Chrome & your child's Google Account

If your child has a Google Account managed by Family Link, they can sign in to Google Chrome on any device, including:

• Android device
• Chromebook
• iPhone and iPad
• Windows, Mac, or Linux computer

How Chrome works for your child

Children and adults have a similar experience when they sign in to Chrome with their Google Account, but additional features provide a safer browsing experience. Choose the type of device that your child uses:

Android

If your child uses an Android device, you can use Family Link to:

• Select a content filter to allow or block certain sites in Chrome and in some Android apps for your child.
  • Try to block explicit sites: If "Try to block explicit sites" has been turned on for your child in Family Link, Chrome tries to block sexually explicit sites.
  • For residents of Japan: Alps System Integration Co., Ltd., augmented this filtering service.
• Allow or block specific sites.
• Approve or deny requests from your child to visit blocked sites.
• Allow or block sites from asking for access to your child’s location, camera, or microphone.

Tip: Incognito mode is turned off when your child is signed in to Chrome with an account managed by Family Link.

Chromebook

If your child’s device is a Chromebook, you can use Family Link to:

• Select a content filter to block or allow certain sites in Chrome and in some Android apps for your child.
  • Try to block explicit sites: If “Try to block explicit sites” has been turned on for your child in Family Link, Chrome tries to block sexually explicit sites.
  • For residents of Japan: Alps System Integration Co., Ltd., augmented this filtering service.
• Allow or block specific sites.
• Approve or deny requests from your child to visit blocked sites.
• Allow or block sites from asking for access to your child’s location, camera, or microphone.
• Allow or block your child from installing extensions from the Chrome Web Store.

Tip: Incognito mode is turned off when your child is signed in to Chrome with an account managed by Family Link.

Windows, Mac, or Linux computer

Important:

• On Windows, Mac, or Linux computers:
  • Your child can sign out of Chrome and switch to other profiles, which takes them to a browsing experience where Family Link settings for Chrome won’t apply.
  • They may also have access to other browsers where Family Link settings for Chrome won’t apply.

If your child’s device is a Windows, Mac, or Linux computer, you can use Family Link to:

• Select a content filter to block or allow certain sites in Chrome for your child.
  • Try to block explicit sites: If “Try to block explicit sites” has been turned on for your child in Family Link, Chrome tries to block sexually explicit sites.
  • For residents of Japan: Alps System Integration Co., Ltd., augmented this filtering service.
• Allow or block specific sites.
• Approve or deny requests from your child to visit blocked sites.
• Allow or block sites from asking for access to your child’s location, camera, or microphone.

Tip: Incognito mode is turned off when your child is signed in to Chrome with an account managed by Family Link.

iPhone and iPad

Important:

• On iPhone and iPad:
  • Your child can sign out of Chrome, which takes them to a browsing experience where Family Link settings for Chrome won’t apply.
  • They may also have access to other browsers where Family Link settings for Chrome won’t apply.

If your child’s device is an iPhone & iPad, you can use Family Link to:

• Select a content filter to block or allow certain sites in Chrome for your child.
  • Try to block explicit sites: If “Try to block explicit sites” has been turned on for your child in Family Link, Chrome tries to block sexually explicit sites.
  • For residents of Japan: Alps System Integration Co., Ltd., augmented this filtering service.
• Allow or block specific sites.
• Approve or deny requests from your child to visit blocked websites.
• Allow or block sites from asking for access to your child’s camera or microphone.

Tip: Incognito mode is turned off when your child is signed in to Chrome with an account managed by Family Link.

Manage your child's activity

Set Website restrictions

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   Google Chrome and Web.
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 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 sites and Blocked sites.
   • When you allow or block a site, this setting automatically applies no matter what other Chrome browsing settings are enabled for your child.

Allow or block certain sites

If you block a certain site in Chrome and in some Android apps, your child can ask for permission to visit it.

If your child selects:

• Ask in person: You can review the request from their device, and approve or deny it with your Google Account password. This option is only available on Android devices and Chromebooks.
• Ask in a message: You get a notification in the Family Link app where you can approve or deny their request.

Allow or block a site

1. Open the Family Link app .
2. Select your child.
3. Tap Controls Google Chrome and Web.
4. Under "Manage sites," tap Approved sites and Blocked sites.
5. Tap Add a website.
6. Add a website, like www.google.com or domain, like google.
   • Websites: Include the www. portion of the URL, like www.google.com instead of google.com. If you block or allow a specific website, 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, the permission does apply to sites that begin or end differently, like www.google.com and images.google.fr.

Allow or block website permissions

Important: This control does not manage whether your child can allow websites to use their location on iPhones or iPads.

You can decide whether your child can allow websites to use their device’s location, camera, and microphone.

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

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

Allow or block adding extensions

You can decide whether your child can add extensions from the Chrome Web Store.

1. Open the Family Link app .
2. Select your child.
3. Tap Controls Google Chrome and Web Advanced settings.
4. Turn Extensions on or off.

Related resources

• Create a Google Account for your child
• Create a family on Google
• Manage your family on Google
• Add & manage supervision on a current Google Account