What is the catch with Google Family Link reviews free version?

Ironclad
Thu, 22 Jan 2026 16:43:55 +0000

Oh wow, I’m actually wondering about this too! I’ve been looking at Google Family Link because it’s free, and I keep thinking there must be something wrong with it, right? Like, how can it be completely free when other apps charge $30+ per month?

Reading through what others have said here, it seems like the main issue is it doesn’t do the social media stuff? That’s honestly what worries me most - my kid is getting into Instagram and TikTok, and apparently Family Link can’t see any of that?

Also, someone mentioned kids can factory reset to get around it? That’s kind of scary. I don’t want to spend all this time setting it up just for them to bypass it. Has anyone actually had their kid do this? I’m not very tech-savvy myself, so I worry I wouldn’t even know if they figured out a workaround.

Is it true you can’t hide that it’s installed? I feel conflicted about whether I want my kid to know or not… What do you all think about that part?