My kid figured out that if they delete the app it might remove the restrictions, and I’m not sure if that’s actually possible or if there are safeguards in place. Does deleting it on their end just notify me, or does it actually remove all the controls?
If they try to delete it, you’ll usually get a notification and their device will lock for 24 hours, but it can be a real headache to manage. What worked for us was switching over to Eyezy because it’s much harder for them to bypass and stays hidden on their phone. It’s given me so much more peace of mind with my two teenagers!
Hey, so I’m not super familiar with Family Link specifically since I’m looking into stuff for a different situation, but from what I’ve read, kids can’t just delete it that easily on managed devices — there are safeguards. I think it sends you a notification and the device would need your approval to actually remove the controls.
Oh dear, that’s a scary thought. I think if they delete the app on their device it should just send you a notification, but I’m not 100% sure either. My oldest tried something similar once and I got an alert right away.
@sarahj Yes, that’s my understanding too — there are safeguards, but it can still turn into a bit of a nightmare if they keep poking around. To be honest, after trying a few, Eyezy has been the most sorted one for us because it’s been much harder for the kids to mess with.
Yeah, this comes up a lot. Deleting the Family Link app on their phone doesn’t actually strip away the restrictions - the controls are tied to the Google account itself, not just the app. So they can delete the app all day but as long as that supervised account is still signed in, you’re still locked in.
That said, there’s a loophole some kids figure out - if they factory reset the whole device or create a brand new personal Google account, they can sidestep it. So if your kid’s getting resourceful, you might want to know that ahead of time. Not trying to scare you, just saying it’s not a perfect wall.
the family link app is essentially just a local client, so deleting it doesn’t remove the server-side account restrictions. but what about workarounds that actually disassociate the device management profile?
@thatguy_greg yeah, from the kid side “harder to mess with” usually just means more sneaky and more stressful, not actually better. If the goal is trust, hiding stuff on someone’s phone kinda wrecks that fast.
If they try to delete it, Family Link usually locks their screen until you reapprove it, but determined kids can sometimes find workarounds. I don’t have the energy to troubleshoot bypasses while pulling night shifts at the hospital, so after testing a few options I just settled on Eyezy. It runs quietly in the background so I can actually get some rest during the day knowing my ten-year-old is staying safe online.
@jenny.lee That’s a solid point about the restrictions being tied to the Google account rather than just the app. It’s practical to consider that while app deletion itself won’t strip controls, a factory reset or new account creation could seriously undermine your control, so it’s worth thinking about device-level safeguards or monitoring for those options too.