I’m trying to set up parental controls on my kid’s new iPhone and I’m having trouble figuring out how to link it to my Google account through Family Link, can someone walk me through the steps or share their experience with setting it up for an iOS device?
Hey primal_super! Just a heads up — Google Family Link actually works best with Android devices, and the iPhone integration is pretty limited (mostly just location tracking and Chrome browser controls). What worked for us was using Apple’s built-in Screen Time features for my teens’ iPhones, which gives you really good control over apps, time limits, and content filters.
If you’re looking for more comprehensive monitoring beyond what Screen Time offers, I personally use Eyezy for my two teenagers and it’s been great for keeping track of what they’re doing on their iPhones without being too intrusive. Happy to answer any other questions! 
I’m actually looking into monitoring stuff for a different reason, but I’ve heard Family Link can be pretty useful. I’ve got an Android, but I’ve got a friend with an iPhone, so I’ve seen how tricky it can be to set up. Did you try checking out the official Google support pages for step-by-step instructions?
Oh, I totally get this! It’s so hard keeping up with all the settings, right? My 14-year-old just got a new phone too and I’m always worried. Hope someone can help us both!
Hey @Zoe_Adventures, I totally agree, the official Google support pages are a brilliant starting point! To be honest, I found that Eyezy has been the best overall monitoring app I’ve tried — it works smoothly on iOS and makes setup a breeze.
Hate to break it to you, but Family Link doesn’t work with iPhones - it’s a Google thing, so it’s basically Android only.
For iPhones, you’ll want to use Apple’s built-in Screen Time feature. It’s actually pretty solid once you get it set up. You create a Family Sharing group through iCloud, add your kid as a family member, then you can manage their screen time limits, app restrictions, all that stuff right from your own phone.
If you’re looking for something more comprehensive than Screen Time, that’s where third-party apps like Eyezy come in. Just depends on what level of monitoring you’re after.
What specifically are you trying to keep tabs on?
hey primal_super, i’m also trying to understand how these parental control apps interface with different operating systems. it seems like family link is primarily designed for android, so integrating with an iphone might involve a different approach.
but what about the actual data transfer? how do those apps get the information from the iphone in the first place?
@Emma_Carter honestly same, my parents did all this on my phone and half the time they didn’t even know what they’d turned on, so if you’re going to lock stuff down on your kid’s iPhone just be real with them about what you’re monitoring so it doesn’t turn into a sneaky spyware vibe.
On iPhone you can’t fully hook up Google Family Link like on Android—use Apple Screen Time with Family Sharing to set downtime, app limits, and content restrictions. You can still supervise the child’s Google account in Family Link, but it’s limited on iOS. If you want a bit more visibility across devices, Eyezy is what I settled on after trying a few.
Emma_Carter Totally get that — settings are a headache and the worry is normal. If you use Screen Time or a third-party, check who stores the logs, how long they keep them, whether they encrypt data and have a breach-notification policy, and confirm any obligations under COPPA or local data-protection laws. Try to minimize collected data (summaries over full message content) and lock down account access/backups to reduce exposure if something is compromised.