Install from Google Play, enter the pairing code, then do the one-time setup. Setup is one-time. Rule changes after that reach the phone by themselves; your child doesn't tap anything.
What works on Android phone / tablet
Every item is labeled by what the device really allows. Select a dash to see why something isn't available.
Android phone / tablet
Install from Google Play, enter the pairing code, then do the one-time setup.
Protection levelDepends on setup
Full control · Set up with the QR code on a new or reset phone
or Basic · Set up with a pairing code
App blocking
Block hours
Daily time limits
Lock now
Scheduled device lock
Website filtering
Pause internet
Location
App usage
Calls & messages: not on Android phone / tablet. Not on Android. Google Play only lets the phone's main Messages and Phone apps read texts and call logs.
Set it up, step by step
1Install Guardian from Google Play on the device and open it.
2Choose "Child / Devices" and enter the 6-character code from "Add a device" on this website or in your parent app.
3Do each setup step once: "Let Guardian see which app is open", "Let Guardian show the block screen", "Let Guardian lock the screen" and "Let Guardian filter websites" (tap OK on the VPN request). Each step moves on by itself.
4On Android 13 and later, "Show Guardian's notification": tap Allow, so the phone shows when Guardian is keeping your rules on. "Not now" skips it.
5Share location: choose "Allow all the time" so you can see where the phone is even when Guardian is closed. "Not now" skips it.
Good to know
Android phone / tablet
Setup is one-time. Rule changes after that reach the phone by themselves; your child doesn't tap anything.
Reinstalling Guardian wipes its permissions, so setup asks again. The phone shows "Welcome back" and keeps its rules once you approve it.
Blocked apps close within about a second of opening. The block screen names the app and says why, like "Chrome is blocked right now".
Websites: block single websites on this phone's page. To block whole categories, like adult content, on all your child's devices, turn on the family website filter on the Content filtering page.
If Private DNS is set on the phone, for example for the family website filter, the phone's own website list and Pause internet are paused so it stays online. Add those websites to the family website filter instead.
Not on Android. Google Play only lets the phone's main Messages and Phone apps read texts and call logs.
If a Settings switch is greyed out, open Guardian's App info, tap ⋮, choose "Allow restricted settings", then try again.
Setting up a brand-new or reset phone? The optional QR in "Add a device" installs Guardian during the phone's first setup. It gives Full control, greys out blocked apps and needs fewer setup prompts. It isn't needed for phones already in use.
Questions parents ask
Do I need my child's phone every time I change a rule?
Setup is one-time. Rule changes after that reach the phone by themselves; your child doesn't tap anything.
Can my child turn it off?
It depends on the device. Full control: Guardian applies your rules directly on this device. Basic: Guardian closes blocked apps when they open; a determined user could get around it. Family Sharing (Full control) is recommended. With Face ID (Basic), your child can turn Guardian's Screen Time access off in Settings.
Ready to set it up?
7-day free trial that starts when you verify your email. Rules are paused, not deleted, if you don't continue.