How to Set Up Chromebook Parental Controls
The best way to set up Chromebook parental controls is Google Family Link. Google Family Link is a full featured service that lets you set parental controls for your child’s Google account, regardless where they use it.
Using Chromebook Parental Controls
To modify the Chromebook parental controls for your child, open the Family Link for Parents app on your phone. Choose the child you want to monitor, then tap View in the lower right corner. Scroll down to the Settings section and tap Manage Settings. In this section, you can configure all of the following parental controls for your child’s Chromebook:
Google Play: Require approval for purchases and restrict content by rating in the Google Play Store. Google Chrome: Let Google filter inappropriate content in Chrome, or limit your child to websites in your own list. Google Search: Enable SafeSearch so your child can’t search Google for inappropriate content. YouTube: Enable Restricted Mode to block mature video content on YouTube. Account Info: Monitor your child’s account info so they can’t update their Birthday. More | Controls for signing in: Require your approval before your child can log into their Chromebook device. More | Manage Google activity: Enable “Only parents” for managing activity controls.
Set up Chromebook Screen Time Limits
Configuring Chromebook screen time limits is a powerful way to make sure your child isn’t getting excessive screen time every day.
Chromebook School Accounts
If you’re setting up a new Chromebook for your child using their personal Google Account with Family Link enabled, they can connect a school account and access apps like Google Classroom. That way, parents can then keep an eye on their kids’ internet activity while they’re doing homework.
Chromebook Parental Controls Limitations
Kids are very smart when it comes to finding ways around limits, so make sure to turn off Guest Mode and limit logins to only your account and your child’s account. To find these settings, open Chromebook Settings, then select Manage other people. Select Restrict sign-in to the following users and only include your account and your child’s account. To disable Guest browsing, turn off Enable Guest browsing in the Manage other people window. Additionally, while Google does its best to keep its blocklist of websites updated, it’s still possible some sites aren’t on the list, and Family Link won’t protect from malware when your child downloads files. One way to protect your child from this is to use your own website list rather than Google’s filter. This is a much more locked-down approach better suited for small children who you only want accessing a very limited selection of websites.
