There can be no more than six people in a family group. The user who created the group becomes its administrator.
Creating a Family Group
You can create a family group when:
- set up a Family Library on Google Play;
- visit families.google.com;
- set up family access to YouTube TV;
- Create a Google Account for a child under 13 (age may vary by country) managed through Family Link;
- subscribe to Google One.
When sending invitations, you are prompted to enter a security code (CVN)
If you use a shared payment method, you may be asked to verify your CVN when inviting new users to your family group.
Please note that a verification charge may appear on your card statement.
This is how we check if your card is valid. This is not a real payment; funds are not debited from the card.
Requests may take up to 14 business days to appear on your account statement. If more than two weeks have passed and the request has not disappeared, contact your bank.
Roles of family group members
The administrator of a family group is the user who created it.
Only a family group administrator can:
- Create accounts for children under 13 years of age (age restrictions may vary by country).
- Determine the composition of the family group. The administrator can add and remove members.
- Manage access to Google services. An administrator can subscribe or cancel a family subscription, such as Google Play Music.
- Delete a family group.
- Set up and manage a common payment method. The Group Administrator is responsible for all purchases made using the shared payment method. For members under 18 years of age, you can enable verification of Google Play purchases.
Any adult member of a family group can subscribe to
Google's official policies do not allow children under 13 years of age to create accounts. However, the parent has the option of making and managing their own account for the child. Below we provide instructions on how to create a child Google account and how to set up parental controls.
Create a new account for a child
To begin with, the standard procedure for creating a Google account. We go to the page where you can Create an account. We fill in the child’s details (for now – first and last name), come up with an email address and password.
By the way, after entering your first and last name, the service will generate a random possible account (mail) name.
And now we come to the main thing. Since we entered the date of birth of a child who is under 13 years old, Google asks to enter the parent's address or phone number to confirm registration. If you notice, Google is speaking directly to the child. It is assumed that he is the one who creates the account for himself.
Enter your address or phone number. You will almost receive a letter to confirm the creation of a child account, and a password will be sent to your phone.
Family Link app
The child's account has been created. Parents can establish control over their child's actions through Family Link app.
The program is installed on an Android smartphone or tablet. The application positions itself as a parental control option. But it is important to note that it is not control in the sense of supervision, but rather in the sense of education.
The application offers:
- see how the child uses his device: what applications he uses most often;
- protect your child from risky and generally any purchases on the Internet: confirmation of such purchases is directly linked to the parent’s account, he is always in the know;
- the child constantly receives educational and entertainment recommendations: most games, applications and other content are selected by teachers;
- set temporary restrictions on the use of the device: for example, the tablet can be blocked at night;
- A useful feature for anxious parents is the ability to track where the child is.
So, we looked at the possibility of creating a Google account for the child. Nothing complicated: just fill out your personal information (first name, last name, age, create a password and address), enter your parent’s phone number or email address, and confirm the creation of your account.
We also learned about the Family Link application, an excellent parental control tool with extensive capabilities: limiting the time you use the gadget, viewing the content you are using, tracking your location, etc.
Tools for Parents
Family Link
Once you have given us permission to process your child's personal data, you will be able to do, among other things, the following things through Family Link:
- approve purchases and downloads of applications on Google Play, as well as limit access to materials on the Google Play Store using age categories;
- manage settings such as SafeSearch in Google Search;
- change app permissions on your child's device, such as controlling access to the microphone, camera, location, and contacts;
- change content filtering settings in the YouTube Kids app;
- Limit your child's time using an Android or Chrome OS device;
- see the location of your child's Android device;
- Manage activity tracking settings in your child's Google Account;
- Grant another member of the family group nearly the same rights regarding the child's account.
With Family Link's tools, you can set ground rules for your family group. Some Family Link settings are available through, but the full set of functions is only available in the Android and iOS applications. For example, only it has such features as managing the time you use the device. Please note that some features are only available on Android or Chrome OS devices, and others may only work under certain settings and conditions. For example, you won't be able to see where your child's device is currently located in the Family Link app if it doesn't have location sharing enabled, isn't connected to the Internet, or hasn't been active recently. Additionally, SafeSearch and Chrome browser filters may not always prevent exposure to content that is inappropriate for children.
