Google Home and your child's Google Account

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

Note: This feature is available on Android only.

Note: If Digital Wellbeing is enabled, this feature may be restricted or blocked by Downtime, Filters, or Do not disturb. Please go here for more information on Digital Wellbeing.

How Google Home works

There are a few things children with supervised accounts can't do on 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.

Step 1. Download the Google Home app on your child's phone

Your child needs to download the Google Home app from the Google Play Store on their phone. 

Step 2. Parent sets up Google Home device

Google Home needs to be set up by someone 13 (or the applicable age in your country) or older from their device. If the device is already set up, you can skip this step. 

Step 3. Set up Voice Match with your child

  1. On your child's device, open the Google Home app Google Home app.
  2. Make sure your child's phone or tablet is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as Google Home.

  3. From Home, tap your Google Home device Nest and then image. Settings Settings. 

  4. Tap the blue banner labeled Multi user is now available, Link your account, or Get personal results with Voice Match Nest and then image. Continue. 
  5. Tap the account of the person who’ll set up Voice Match with the child. 
  6. Tap Continue. 
  7. You’ll see a screen outlining the permissions. Tap Agree and then Continue. 
  8. Give the phone to your child and follow the prompts to teach their Google Assistant to recognize their voice. They’ll say "Ok Google” twice and “Hey Google” twice. 

Step 4. Turn Personal results on 

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

Note: Personal results must be on to hear any personalized information.

  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 Settings.
  5. Turn Personal results on.

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.

Unlink your child's account & voice

Parent unlinks 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.

Child unlinks account & voice

  1. On the child's device, open the Google Home app Google Home app.
  2. In the bottom right corner, tap Account .and then Account preferences  and then Linked devices
  3. Tap the X next to the account to unlink.
  4. Tap Unlink to remove this specific Google Home device from that Google Account.

How non-Google apps work

Your child can only use non-Google apps that have the "For Families" badge For families.

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

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.
Data privacy

If you allow your child to use non-Google apps:

  • Google won't share audio recordings of your child's voice with these apps. However, a transcript of what your child said can be sent to these apps
  • Google won't share your child's personal information with these apps, including your child's name, email address, or precise location. If an app needs to save information, like answers your child gave to trivia questions, that information will be saved to a unique code instead of their Google Account.

Learn more about data security & privacy on Google Home.

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