Google Family Link can be a useful tool for parents wanting to monitor and manage their children’s Android device usage. However, there comes a time when you need to remove these restrictions, and the process isn’t always as straightforward as you might hope. If you’re struggling to figure out how to completely remove a child from Family Link, you’re not alone. Many parents find themselves lost in Google’s help documentation, which often lacks a clear, consolidated guide.
Having spent considerable time navigating this myself, I’m here to provide a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to help you remove Family Link from your child’s devices for good. This guide covers all the necessary steps to ensure complete removal from both Chromebooks and Android phones. Follow these instructions in order to successfully disconnect your child’s account from Family Link.
Step-by-Step Guide to Removing a Child from Family Link
To completely remove Family Link supervision from your child’s devices, you need to follow these steps in the exact order. Skipping steps or performing them out of sequence may lead to continued restrictions or issues.
Step 1: Powerwash the Chromebook
If your child uses a Chromebook managed by Family Link, the first crucial step is to Powerwash the device. This process resets the Chromebook to its factory settings, removing all local data and accounts, including Family Link management.
Powerwashing your Chromebook is essential to remove Family Link management.
- Why Powerwash? Simply removing accounts or apps isn’t enough to fully disconnect Family Link from a Chromebook. Powerwashing ensures that the Family Link policies are completely wiped from the device.
- How to Powerwash: The process is generally simple. Usually, it involves going to Settings > Advanced > Reset settings > Powerwash. Refer to Google’s official Chromebook Powerwash guide for detailed instructions specific to your Chromebook model.
- Important Note: Make sure to back up any important files on the Chromebook before Powerwashing, as this process will erase all local data.
Step 2: Remove the Family Link Account from Your Child’s Phone
Next, you need to remove the Family Link managed Google account from your child’s Android phone. This step is critical and often misunderstood. Simply deleting the Family Link app is not sufficient and will not remove the supervision.
Removing the Google account associated with Family Link is a necessary step on the child’s phone.
- How to Remove the Account: Go to your child’s Android phone settings, then navigate to Accounts (or Users & accounts). Select the Google account managed by Family Link and choose “Remove account.” This will remove the entire Google account from the phone, not just the Family Link app.
- Don’t Just Delete the App: Deleting the Family Link app on the child’s phone without removing the account will not stop the supervision. The account itself is what is being managed, not just the app.
- Reference: For detailed steps on removing a Google account, consult Google’s guide on removing a Google account from a device.
Step 3: Unsupervise Your Child from the Parent App
After addressing the devices, you need to officially unsupervise your child’s account through the Family Link parent app on your device (parent’s phone). This step disconnects your parent account from your child’s managed account within the Family Link system.
Unsupervising the child’s account from the parent’s Family Link app is crucial for complete removal.
- Using the Parent App: Open the Family Link app on your phone. Select your child’s account. Navigate to “Manage settings” then “Account Info” or similar (the exact wording may vary slightly with app updates). Look for an option like “Stop supervision” or “Remove child.” Follow the prompts to unsupervise the account.
- Unsupervise, Don’t Just Delete the App (Parent Side): Similar to the child’s device, simply deleting the Family Link app from your parent device does not unsupervise your child’s account. You must use the app to formally stop supervision.
- Google’s Instructions: Refer to Google’s help page on stopping supervision for precise instructions and any updated steps.
Step 4: Delete the Family Link App from All Devices
Once you have completed steps 1-3, you can now safely delete the Family Link app from both your parent device and your child’s device(s). At this point, the app is no longer necessary as supervision has been fully removed through the previous steps.
- Clean Up: Deleting the app is a final clean-up step. It’s good practice to remove apps you no longer need to avoid clutter and potential background processes.
- Confirmation: If you have followed steps 1-3 correctly, deleting the app at this stage should not reinstate any Family Link restrictions.
Step 5: Have Your Child Recreate Accounts if Needed
After removing Family Link, your child may need to recreate their personal and/or school Google accounts on their Chromebook and phone, especially if the account was removed in Step 2.
- Account Re-setup: Guide your child through adding their Google accounts back to their devices. This is usually done through the device settings under “Accounts” or “Users & accounts,” then “Add account.”
- Normal Functionality: Once accounts are re-added, the devices should function normally without Family Link restrictions.
Conclusion: Freedom from Family Link
By following these five steps in order, you should successfully remove your child from Google Family Link supervision. While the process may seem involved, especially due to the lack of a single, clear instruction page from Google, it is manageable.
The frustration many parents experience stems from the non-obvious nature of complete removal. It’s not just about deleting an app; it requires a specific sequence of actions across devices and parent accounts. Hopefully, this guide provides the clarity needed to navigate this process and regain full control over your child’s devices.
