Apple Screen Time vs Google Family Link for Mixed-Device Families
Which control belongs on which device, and why one parent app cannot cover both an iPhone and an Android phone.
What parents should know
- ✓ Match the tool to the child's device instead of hunting for one app that does both.
- ✓ Screen Time is part of Apple Family Sharing. The latest schedules need current software on the family's Apple devices.
- ✓ Family Link supervises Android and Chromebook use, including app approval, time limits, Chrome filtering, and a remote lock.
- ✓ A Chrome filter does not cover every other browser unless those browsers are blocked.
- ✓ Downtime and location show use and place. They do not prove a conversation was safe.
Pick the tool by the device, not by the parent’s phone
Apple Screen Time is built into iPhone, iPad, and Mac. A parent manages a child's Apple Account through Family Sharing, from the parent's own Apple device. Those settings sync across the child's Apple devices when the software is current. They stop at the edge of Apple's platforms.
Google Family Link is the matching tool for a child's Android phone, tablet, or Chromebook. You can install the parent side on an iPhone and manage the child's Android device from there. That convenience does not turn Family Link into an iPhone manager. If one child has an iPhone and another has an Android phone, you will have two setups.
| Question | Apple Screen Time | Google Family Link |
|---|---|---|
| Child device it supervises | iPhone, iPad, and Mac in Family Sharing | Android phone or tablet, and Chromebook |
| Parent can manage it from an iPhone? | Yes, for the child’s Apple devices | Yes, for the child’s Android device only |
| App and purchase approval | Ask to Buy and content restrictions | Google Play approval and age ratings |
| Web limits | Safari content settings, including Ask to Browse on current software | Chrome filters. Other browsers need to be blocked separately. |
| What it does not do | Manage an Android phone | Fully manage an iPhone or iPad |
What to set on an Apple device
Apple's Screen Time guide says a parent can manage the apps and content a child uses, who they can communicate with during allowed times, and when the device is available. On version 27 of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and visionOS, Apple describes schedules such as Before School, School, and After School, plus Ask to Browse for approving sites. Those newer controls need that software version across the Family Sharing group. If a device cannot be updated, Apple says the previous Screen Time controls still work.
Do not copy an old screenshot click for click. After an update, open Screen Time on the parent device, confirm the child is in the family group, and read the labels for downtime, app limits, communication, and purchases. Tell the child which of those you can see. A hidden limit tends to become a puzzle they try to solve.
What to set on an Android device
From Family Link, approve or block Play downloads, set daily or app time, and use downtime or a remote lock when the family needs the device put away. Location is available when the child's device supports it. Treat a location dot as a convenience, the same way you would a check-in text. It can lag, and it does not describe what the child is doing.
Google's filters apply to Google Chrome and Google search tools. Another browser can step around a Chrome filter. If that matters for your child, block additional browsers in the app controls rather than assuming one switch covers the whole internet. Family Link also does not open and read chats inside TikTok, Discord, or a game. Those apps need their own parent settings.
Controls still need a family agreement
A technically perfect setup fails when a sibling's unlocked phone, a school tablet, or a browser on a computer sits outside it. Name those exceptions in your family media plan. Include a charging spot outside bedrooms if nights are the hard part, and revisit the settings when a child gets a new device or the operating system changes the menu.
If a child is routinely getting around the limits, fix the account login and the spare device before adding a harsher punishment. The tools can show time and, on supported devices, place. They cannot judge whether a homework site, a group chat, or a video was a good use of that time.
Frequently asked questions
Can Google Family Link control my child’s iPhone?
No. Family Link supervises Android devices and Chromebooks. The parent app can be on an iPhone and still only manage the child’s Android device.
Can Apple Screen Time control an Android phone?
No. Screen Time manages Apple devices in a Family Sharing group. An Android phone needs Family Link or the controls inside each app.
What if our Apple devices are not all on the latest version?
Apple says the newer Screen Time schedules need version 27 across the family group. Devices that cannot update can keep using the previous Screen Time controls.
Does a Chrome filter block every browser?
No. Family Link’s web filter is for Chrome. Block other browser apps if you do not want them used as a workaround.
Will either tool show me text messages inside other apps?
No. They manage device time, downloads, content settings, and, where supported, location. Chats inside another app need that app’s own parent tools.
Keep reading
Sources
This guide was checked against the current guidance below. Medical and safety recommendations can change; use the linked source and your child's clinician for decisions specific to your family.