Parental controls and approval of purchases on Google Play
Your child will have access to a variety of materials presented in the Google Play Store: applications, films, books and music. When you set up parental controls for your child's account, you can customize Google Play settings to your liking. Please be aware that restrictions are based on third party age ratings and may not be accurate. This means your child may see inappropriate content regardless of your settings. At the same time, he may request access to content intended for more mature audiences, or send materials and communicate with other users using third-party applications installed on his device. Use your own discretion when determining which requests to approve and which not. For example, allow him to use third-party apps to send photos and videos. Regardless of the approval settings you set for purchases and downloads, some activities may occur without your permission, such as re-downloading apps or other content, updating apps (even if the app has new content or requests additional data and permissions), and downloading shared content from your Google Play Family Library.
You can block your child's access to a particular application on their Android or Chrome OS device. To do this, in the Family Link service, click “Applications”, select the one you need and turn the “Approve” switch to the “Off” position. The app will be hidden (but not deleted) on your child's device until you unlock it again. Please note that if you remove apps from your child's device, they may be able to reinstall them without your permission. Family Link also lets you manage permissions for apps installed on your child's device.
Privacy Notice for Google Accounts created for children under 13 (age may vary by country) and managed through Family Link ("Privacy Notice")
We understand that it is important for you to know what information we collect about your child's account, why we collect it, and how you can change, delete, export, or manage your child's information. The privacy practices for information available in your child's account are set forth in this Privacy Notice and. If the provisions of these documents conflict with each other, the Confidentiality Notice will control.
This Privacy Notice does not apply to third-party apps or websites (not from Google) that your child may use. Always check their terms and conditions to see if those sites and apps are appropriate for your child. In particular, pay attention to the data collection and use practices.
What information do we collect
For more information about what information Google collects, see Google's Privacy Policy. In particular, we collect the following data:
Information you or your child provides to us and content you create
When you create a Google Account for your child, we ask you to provide personal information such as first and last name, email address, and date of birth. We collect information that your child provides, such as your contact information. We use them to contact you when we need to obtain your consent. We also collect content that your child creates, uploads, or receives from others using their account, such as photos in Google Photos and documents in Drive.
Information resulting from your child's use of our services
We automatically collect and store certain information about what services your child uses and how he or she interacts with them. The source of this data could be a Google Search query, a Google Assistant command, or a YouTube Kids video. The types of such information are listed below.
Information about the applications, browsers and devices your child uses
We collect a variety of information about the apps, browsers and devices your child uses to access Google services. This information includes, but is not limited to, unique identifiers, browser or device type and settings, operating system, mobile network (including carrier name and phone number), and application version. We also collect information about how the apps, browsers and devices your child uses interact with our services. This includes IP addresses, crash reports, system activity information, and the date, time, and referral URL. This data is recorded when the Google service on your child's device connects to our servers, for example when installing an application from the Play Store.Information about your child's activities
We collect information about what your child does on Google services. It is necessary for many useful functions to work, for example allowing us to suggest new applications from Google Play to it. We also store searches, videos watched, voice-activated audio, people your child chats or shares content with, and Chrome browsing history synced to their Google Account. If your child uses Google services to make and receive calls or send and receive messages (such as in Hangouts), we may collect call data, including the device's phone number, calling and receiving numbers, forwarding numbers, and the date and time of calls and messages. , duration and type of calls, and call routing information. Your child or you can specify in your Google Account settings which activities we can collect.Location information
We collect information about where your child is when they use Google services. We determine its location using the device's GPS, IP address, information from sensors on the device, and information about surrounding objects such as Wi-Fi hotspots, cell towers, and Bluetooth-enabled devices. The types of location data may vary depending on your device and account settings.Voice Characteristics and Voice Control History
We can record your child's voice and speech. For example, if he says "Hey Google" or taps the microphone icon on any device where he's signed in to his account, a recording of the subsequent phrase (including the few seconds before it) is saved in the account. This occurs provided that saving voice control history is enabled in your account.
