Turning off Family Link supervision

You can stop Google Family Link supervision in two ways: the parent can remove the child's account from Family Link, or the child can graduate to a supervised account that gives them more control. The method you use depends on whether you want to end parental monitoring completely or shift to a less restrictive setup.

Family Link doesn't have an age-based automatic shutdown — it stays active until someone takes action. If your child is old enough to manage their own device, you'll need to make the change yourself through the Family Link app or Google Play.

Key Takeaways

  • A parent removes Family Link supervision through the Family Link app by selecting the child's account and choosing the remove option.
  • Once removed, the child regains full control of their Google account and device settings, with no parental restrictions.
  • The child's device will ask for a Google account password after removal, so make sure they know it before you proceed.
  • If you want less restrictive monitoring instead of complete removal, you can adjust individual settings like app permissions and screen time limits rather than deleting the entire link.

How a parent removes Family Link

Open the Family Link app on your own device — the one you set up to manage your child's account. Tap the child's name or profile picture at the top of the screen. Scroll down and look for "Account info" or "Settings," then find the option that says "Remove account" or "Stop supervising." The exact wording varies depending on your Android or iOS version.

Tap that option and confirm when the app asks you to verify. Family Link will disconnect from your child's device within a few minutes. Your child's device will then prompt them to enter their Google account password to unlock it — this is a security step Google requires, so have that password ready before you start the removal process.

After removal is complete, you will no longer see your child's device in the Family Link app, and all parental restrictions will stop working immediately. Your child can then change app permissions, adjust screen time settings, and modify any other controls you had set up.

What happens to your child's device after removal

Once Family Link is removed, your child's device functions like any other personal Android or iOS device. They can download apps without approval, change their own screen time settings, and modify privacy controls. If you had set app restrictions, those disappear — your child will see the full Google Play Store or Apple App Store without filters.

The device itself doesn't reset or lose data. All photos, messages, contacts, and installed apps stay exactly as they were. Only the parental monitoring layer is gone. If your child forgets their Google account password, they can reset it through Google's account recovery process, but you won't be able to help them through Family Link anymore.

Adjusting supervision instead of removing it completely

If you want to keep some oversight but give your child more freedom, you don't have to remove Family Link entirely. Instead, you can loosen specific restrictions. Open Family Link, select your child's account, and tap "Controls on Google Play" to allow app downloads without approval, or go to "Screen time" to increase or remove daily limits.

You can also turn off location tracking by going to "Location" and disabling it, or adjust app permissions so your child can access certain features you previously blocked. This middle-ground approach lets your child have more independence while you maintain visibility into their device use.

When your child reaches the age limit

Google doesn't automatically remove Family Link at a specific age, but the app does notify you when your child turns 13 in most countries. At that point, your child can request to graduate to a supervised account, which gives them significantly more control while you retain some oversight features like app approval and screen time limits.

If your child requests graduation and you approve it, Family Link transitions to a less restrictive mode. Your child can then manage more of their own settings, though you can still see their location and set screen time rules if you choose. This is different from full removal — it's a middle step that many families use as children get older.

Troubleshooting removal problems

If the remove option doesn't appear in your Family Link app, make sure you're signed into the parent account you originally used to set up Family Link. If you're using a different parent account, you won't see the removal option. Log out and sign back in with the correct account.

If removal starts but gets stuck, check that both your device and your child's device have an active internet connection. Family Link needs to sync the removal across both devices. If it still doesn't work after a few minutes, restart both devices and try again. If the problem persists, sign out of Family Link on both devices, restart your phones, and sign back in.

On rare occasions, if your child's device is offline or powered off during removal, the process may not complete. Turn on your child's device, make sure it connects to Wi-Fi or mobile data, and try the removal again from the Family Link app.

What you need to know before removing Family Link

Your child will need their Google account password to unlock their device after removal. If they don't know it, write it down or reset it through your own Google account before you start the removal process. Without the password, they won't be able to use the device.

Once Family Link is gone, you lose the ability to see your child's location, app activity, and screen time. You also can't remotely lock the device or set app restrictions anymore. If you think you might want to re-enable parental controls later, consider adjusting settings instead of removing Family Link entirely.

Removing Family Link doesn't affect your child's Google account itself — their email, photos, and other Google services continue to work normally. It only removes the parental monitoring layer from their device.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my child remove Family Link themselves?

No. Only the parent account that set up Family Link can remove it. Your child cannot uninstall the Family Link app or disable supervision on their own. They can request graduation to a supervised account if they're old enough, but that still requires your approval.

Will my child's apps and data disappear when I remove Family Link?

No. Removing Family Link only removes parental restrictions — it doesn't delete apps, photos, messages, or any other data on the device. Everything stays exactly as it was, but your child will have full control over their device settings.

Can I re-enable Family Link after I remove it?

Yes, but you'll need to set it up again from scratch. You can't simply turn it back on — you'll have to go through the full Family Link setup process, which requires your child's device to be in a specific state. It's easier to adjust settings than to remove and reinstall.

What if I forgot the parent password for my Family Link account?

Reset your Google account password through the Google Account Recovery page. Once you've reset it, you can sign back into Family Link with the new password and proceed with removing supervision.

Does removing Family Link affect my child's Google account on other devices?

No. Family Link is tied to a specific device, not the entire Google account. If your child uses their Google account on a tablet or computer, Family Link doesn't monitor those devices. Removing Family Link from one device doesn't affect their account elsewhere.