Does Family Link work on a Windows PC or a Mac?

What can Family Link do on a computer?

Only things inside the Chrome browser. When your child signs in to Chrome with their own Google account on a Windows, Mac or Linux computer, Family Link lets you manage:

• the "Try to block explicit sites" content filter,
• blocking specific sites or allowing only the ones you approve, and approving your child's site requests,
• site permissions for location, camera and microphone.

While signed in, Incognito mode is off and SafeSearch stays on and locked (Google: Chrome and your child's Google Account; Google: SafeSearch).

What can't it do?

It cannot manage the computer itself. Google says you can set screen time limits on an Android device or Chromebook, and lists "Computers (except Chromebooks)" among the devices where most Family Link supervision tools won't work (screen time; supervised devices). So on a Windows PC or a Mac, Family Link cannot:

• set a daily screen time limit or a bedtime,
• limit or block games and programs,
• show which programs were used and for how long.

Can a child get around it?

Yes, and Google says so itself: your child can sign out of Chrome and switch to another profile, or use another browser, where Family Link's Chrome settings don't apply (Google). SafeSearch can also only be enforced while your child is signed in to their account.

What should you use on the computer instead?

• Windows: Microsoft's free Family Safety sets screen time and app limits; its web filter works only in Edge. Details: Microsoft Family Safety on Windows: what it does and doesn't do.
• Mac: Apple's Screen Time, with Family Sharing, lets you manage your child's Mac from your own iPhone or Mac (Apple).
• If you have both, or need more: KinSentinel manages Windows and Mac computers from one panel: daily time, allowed hours, a separate budget for games, study mode, remote lock and notes to your child. It does not block websites yet, so you can keep using Family Link's Chrome filter alongside it.

Sources

Checked against Google's and Apple's official help pages on 15 November 2026. Google does not show an update date on these pages; we will update this article if the settings change.

• Chrome and your child's Google Account
• Manage your child's screen time
• Devices that can be supervised
• SafeSearch and supervised accounts