Setting Up an Android Phone for Kids | The 20-Minute Setup

Handing a kid a phone without guardrails invites surprise app-store charges and 3 a.m. screen time. Android’s built-in parental-controls system covers the essentials: app limits, downtime, purchase approval, and content filtering. Here’s the complete setup.

Core Setup: Sign In and Link With Family Link

Start with the child’s Google Account, creating one during initial setup or adding it later from Settings > Passwords & accounts (on some versions, Passwords, passkeys & autofill). On a Pixel, tap Get Started, Skip device transfer, connect to Wi-Fi, and choose For my child. Sign in with your parent account, then create or pick the child’s account—this pairing lets Family Link manage the device remotely. Install Google Family Link from Google Play on your phone; it’s the command center for all limits, downtime, and approvals.

Parental Controls: What to Turn On First

On the child’s phone, open Settings > Parental controls, then tap Set up Parental controls PIN. Create a PIN your kid doesn’t know—it guards the settings you lock down. Then enable:

• Daily limit — total screen time per day, by day of week.
• Downtime — scheduled window (e.g., 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.) when only calls and allowed apps work.
• App limits — per-app time caps.
• App store filters — Play content restrictions by age rating.

This menu is available on Android 8.1 and later via Digital Wellbeing & parental controls; older versions may lack it, but Family Link covers that gap—check the Android version first. Also set a screen lock (PIN, password, or biometric) under Settings > Security before handing over the device; without it, a kid can bypass prompts or pass the phone to a friend.

Purchase Approval and App Installs: Close the Wallet

Leave Play purchases on auto-approve and you risk unwanted charges. Enable purchase approval—”ask to buy”—so every app, in-app purchase, or download lands as a request on your phone. You approve or deny from the Family Link app. Combined with store filters, the kid can browse but nothing installs without your say-so.

Common Mistakes to Skip

Most setup problems are avoidable. Skipping the screen lock undoes everything. Forgetting to pair both devices properly breaks Family Link, which only works when parent and child devices share the same supervised account. Leaving location sharing permissive is a privacy leak; Google recommends While using the app or off entirely.

Note: the Pixel setup flow is specific—other manufacturers may use different menus, and features vary by region, device, and Android version. Third-party parental apps exist, but Google’s tools are the documented, free option covering core needs.

Before buying, check our tested roundup of the best Android phones for kids for models that pair well with Family Link and kid-proof cases. Google’s Android parental-controls overview offers the official visual guide.

That’s the full setup. Set the screen lock, pair accounts in Family Link, configure limits, and hand it over with confidence.