How to Set Up Parental Controls for Android Games and Apps

Many Android games and apps are free to download but built to earn money through in-app purchases, ads and chat with other players. That is fine for adults who can make informed choices, but it makes controls worth setting up before a child uses the phone. This guide walks through the settings Android and Google Play already include, what each one does and where they stop working.

Step 1: Turn on Google Play parental controls

1. Open the Google Play Store and tap your profile picture.
2. Choose Settings, then Family, then Parental controls.
3. Switch parental controls on and create a PIN that your child does not know.
4. Choose the age rating you allow for apps and games, and set limits for films and books if you wish.

These controls limit what can be downloaded or purchased from Google Play on that device. They apply to the Play Store app on that phone, so set them on each device a child uses.

Step 2: Require a password for purchases

Open the Play Store, tap your profile picture, then Settings, Authentication and choose to require authentication for purchases. Pick the option that asks every time, using your password, fingerprint or face. This one setting stops most accidental purchases, including those made inside games.

Step 3: Use Family Link for a supervised account

Google Family Link lets a parent supervise a child’s Google account and device. After you set it up, you can usually:

• approve or block the apps your child wants to install;
• set daily screen time limits and a bedtime for the device;
• set time limits for individual apps;
• see which apps are used most and for how long;
• lock the device remotely and see its location.

Rules about the age at which a child can have their own Google account and how supervision works differ by country, so check the Family Link setup screens for your region.

Step 4: Check ratings, ads and purchase labels

Every Google Play listing shows an age rating and labels such as Contains ads and In-app purchases. Read these before installing, and look at the screenshots and recent reviews. Be extra careful with games that include chat, because a child may talk to strangers. Our own listings for games such as Roblox, Brawl Stars and Among Us point out the chat and purchase features to check.

Step 5: Use Digital Wellbeing for everyday limits

Open Settings, then Digital Wellbeing and parental controls. You can set app timers that pause an app after a daily limit, turn on Bedtime mode to quiet the phone at night and use Focus mode to pause distracting apps while studying. On a supervised account, Family Link sets these limits from your own phone.

Match the risk to the setting

Where these controls stop

Play controls only cover apps installed from Google Play. An APK installed from another source bypasses the Play rating filter, so keep the permission for installing unknown apps switched off on a child’s phone, and follow our installation guide yourself when you install files on a shared device. Review the permissions of any app a child uses.

Frequently asked questions

Can a child bypass parental controls?

A determined child may find ways around any setting, for example by using another device or account. Combine the settings with a conversation about the rules and why they exist.

Do these settings apply to apps already installed?

Play parental controls apply to what can be downloaded or purchased, not to apps already on the phone. Review installed apps and remove any that no longer fit.

Is Family Link free?

Family Link is offered by Google at no charge, though features and availability can vary by country and device.