Chrome & your child's Google Account

When your child has a Google Account, they can sign in to Google Chrome on their Android device or Chromebook.

Chrome is available on phones and tablets running Android 7.0 (Nougat) and up.

How Chrome works on Android or Chromebook

Children signed in to their Google Account on an Android device or Chromebook have a similar experience to adults. Available features may be updated from time to time, but some of the differences include:

• Children can't use incognito mode.
• Parents can manage the websites their children can visit on Chrome, and limit their children’s ability to grant permissions to websites.
• If "Try to block explicit sites" has been turned on for your child in Family Link, Chrome browsing tries to block sexually explicit and violent sites.
  For residents of Japan: Alps System Integration Co., Ltd. augmented this filtering service.
• Your child's Google Activity controls may allow Google to use Chrome browsing history and activity from websites to personalize your child’s experience across Google products and services. However, this information won't be used to personalize ads for children under 13 (or the applicable age in your country).

Manage your child's activity on Chrome

Important: You can only use Family Link to restrict websites or permissions if your child uses Chrome on an Android device or a Chromebook.

Manage your child's browsing on Chrome

To go to this setting directly in the app, tap the button below:

Set up Google Chrome controls

1. Open the Family Link app .
2. Select your child.
3. Tap Controls  Content restrictions Google Chrome.
4. Choose the setting that’s right for your family:
   • Allow all sites: Your child can visit all sites, except the ones you block.
   • Try to block explicit sites: No filter is perfect, but this should help hide sexually explicit and violent sites.
   • Only allow approved sites: Your child can visit the sites you allow.
5. To manually allow or block certain sites, under Manage sites, tap Approved or Blocked.
   • When you allow or block a site, this setting automatically applies no matter what other Chrome browsing settings are enabled for your child.

Tip: You can also manage your child's account when you click on your child's name at g.co/YourFamily.

Block or allow certain sites

If you block a certain site, your child can ask for parental permission to visit it. You'll get a notification in the Family Link app where you can approve or deny their request.

• Websites: If you block or allow a specific website, like www.google.com, the permission doesn't apply to sites that begin or end differently, like www.google.co.uk or photos.google.com.
• Domains: If you block or allow an entire domain, like google, the permission does apply to sites that begin or end differently, like www.google.com and images.google.fr.

Block or allow a site

1. Open the Family Link app .
2. Select your child.
3. Tap Controls Content restrictions Google Chrome.
4. Under Manage sites, tap Approved or Blocked.
5. Tap Add a website.
6. Add a website, like www.google.com or domain, like google. If you add a website, you should include the www. portion of the URL, like www.google.com instead of google.com.
7. At the top left, tap Close .

Tip: You can also manage your child's account when you click on your child's name at g.co/YourFamily.

Change website permission settings

You can decide whether your child can give site permissions to websites they visit, including permission to use location, camera, and notifications.

1. Open the Family Link app .
2. Select your child.
3. Tap Controls Content restrictions Google Chrome Advanced settings.
4. Turn Permissions for sites, apps, and extensions on or off.

Tip: You can also manage this setting when you click on your child's name on the Chrome dashboard.

When "Permissions for sites, apps, and extensions" is off, children can't grant permissions to websites. However, permissions they already granted will still be in place.

Find or delete your child's Chrome history

Find Chrome history

Important: If you added supervision to your child’s previously existing Google Account, you’ll need their help to do this.

1. On your child's device, open the Chrome app .
2. Tap More History. This page shows your child's recent Chrome history.

Clear Chrome history & data

Your child can manage their Chrome history. Learn how to view and delete Chrome browsing history.

From an Android device or Chromebook

1. Open the Family Link app .
2. Select your child.
3. Tap Controls Content restrictions Google Chrome Advanced settings.
4. In the "History" section, tap Clear history.

Tip: Your child's Google Account might have other kinds of browsing history saved at myactivity.google.com.

From an iPhone or iPad

Important: If you added supervision to your child’s previously existing Google Account, you’ll need their help to do this.

1. On your child's iPhone or iPad, open the Chrome app .
2. At the bottom right, tap More History.
3. At the bottom left, tap Clear browsing data.
4. Select Browsing history and any other data you want to delete.
5. Tap Clear browsing data.

Tip: Your child's Google Account might have other kinds of browsing history saved at myactivity.google.com.

Browsing data

You can clear your child's browsing data, like cookies, saved passwords, and autofill form data. 

Important: If you added supervision to your child’s previously existing Google Account, you’ll need their help to do this.

1. On your child's device, open the Chrome app .
2. Tap More History.
3. At the bottom left, tap Clear browsing data.
4. Check the boxes next to the type of browsing data you want to remove.
5. Tap Clear browsing data.