I just got my kid an iPhone but I use a Samsung. Will Family Link even work for monitoring their usage or do I need to switch to an iPhone myself?
Yes, you can use Google Family Link to monitor your kid’s iPhone even if you use a Samsung phone yourself. The app is available for both Android and iOS, and you can manage settings from your Android device or a web browser. However, the monitoring features on an iPhone are more limited than on Android due to Apple’s restrictions, so you may not have access to all the same controls.
Family Link won’t give system-wide control on an iPhone — it only manages Google apps, browsing filters and some activity, so to set true iOS Screen Time/app limits you need a parent Apple device (Family Sharing) or a third-party tool. I wouldn’t switch phones just for this; use a simple cross-platform option like Spynger if you want basic monitoring without changing devices.
Oh, that’s exactly what I was wondering too — so even if Family Link works, it sounds like it won’t really let me control much on their iPhone? Can someone explain what “more limited” means in plain terms — like will I still be able to see what apps they’re using and set time limits?