1

Background information

You're a parent. You use Google Family Link to help provide parental controls on your child's Chromebook and Android devices.

(As Google admits, no parental-control software is perfect. Therefore, you also keep all your child's devices in your own bedroom every night, until the child is old enough to need overnight smartphone access.)

Among Family Link's other features, it lets you set two types of daily usage limits (on most devices):

  • A.) Device-wide daily usage limits.
  • B.) Per-app usage limits.

However, if you set a per-app usage limit: Google Family Link doesn't seem to offer any on-screen indication on the child device showing the remaining time allowed for that app.

A question

Is there any way to make a child Android device show a notification whenever an app is in use, showing how much time is left before Google Family Link will block the app?

Improve this question

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
1

I found a way to achieve this, but you'll have to install an additional app.

  • On the child device, install the app Stay Focused by Innoxapps. This app is free and ad-supported.
  • Open the app.
  • Scroll down to "Quick Actions".
  • Tap "Block Apps".
  • Set time limits on various apps, each of which is equal to the Google Family Link time limit for that same app.

Whenever one of these apps is in use, Stay Focused will show a notification in the notification drawer indicating how much daily time is left.

The child can freely edit the time limits you've set in Stay Focused, but doing so is futile. Even if the child edits the Stay Focused time limits, Family Link will continue to enforce the time limits you've set in your Family Link settings.

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .