, phone, and location), photos, the user's personal interests, and the user's family link.

When creating a profile, the user can select one of four different types of profiles. The four options are: Shared Family Link. Family-Only Link. Family and Friends. 99 per year.99/year for up to 6 total devices and up to three shared family members, all the while getting priority access to family-related features on Android and Web.

The company says that this is the most comprehensive way to provide easy access to family-related features on both Android and the web. It's basically an extension of Google Play Services, which is free to download. However, there are some important differences:

Unlike other services that just ask you to create an account, Family Link asks for your email address before it will allow you to register. If you don't already have a Google account, you'll be prompted to create one.

To be able to sign in, the user must have an email address associated with a Google account. When creating a new email address, users will also be asked to verify the address by adding the first three characters of their existing email address. This seems odd because it's much easier to just add a username and password to your email account. I would assume that a user would have to create a Google account if they wanted to use the Family Link, but there's no mention of this in the FAGoogle says that when you sign up for Family Link, your primary email address will be automatically updated, but if you want to update your secondary email address, you'll be required to do so manually. There's no mention of when this process will be completed.

How does Family Link work?

How the service works. In August 2023, the Government launched the new FamilyLink service, as a way of helping people with children get help and advice online. The new service helps to support the Government's goals to build stronger, healthier families and communities.

Anyone who needs or wants advice on family issues can contact Familylink. A family member with your same-sex spouse is recognised for pension and tax benefits if you both have been living together for at least 12 months in a permanent relationship before you get married or enter a civil partnership. You can make your relationship official by filling in a Declaration Form to your local register office, or if you want to change the gender of your partner when they start a claim for benefits, this must be done at the time of applying. The Government can make an application on your behalf for any help or support you need for children and other family members. The Government is also looking to make changes to the Pension Credit, Tax Credits and Universal Credit rules to make sure that anyone receiving benefits has a good system of support in place to make sure their needs are met. This could include providing support with housing.

If you need more information about how the new Family Link service works, or would like help with making your application for benefits, phone 0800 123 4124 (24 hours a day). If you are unsure whether or not your family needs support, you may be eligible to get help through Family Links Service at a free one to one meeting. When it comes to financial protection there are no rules that stop you claiming money from your next of kin. It is up to you to decide whether or not you want to share your pension with others. There will be costs attached, which you will have to pay yourself. But you can do this as long as you use your own money to fund the costs.

When calculating your benefit rate, the Government takes into account the length of time you have lived together for to help establish whether it is likely that you will claim a joint rate or single rate pension. In theory the longer you live together before you start claiming a pension the higher your pension rate will be. As long as you meet all the rules, the Government doesn't think that this will mean you are taking a lower benefit than you would have if you had not started living together.