Uses Google Family Link to supervise your child's account. Works on Android 11 and later. Takes about 30 minutes the first time.
Grab it from the App Store or Play Store. Sign in as the parent.
In Family Link: + → Add Child → Create Account. Enter their birthdate accurately. If they're under 13, you'll need to confirm parental consent.
Factory-reset the phone if it's a hand-me-down. During setup, sign in with the supervised account you just made.
On the child's phone, Family Link will prompt you to connect. Approve the link from your own phone when it notifies you.
Family Link → child → Controls → Content restrictions → Google Play → Apps & games → Allow all content → Parent approval.
Under the same menu, set Apps & games to the age rating you want. Also set Movies, TV, and Books. Default is usually set too high.
Controls → Filters on Google Search → Strict. Controls → Filters on Chrome → Try to block explicit sites.
Controls → Screen time. Pick daily caps by day of week, and a bedtime. Caps are total across the device, not per app.
Under Screen time → App limits, add caps for the handful of apps that need them — usually TikTok, YouTube, and whatever game is the current obsession.
Controls → Location. Useful for peace of mind; your child is notified that their location is shared with you.
Open each one with your child. What is it? Who do they talk to on it? If an app feels sketchy to you, trust that instinct — uninstall it and talk about why.