We use tools and technologies such as cookies, pixel tags, local storage (such as browser web storage and application cache), databases and server logs to collect and store information. We collect only the information about your child that is necessary to use the Google products and services available in their account, and do not ask them for additional information.
What information can a child give access to?
By signing in to your Google Account, your child can share information, including photos, videos, audio, and location information, by posting it publicly or sending it to others. In this case, such information may become available in search engines, such as Google Search.
Access to your child's personal data
If you created a new Google Account for your child using Family Link, you can view, change, delete, or export your child's information by signing in to their account. If you don't remember your child's password, you can reset it in the Family Link app or . Once you're signed in, you can use various features described in Google's Privacy Policy (such as turning on activity tracking) to set your privacy preferences and provide your child's information. If your child created their account before the age of consent in your country changed, and you have since allowed your child to keep their account, you will not be able to reset the account password or log in to the account without your child's permission.
Your child can change activity tracking settings, delete My Activity history, and grant permissions to third-party apps (including access to the device's location, microphone, or contacts). But you can prevent your child from using such features on an Android device without your approval. To do this, open the Family Link settings (in the application or on the service website) and set the access level to “Parents only” for the “Manage Google Activity” and “App Permissions” settings.
With the Family Link app, you can also change your child's Google Account information, view app history and permissions, and allow or prevent your child from managing permissions (such as location, microphone, or contacts on an Android device). You can also use Family Link to control your child's access to certain features, apps, and services, and set permissions on their Android device.
If you want to stop collecting and using your child's information, you can delete your child's Google Account from the Account Information page in the Family Link app or on Google. Your child's account information will be permanently deleted within a certain period of time.
When will your child be able to manage their account independently?
To learn more about how Google collects and uses your child's data, please contact Google's Data Privacy Team. For more information about your rights, please contact the competent authorities in your region.
Google has announced a new mobile application that allows parents to create a Google account for their children, thereby completely controlling all their activities.
The utility was named . With its help, parents can almost completely manage their child's account: prohibit and allow the installation of applications from the Google Play store, track how much time he spends in each application, view weekly and monthly reports, and even set a period of time limiting access to the smartphone. Google notes that Family Link is intended for parental control of children under 13 years of age who do not have the right to create their own accounts.
To take advantage of all the benefits of Family Link, you need to install the application on your smartphone and create an account for your child in it, then activate the newly created Google account on your child's device. The only caveat is that your child’s device must run Android 7.0 and higher.
At the moment, the Family Link application is still available to American users and only in preliminary testing mode. You can submit a request to participate in the program using this
As an administrator of a family group, you can invite up to 5 people to your family group. You can also kick members from a group or delete it.
How to add family group members
If you are the administrator of a family group, you can invite up to 5 people to it.
To join your family group, the user must live in the same country as you.
In the Google One app
How to remove members
If you are an administrator of a family group, you can remove users from it.
Children over 13 years old
If you have a child in your family group who is 13 years or older (age may vary by country) and you manage their account using Family Link, after you remove the child from the family group, parental controls for their devices and Google account will be disabled.
How to delete a family group
If you are an administrator of a family group, you can delete it.
What happens if you delete a family group
- All former Family Group members will retain their Google Accounts and any content they purchased using the shared payment method.
- Any former members of a family group will no longer have access to Google Play Family Library content added by other members.
- Pending purchases made by former family members using a shared payment method will still be charged to your account, but you will be able to request a refund for unauthorized or accidental purchases.
- If you have a family subscription to Google Play Music, everyone in your group will lose access to the service.
- If your family group is subscribed to Google One, everyone in your family group won't have shared storage. If members run out of storage space, their old files will be retained, but they won't be able to add new ones. Learn more about what happens when you run out of storage space...
- Family members will also lose access to additional benefits and support from Google experts.
- During the 12 months after deleting your group, you will only be able to join another family group or create a new one once.
Deleting a family group with children whose accounts have parental controls configured
If you created a Google Account for a family group member who is under 13 years of age (