Google Home & your child's Google Account

Your child can do things like ask Google questions, play games, and listen to stories if you link their Google Account and voice to Google Home.

Note: Availability of Google Home and non-Google apps on Google Assistant may vary.

How Google Home works

For the most part, Google Home will be the same for children as it is for adults. There are only a few things children under 13 (or the applicable age in your country) can't do using Google Home:

  • Play YouTube videos or songs from YouTube Music
  • Play songs from Google Play Music unless their family has Google Play Music family plan, or the person who set up Google Home has an individual subscription
  • Make purchases
  • Use non-Google apps, unless they have the "Apps for families on Google Assistant" badge For families.

Note: These limitations only apply if you created your child's Google Account for them and they're under 13 (or the applicable age in your country).

Link your child's account & voice

If you created an account for a child under 13 (or the applicable age in your country), you’ll need to set up Google Home before they can link their account and voice.

Note: If you add supervision to your child’s existing Google Account, that child can set up Google Home and sign in using the Google Home app.

Use your device

Note: To follow these steps, your device and Google Home must be on the same Wi-Fi network.

  1. Open the Family Link app Family Link.
  2. Select your child.
  3. Tap Manage Settings and then Google Assistant and then Add your child to new devices.
  4. If you have multiple Google Home devices, tap the box next to any that you want to set up. If not, skip to step 5.
  5. Follow the instructions on the screen to sign your child in.
  6. Hand the device to your child, and help them teach the Google Assistant to recognize their voice.
Use your child’s device

Note: To follow these steps, your child’s device and Google Home must be on the same Wi-Fi network.

  1. On your child's device, open the Family Link app Family Link.
  2. Select your child.
  3. In the top left, tap More More and then Sign in to Google Home.
  4. In the bottom right, tap Add Add.
  5. Tap the box next to the Google Home you want to set up.
  6. On the "Parent permission" screen, tap your name and email address.
  7. Follow the instructions on the screen to sign your child in.
  8. Hand the device to your child, and help them teach the Google Assistant to recognize their voice.
Retrain the Assistant to recognize your child’s voice

If the Google Assistant isn’t recognizing your child’s voice, you may need to train it again.

  1. On your device, open the Family Link app Family Link.
  2. Select your child.
  3. Tap Manage Settings and then Google Assistant and then Retraining your child’s Voice Match and then Retrain.
  4. Hand the device to your child, and help them teach the Google Assistant to recognize their voice.

Unlink your child's account & voice

  1. On your device, open the Family Link app Family Link.
  2. Select your child.
  3. On the "Google Home" card, tap Settings and then Unlink Google Account and voice and then Unlink.

Turn Personal results on or off

Personal results allows the Google Assistant on Google Home to read or show private info like your child’s calendar and contacts, or display their photos on a TV in response to a question.

  1. On your device, open the Family Link app Family Link.
  2. Select your child.
  3. Scroll down to the Google Home device where you want to turn Personal results on or off.
  4. Below the Google Home device’s name, tap Settings.
  5. Turn Personal results on or off.

Important: You can't turn on a subset of Personal results. For example, you can’t turn on calendars but not contacts. If you turn off Personal results because you don't want your Assistant to help with contacts, it won’t be able to help with other personal information like photos and calendars.

How non-Google apps work

Note: If you created a Google Account for your child and they’re under 13 (or the applicable age in your country), they can only use non-Google apps that have the "For Families" badge For families. If you added supervision to your child’s previously existing Google Account, your child can access all third-party experiences on Google Home.

Check if an app is for families
  1. On an Android device, touch & hold the home button.
  2. Tap Explore & Your stuff.
  3. On the "Explore" tab, tap an app.
  4. In the "Details" section, look for the "For Families" badge For families.
Prevent your child from using any non-Google apps

If you created a Google Account for your child and they’re under 13 (or the applicable age in your country), you can decide if you want to allow your child to use non-Google apps on Google Assistant.

  1. Open the Family Link app Family Link.
  2. Select your child.
  3. On the "Settings" card, tap Manage Settings and then Google Assistant.
  4. Turn Third-party apps on or off.

Note: This setting does not apply when Family Link supervision has been added to an existing Google Account.

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