If you manage your child’s Google Account with Family Link, your child can use Google Play.
How Google Play works
For the most part, Google Play is the same for children as it is for adults.
For more info on what's different, select the app name below to learn more.
If you sign your child in to their Google Account on an Android device or Chromebook, they can use the Google Play Store to download content like apps, games, and movies.
To limit which content your child can download or purchase, you can:
- Change your child's purchase approval settings for purchases made with Google Play's billing system.
- Set up parental controls.
- Block or allow apps in the Family Link app.
Children under 13, or the applicable age in your country or region, with supervised Google Accounts managed with Family Link, can create a Play Games profile to represent their gaming identity. To create the profile, a parent must give approval.
- With a Play Games profile: Your child can automatically sign in to supported games with their Play Games profile. Your child can benefit from continuity across Play surfaces.
- Without a Play Games profile: Your child can still play the games individually based on Family link settings, but some game features dependent on Play Games profiles may not work as expected.
Tip: Not all games support automatic sign-in with a Play Games profile for supervised Google Accounts.
The "EBooks for you" and "Audiobooks for you" sections won't show for children under 13 (or the applicable age in your country) in the Play Books app.
Important: These differences do not apply when Family Link supervision has been added to an existing Google Account.
There are a few actions that children under 13, or the applicable age in your country, can't do in the Google Play Movies app:
- Sign in to Android TV to watch Play Movies. Kids can, however, sign in to devices that support Google TV.
- Redeem offers for movies.
- Sign in to Google TV on iOS devices.
Fix problems
My child can’t find the Google Play store
Important: Your child’s Chromebook needs Chrome OS 71 or up to use apps from Google Play. Learn how to update Chrome OS.
- On your child’s Chromebook, at the bottom right, select the time
Settings
.
- In the "Google Play Store" section, next to "Install apps and games from Google Play on your Chromebook," select Turn on.
- If this option doesn't show up, your child’s Chromebook doesn't work with Android apps.
- In the window that opens, click More.
- You’ll be prompted to agree to the Terms of Service. When you’ve read and agreed, click I Agree.
