How to disable parental controls depends on who set them up

If you set up parental controls yourself on your Android device, you can turn them off through the same app or settings menu where you enabled them. If someone else set them up — a parent, guardian, or device administrator — you will need either their PIN or password to disable them, or you will need to factory reset the device, which erases everything on it.

The method changes based on which tool was used: Google Play's built-in parental controls, Samsung Kids (on Samsung devices), third-party apps like Google Family Link, or device administrator settings. Each one stores its lock differently, and each one requires different steps to remove.

Key Takeaways

  • Google Play parental controls can be turned off in the Play Store settings if you know the PIN you created when you set them up.
  • Google Family Link, which is designed for parents to monitor children's devices, requires the parent's account password to remove and cannot be disabled from the child's device alone.
  • Samsung Kids on Samsung phones can be disabled through Settings if you remember the PIN, but requires a factory reset if you do not.
  • If parental controls were set up by a device administrator account, removing them usually requires either the administrator's password or a full factory reset of the device.
  • A factory reset erases all data on your phone, including photos, messages, and installed apps, so it should be a last resort.

Disabling Google Play parental controls

Google Play's parental controls are the simplest to remove if you set them up yourself. Open the Google Play Store app, tap your profile icon in the top right corner, then tap Settings. Scroll down and select Parental controls. If parental controls are currently on, you will see a toggle or button to turn them off. Tap it, and you will be asked to enter the PIN you created when you first enabled them.

If you do not remember the PIN, you cannot disable Google Play parental controls without resetting the device. There is no "forgot PIN" recovery option built into Google Play itself. Your only path forward is a factory reset, which you can do through Settings > System > Reset options > Erase all data (the exact path varies by Android version and manufacturer).

Removing Google Family Link from your device

Google Family Link is different from Google Play parental controls. It is a separate app that parents install on a child's device to monitor and restrict it remotely. If Family Link is set up on your phone, you cannot remove it from your device alone — the parent or guardian who set it up must remove it from their own Family Link app or account.

If you have access to the parent's account, they can open the Family Link app on their own device, select your device, and choose the option to remove it. If you do not have that access and the parent will not remove it, a factory reset will erase Family Link along with everything else on the phone. After the reset, Family Link will not reinstall unless the parent's account adds the device again.

Disabling Samsung Kids on Samsung devices

Samsung phones often come with Samsung Kids, a built-in parental control tool. To turn it off, go to Settings > Parental controls or Samsung Kids (the exact path depends on your Android version). Tap Turn off or the toggle to disable it. You will be prompted to enter the PIN you created when you set it up.

If you forget the PIN, you will need to factory reset the device. Go to Settings > General management > Reset > Erase all data. This removes Samsung Kids and all other data on the phone.

Removing device administrator accounts

Some parental control tools and mobile device management apps register themselves as device administrators. These have deeper access to your phone than regular apps and cannot be uninstalled normally. To remove them, go to Settings > Security > Device admin apps or Device administrators (the exact name varies by Android version). Look for the app that is managing parental controls, tap it, and select Deactivate or Remove.

Once you deactivate the administrator account, you can uninstall the app itself through Settings > Apps. If you do not know the password for the administrator account, or if deactivating it requires a password you do not have, a factory reset is the only way to remove it.

What a factory reset does and how to do it

A factory reset erases all data on your Android phone: photos, messages, contacts, installed apps, and account information. It returns the phone to the state it was in when it left the factory. After a reset, parental controls are gone, but so is everything else.

To factory reset, go to Settings > System > Reset options > Erase all data (or General management > Reset on Samsung devices). The phone will ask you to confirm and may ask for your Google account password as a security check. The reset takes several minutes. When it finishes, the phone will restart and ask you to set it up as if it were new.

Before you reset, back up anything you want to keep. Use Google Photos for photos, Google Contacts for your contact list, and Google Drive or another cloud service for documents. You can also connect your phone to a computer and copy files to it manually.

Understanding why parental controls lock you out

Parental controls are designed to prevent someone from removing them without permission. That is the whole point — if a child could simply turn them off, the controls would not work. The PIN or password is intentionally separate from your phone's unlock code so that knowing how to unlock your phone does not let you disable the restrictions.

This also means that if you genuinely forgot your own PIN, there is no shortcut. The system has no way to know whether you are the person who set it up or someone else trying to bypass it. A factory reset is the only recovery path, and it is designed to be inconvenient so that people think twice before using it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I disable parental controls without the PIN?

Not without a factory reset. Parental controls are intentionally locked behind a PIN that cannot be recovered or bypassed. If you set up the PIN yourself and forgot it, a factory reset is your only option. If someone else set it up, you need their password or PIN.

Will factory reset remove parental controls set up by my parent?

Yes. A factory reset erases all data and settings, including parental controls, device administrator accounts, and Family Link. However, if your parent reinstalls Family Link or other monitoring apps after the reset, the controls will return unless they choose not to.

What if my phone asks for a Google account password after factory reset?

Android requires you to sign back into your Google account after a factory reset as a security measure. This is not parental control related — it is a theft-prevention feature. Enter the password for the Google account that was on the phone before the reset.

Can I remove parental controls if I do not own the phone?

If the phone is owned by someone else — a parent, school, or employer — removing parental controls without their permission may violate their policies or your agreement with them. If you believe the controls are being used unfairly, talk to the person who set them up rather than trying to bypass them.

Does disabling parental controls in Google Play remove Family Link?

No. Google Play parental controls and Google Family Link are separate systems. Turning off one does not affect the other. You need to remove each one through its own settings or app.