Create or supervise the child’s account with accurate information, add the intended parents, sign the child into the Android device, confirm it appears in Family Link, and document recovery.
Why this decision matters
Sharing an adult account blends email, photos, saved passwords, payment activity, and recommendations. A separate supervised account keeps the child’s environment distinct and gives the family a manageable path toward independence.
A practical starting sequence
Create or supervise
Use Google’s current workflow for a new child account or add supervision to an eligible existing account.
Connect the device
Sign the child into the Android phone and confirm the exact device appears in Family Link before configuring limits.
Secure recovery
Keep parent credentials private, record who can manage the family, and confirm the recovery path before handoff.
What the child experiences
The child uses their own account and may see that it is supervised. Explain what the parent can manage and what information the family will actually review.
Supervision capabilities depend on device type and account. iPhone, iPad, and non-Chromebook computers cannot be supervised with the same Family Link device controls.
When to review it
Review the device list, parent access, and recovery information whenever a phone is replaced or a family member changes roles.
Start Android setup in the right place
The Android guide builds the account foundation before moving into apps, web, time, and location.
Current official sources
Interfaces and defaults change. These first-party sources were checked for this page; verify the live device before publishing or relying on an exact menu path.
- Google: Create a Google Account for a child
- Google: Sign a child into an Android device
- Google: Set up parental controls with Family Link
- Google: Devices that can be supervised