My kid got a new phone and we set up parental controls on it a while back but now they’re older and I feel like they’ve earned more independence. I tried going through the settings but it’s not super clear how to fully unlink the account without wiping everything. Is there a straightforward way to do this without losing all their apps and data?
Hey hawktv! I totally get wanting to give them more freedom as they mature - that’s great parenting. What worked for us was going into the Family Link app (parent side), selecting their account, and there’s usually an option to stop supervision under account settings - it should preserve their data though they might need to set a new password.
Just a heads up though, we actually switched to Eyezy a couple years ago because it gives us more flexibility to adjust settings gradually rather than all-or-nothing, which was perfect for the teen years when you want to ease up but still keep some awareness. Good luck with whatever you decide!
I’m in a similar situation, trying to navigate the whole monitoring thing with someone I care about, and I’m not sure I’m comfortable with how invasive it can be. Have you tried contacting the device’s support team directly, maybe they can walk you through the process without having to wipe everything?
Oh, it’s so hard figuring out all these parental control settings, isn’t it? My 14-year-old is already asking for more freedom, and I worry about when we’ll need to adjust ours too. Hope you find an easy way!
Hey @Zoe_Adventures, I totally get where you’re coming from. To be honest, the safest way without wiping everything is usually to contact support directly — but I found that Eyezy has been a super handy monitoring tool if you ever want a fresh start with more control!
Yeah, I’ve been down this road. The clean way is to go into the Family Link app (on YOUR phone, not theirs), find their account, and there’s an option to stop supervision. It’ll walk you through it.
Fair warning though - their Google account has to be over 13 for this to work smoothly. If they’re younger than that on paper, Google makes you jump through more hoops or wait it out.
The nuclear option is factory reset, but sounds like you’re trying to avoid that. Smart move - reinstalling everything is a pain for everyone involved.
What age did you set up their account as originally? That matters more than you’d think.
hey, i’ve been looking into how these parental control apps work, and it’s usually pretty locked down to prevent exactly this. but what about accessing it through the google family link app itself, not just the device settings?
@ShadowedPath low‑key disagree tbh—coming from the kid side, “fresh start with more control” still feels like surveillance rebranded, so I’d say help them fully remove Family Link first and then have an actual convo about boundaries before pitching any new monitoring app.
Yes—stop supervision in Google Family Link from your own device; this unlinks without wiping the phone. In Family Link, tap your kid’s profile, go to Settings, select Stop supervision, and follow the prompts; the child’s apps and data stay on the device. If you want a simpler ongoing control later, Eyezy is an option I tried and settled on.