How to remove parental controls on Android: all unlocking methods

Parental controls on Android is a useful function for limiting children's access to inappropriate content, but sometimes it becomes an obstacle for adults users. Perhaps you bought a used phone with activated restrictions, forgot your Google Family Linkpassword, or the system blocked the installation of the desired application. In this article we will look all working methods for disabling parental controls from standard settings to workarounds for complex cases.

It is important to understand: the methods differ depending on smartphone manufacturer (Samsung, Xiaomi, Google Pixel), version Android (12–15) and type control (built into the system, through Family Link or third-party applications like Kids Place). We will look at options without root access, factory reset and data loss.

If you are trying to bypass restrictions on someone else's device, remember the legal consequences. This instruction is intended exclusively for device ownerswho have lost access to their settings.

1. Disabling through Android settings (standard method)

The easiest method is if you know PIN code or password from parental controls. It works on most smartphones with a clean Android (for example, Google Pixel, Motorola) and some models Samsung/Xiaomi.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Digital wellbeing and parental controls.
2. Select a profile with restrictions (if there are several).
3. Click Manage parental controls or Control settings.
4. Enter the password and disable all restrictions.

On some firmware (for example, MIUI 14+ on Xiaomi) the path may be different: Settings → Accounts and synchronization → Parental controls.

Make sure you have access to the Google account linked to the device|

Check the Android version in Settings → About phone|

Connect to Wi-Fi - some settings require the Internet|

Remember the current ones restrictions (applications, usage time) to restore if necessary -->

If there is no "Parental Control" item in the menu, it means that the restrictions are set through a third-party application (see Section 3).

⚠️ Attention: On devices with Android 14+ when you try to disable the control, the system may request confirmation via two-factor authentication (SMS or email). Without access to the linked account, this method will not work.

2. Resetting the Google Family Link password

Google Family Link is the most common solution for parental control, especially on phones for children. you forgot your password or cannot access the organizer's account, use the official recovery procedure:

Steps to reset:

1. Go to the Google account recovery page: accounts.google.com.
2. Select option Forgot your email or password?.
3. Follow the instructions to confirm your identity (SMS, backup email, security issues).
4. After access is restored, open Family Link on your device and remove restrictions.

If the organizer's account belongs to another person (for example, a parent), ask him for temporary access or ask him to turn off control remotely via web version Family Link.

On devices with Android 13+ after resetting the password, you may need to repeated authorization with confirmation via email. Family Link with confirmation via email.

3. Removing third-party parental control applications

If restrictions are set through third-party apps (Kids Place, Norton Family, Qustodio), they can be deleted as regular applications. But often such apps are protected administrative rights or with an administrative password. rights

How to remove a protected application:

1. Go to Settings → Applications.
2. Find the control application (for example, Kids Place) and click on it.
3. If the button Delete is inactive, first remove administrator rights:
   • Open Settings → Security → Device Administrators.
   • Uncheck the control application.

On some devices (Samsung s One UI) the path to administrators may look like this: Settings → Biometrics and security → Other security settings → Device administrators.

Google Family Link|

Kids Place|

Norton Family|

Qustodio|

Other/Don't know-->

⚠️ Attention: Applications like Kids Place can block access to Settings. In this case, try rebooting the phone in safe mode (press the power button → "Restart in Safe Mode") and remove the app from there.

4. developer mode (for advanced users)

If standard methods do not work, you can try to disable restrictions via developer mode. This method is suitable for devices with Android 10–14 and requires caution.

Instructions:

1. Activate developer mode:
   • Go to Settings → About phone.
   • Click 7 times on Build number (or MIUI Version on Xiaomi).

On some firmware (ColorOS on Oppo/Realme) this method may not work due to additional protections. In this case, try disable battery optimization for the control application: Settings → Battery → Battery optimization → Find the application → Disable optimization.

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.apps.kids.familylink

(replace com.google.android.apps.kids.familylink with the package of your monitoring application).-->

5. Reset to factory settings (ultimate). method)

If no other methods help, the only option left is full reset of the phone. This will delete all data, including applications, accounts and settings. Use this method only if:

• 🔹 You have a backup copy of important data.
• 🔹 You are ready to set up your phone again.
• 🔹 Other methods did not work.

How to reset:

1. Create a backup (photos, contacts, messages) through Settings → Google → Backup.
2. Go to Settings → System → Reset settings.
3. Select Delete all data (factory reset).
4. Confirm the action (you may need to enter a PIN code or pattern).

On Samsung the path may look like this: Settings → General management → Reset → Reset data.

⚠️ Attention: On phones with locked by bootloader (most Samsung, Xiaomi) after the reset you may need to enter the account data that was linked to the device (FRP-locked). Without this data, the phone will become a “brick.”

6. Alternative methods (without resetting data)

If resetting is not desirable, try these options:

Method 1: Uninstall via ADB

• 🔧 Connect the phone to a PC with installed data-i="193">ADB drivers ADB drivers.
• 🔧 Enable USB debugging in the developer settings.
• 🔧 Run the command:

  adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.google.android.apps.kids.familylink

Method 2: Firmware update

On some devices (Samsung, Xiaomia system update via Settings → Software update can reset parental control settings. However, this does not always work.

Method 3: Temporarily disabling via Safe Mode

Reboot the phone in safe mode (hold down the power button → "Reboot in Safe Mode") and try remove the control application. In this mode, all third-party apps are disabled.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

When trying to disable parental controls, users often encounter these problems:

• 🚫 Forgotten password from your Google account: Restore access via accounts.google.com or create a new account and add it to Family Link as an organizer.
• 🚫 FRP lock after reset: Before resetting, unlink your Google account from Settings → Accounts.
• 🚫 The control application is not removed: Check administrator rights and try uninstalling via ADB.
• 🚫 Restrictions return after a reboot.: This means that the control is configured at the firmware level (for example, on Samsung Kids). A software reset or update is required.

On devices with Android 12+ a notification "Device management is blocked by administrator policy"may appear. This means that control is established through MDM profile (Mobile Device Management), which is often used by schools or companies. In this case, contact your administrator or use specialized tools like Frida (requires technical skills).

⚠️ Attention: On some phones (for example, Samsung s Knox) an attempt to bypass parental controls through ADB or root may result in triggering hardware protection and blocking of the device.

FAQ: Answers to frequently asked questions

adb shell dumpsys device_policy_manager