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How to set up parental controls on Android

The safest Android setup is Google Family Link for app and time controls, plus Private DNS for family filtering. It takes about ten minutes and gives you one parent dashboard with clear daily limits, app approvals, and a filter layer that can be adjusted later.

Last reviewed: · Reviewed by Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith

Step-by-step setup

  1. Install Family Link

    Install the Family Link app on the parent and child phones.

  2. Link child account

    Follow the in-app flow to connect the child account and device.

  3. Set limits

    Set app approvals, downtime, and daily limits.

  4. Add Private DNS

    Settings → Network & internet → Private DNS → Private DNS provider hostname, then use a family-safe hostname.

  5. Recheck

    Run the free check from the child device on home Wi-Fi.

How to remove this later

In Family Link, remove or relax controls by child profile. In Android settings, set Private DNS back to Automatic to remove DNS filtering.