When you use Family Link to manage your child’s Google Account, they can use Gmail to send and receive email.
How Gmail works
Important: Your child can use Chat in the Gmail app or in the web version of Gmail even if the Chat app is blocked.
For the most part, Gmail will be the same for children as it is for adults. There are only a few Gmail features that aren't available to children under 13 (or the applicable age in your country):
- Ads: Google won't serve ads in Gmail, or process Gmail messages for advertising purposes.
- Automatic forwarding: Children can't automatically forward emails to another email address.
- Gmail offline: If their device isn't connected to the Internet, children can’t read, send, or search their Gmail emails.
- Labs: Children can’t turn on experimental Gmail features.
- Mail delegation: Children can't give someone else access to read, send, or delete their emails.
- Spam: If Gmail identifies an email as spam, it won't get delivered to your child's inbox or spam folder.
Block an email address
When you block someone's email address in Gmail on your child's device, your child won't receive emails from that address. This only blocks this address from contacting your child in Gmail.
On your child's device, block the email address. Make sure to use instructions for the type of device your child is using.
Report emails as spam
If Gmail missed a spam email, report the email. Make sure to use instructions for the type of device your child is using.
Manage how Gmail data is used
You can control how Gmail and other Google products use your child's Gmail data through the Smart Features and Personalization setting in Gmail settings.
Troubleshoot problems
If your child is under 13 (or the applicable age in your country), their photo won’t show in Gmail, unless supervision was added to your child’s previously existing Google Account.
Parents can access their child's account data, like emails, by signing in to the child's account. If you don't know the password, you can reset their password.
Note: You can only reset your child’s password if you created their account in Family Link and they’re under 13 (or the applicable age in your country). You can’t reset your child’s password if supervision was added to their previously existing Google Account.
To make sure that emails make it to your child's inbox, add the sender's email address to your child's contact list.
- On your child's device, open the Contacts app. If you don't see the Contacts app, make sure it isn't blocked.
- In the bottom right, tap Add people
.
- Type the contact's name and email address.
- Tap Done
.
