How to set up parental controls on a Chromebook with Google Family Link

⏱ Time to complete: about 20–30 minutes (plus time to create a Google Account for your child if they don't have one) 🔧 Difficulty: Medium. The parental controls themselves are simple. The fiddly bit is making sure you own the Chromebook and that Guest browsing is switched off, so your child can't sidestep Family Link.

The short version (for very busy parents)

1. Set the Chromebook up with your own Google Account first, so you're the owner.
2. Create (or add supervision to) your child's Google Account with Family Link, then add it to the Chromebook.
3. As the owner, go to Settings → Privacy and security → Manage other people: turn off Guest browsing and turn on Limit who can sign in.
4. In Family Link, choose your Chrome website filter and set daily screen-time limits.
5. Switch off site permissions for younger children, then test it.

What you'll need

• The Chromebook, updated to ChromeOS 71 or later.
• Your own Google Account (free). Google says you must be 18 or over and live in the same country as your child.
• Your child's Google Account — or create one in Family Link if they're under 13.
• The Family Link app on your phone or tablet (Android 6.0+, iPhone/iPad on iOS 16+, or a Chromebook that runs Android apps). You can manage some settings at familylink.google.com too.
• Your child sitting with you if you're adding supervision to an account they already have — they need to agree to it.
• 20–30 minutes.

Step-by-step

Step 1: Make sure you're the Chromebook's owner

On a personal Chromebook, the first Google Account to sign in becomes the owner. Only the owner can control who can sign in and switch off Guest browsing.

• New or factory-reset Chromebook: set it up and sign in with your account first. Then add your child's account (Step 3).
• Chromebook already set up with your child's account as the first one? You may need to reset it so you can become the owner. Google's help warns that if you delete your child's account before removing their profile from the Chromebook, you may have to factory reset anyway (Ctrl + Alt + Shift + R at the sign-in screen).

[Screenshot: Chromebook sign-in screen showing parent and child profiles]

Tip: Back up any files saved on the Chromebook itself (the Downloads folder) before a factory reset — anything not in Google Drive will be wiped.

Step 2: Create or supervise your child's Google Account

Option A: Your child doesn't have a Google Account yet (under 13)

1. Open the Family Link app on your phone.
2. Follow the steps to create a Google Account for your child. Family Link supervision is switched on from the start.

Option B: Your child already has a Google Account

You can add supervision from the Chromebook itself:

1. Sign in to the Chromebook as your child.
2. Open Settings.
3. Under Accounts, next to Parental controls, select Set up.
4. Follow the steps. You'll sign in with your parent account, and your child will need to give consent.

Heads-up for teens: Google says supervision of an existing account needs your child to agree. If you're adding supervision to an existing account that's already on the Chromebook, they'll need to restart the Chromebook to finish setting it up.

[Screenshot: ChromeOS Settings → Accounts → Parental controls → Set up]

Step 3: Add your child's account to the Chromebook

1. At the Chromebook sign-in screen, add your child's Google Account as a new person.
2. Sign them in.

Once your child has signed in, Google says a parent's password is needed to add any new users to the Chromebook.

Step 4: Turn off Guest browsing and limit who can sign in

This is the step most families miss. Google's own help says that if you allow Guest mode or new users, your child may be able to use their Chromebook without Family Link settings applying.

1. Sign in to the Chromebook with your (owner) account.
2. At the bottom right, select the time.
3. Select Settings.
4. Under Privacy and security, select Manage other people.
5. Turn off Guest browsing.
6. Turn on Limit who can sign in, and check that only your account and your child's account are on the list.

[Screenshot: Settings → Privacy and security → Manage other people, with Guest browsing off]

Step 5: Choose what websites they can visit in Chrome

On your phone:

1. Open Family Link and select your child.
2. Tap Controls → Content restrictions → Google Chrome (some versions of the app show this as Controls → Google Chrome and web).
3. Choose a setting:

4. To add individual sites, go to Approved sites or Blocked sites, add a website or domain, then tap Save.

Website or domain? Google explains that blocking www.example.com only covers that exact address, while blocking the domain example also covers versions like example.co.uk and images.example.com.

Signed-in children on a Chromebook can't browse in private (Incognito). If they hit a blocked site, they can ask for permission — either in person (you type your Google password on their Chromebook) or in a message (you get a notification in Family Link).

[Screenshot: Family Link – Google Chrome filter options]

Step 6: Switch off site permissions (recommended for younger children)

This stops your child giving websites and extensions access to things like their location, camera and notifications.

1. In Family Link, select your child.
2. Tap Controls → Content restrictions → Google Chrome → Advanced settings (or Controls → Google Chrome and web → Advanced settings).
3. Turn Permissions for sites, apps and extensions off.

Google notes that permissions your child has already granted stay in place — so do this early, or review their existing site settings.

Step 7: Set daily screen time

1. In Family Link, select your child.
2. At the bottom left, tap Screen time → Time limits.
3. Turn on Daily limit.
4. Tap Weekly schedule, pick a day and set the time allowed. Tap Apply to all days of the week if you want the same limit every day, then Done.

Handy extras from the same Screen time screen:

• Lock / Unlock the Chromebook straight away (great for "tea's ready").
• Bonus time for a one-off extra 30 minutes, without changing the schedule.
• Google's help also links to Set a schedule on your child's device for downtime and school time.

Important: Google says daily limits apply to each Android device or Chromebook separately. Set a 2-hour limit and your child gets 2 hours on the Chromebook and 2 hours on their Android phone.

Offline? You can use your Family Link parent access code to unlock the Chromebook if it isn't connected to the internet.

[Screenshot: Family Link – Screen time → Time limits → Weekly schedule]

Step 8: Apps from Google Play

If the Chromebook runs Android apps, you can choose which apps your child can use and what permissions those apps get, just as on an Android phone. In Family Link, tap Controls → Google Play to set content ratings and purchase approvals. (Our Google Family Link on Android guide covers this in more detail.)

Step 9: Test it (2 minutes)

1. Sign out and check there's no "Browse as Guest" option on the sign-in screen.
2. Sign in as your child and try a blocked site — you should see a block page with a request option.
3. Try opening an Incognito window — it shouldn't be available.
4. Use Lock in Family Link and check the Chromebook locks.

Keep it working

• School Chromebooks are different. Google says that for school accounts and school-issued Chromebooks, the school's Google Workspace for Education administrators decide which services students can access. Family Link won't control a school-managed device — ask the school about their filtering.
• Re-check Guest browsing after updates or resets. If the Chromebook is ever reset, set it up with your account first again.
• Daily limits are per device. Add up the time across all their devices.
• Use your parent access code to stop your child removing supervision without your consent.
• Teens can ask to change supervision. Have a conversation before birthdays where your country's rules change (13 in the UK for many Google services).
• Other browsers. Family Link's website controls are built around Chrome. Don't approve other browser apps from Google Play unless you're happy with them.
• Add a home-wide filter. Your broadband provider's filter covers the Chromebook (and everything else) while it's on your Wi-Fi.

Related guides (links to follow)

• 📱 Google Family Link on Android — [link to add]
• ▶️ YouTube supervised accounts — [link to add]
• 🌐 Router-level filtering with OpenDNS (any broadband provider) — [link to add]
• 🍎 iPhone and iPad Screen Time — [link to add]

Spotted a change? Tell us

Google updates ChromeOS roughly every month and Family Link regularly. If something doesn't match, [report a change: add DeviceDaddy contact form or email link here]. Tell us your Chromebook model, ChromeOS version (Settings → About ChromeOS) and what's different. The ✅ stamp shows when we last checked.

Sources (checked 5 October 2026)

• Chromebook Help: Manage your child's account on Chromebook — https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/7680868?hl=en-GB
• Google For Families Help: Manage your child's account on Chromebook — https://support.google.com/families/answer/7680868
• Chromebook Help: Control who can use your Chromebook — https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/1059252?hl=en-GB
• Google For Families Help: Add & manage supervision on a current Google Account — https://support.google.com/families/answer/9055704
• Google For Families Help: Manage your child's screen time — https://support.google.com/families/answer/7103340?hl=en-GB
• Google For Families Help: Set up parental controls for your child — https://support.google.com/families/answer/16398726?hl=en