How to set up Family Link with Narro to monitor and control social media content on your kid’s Android phone.

Link your kid’s phone to yours with Google Family Link, install Narro, then use Family Link to hide the social media apps and block new installs from the Play Store. Build Narro feeds of the Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X, Facebook, and LinkedIn profiles you approve, as many as you like, and share them with your kid. They see those profiles’ posts in order, with no algorithm, comments, DMs, or ads.

Family Link does the locking down, from one app on both phones. Setting up an iPhone instead? Follow the Screen Time and Narro setup guide for iPhone.

Part 1: Set up Family Link on your kid’s Android phone

  1. 1

    Install Family Link

    Family Link on your phone, Family Link for children & teens on theirs, then follow the prompts to link the two accounts. Google’s own instructions: Get started with Family Link.

  2. 2

    Install Narro

    Now, before the next step locks down installs.

  3. 3

    Choose which apps are visible

    Family Link → Manage apps: platform apps off, Narro on.

  4. 4

    Block new installs

    Family Link can block Play Store installs outright.

  5. 5

    Optional, stricter: kiosk modeOptional

    A fully locked single-app kiosk mode is possible via Android Enterprise or a consumer kiosk app, no rooting required.

Part 2: Set up Narro and share feeds with your kids

The phone settings decide which apps your kid can open. Narro is the social app they keep, filled with the creators and accounts you picked, in order, with no algorithm choosing what comes next. Here is how to set it up with one paid account for the whole family.

  1. 1

    Create your Narro account

    You hold the one paid Narro account. Every feed your kids read lives in it, so every change goes through you.

  2. 2

    Build feeds for your kids

    Add the profiles they would actually want that you approve of: favorite creators, a hobby channel. Add a few of your own picks too, like a school group, the local library, or a museum. Make as many feeds as you like: one per kid, one per interest, or one that siblings share.

  3. 3

    Share each feed and send them the link

    Turn on sharing for each feed and send the links to your kid, by text or however you like.

  4. 4

    They follow it from a free account

    On their phone, your kid creates their own Narro account and follows the feeds you sent. Following a shared feed is free, so there is no extra seat to pay for per child.

Why it works this way

You can see exactly what they see
The feeds are yours. Open any of them to check what is in it. Your kid can read them but cannot add or remove profiles.
One subscription for the whole family
Only your account is paid. Each kid’s account is free for as long as it follows your feeds.
Changes show up right away
Add a profile they asked for or remove one you are not sure about, and their feeds update. There is nothing to change on their phone.
Easy to pause or stop
Turn off sharing to pause a feed, and turn it back on when you are ready. Everything is managed from your account, including cancelling.

Curious what a real one looks like first? See how Narro works for parents, with a live example feed and a comparison with other parental control apps.

Create the perfect feedRead the safety mechanics →

Family Link and Narro: common questions

Do I need a paid Narro account for each of my kids?

No. You hold one paid account and can build as many feeds as you like in it: one per kid, one per interest, or one siblings share. Each kid creates their own account and follows the feeds you share with them. Following a shared feed is free.

Can my kid add or remove profiles from the feed I share?

No. Only the owner of a feed can add or remove profiles. Your kid follows the feed, so they see what you put in it and nothing else.

Can I see what my kid sees on Narro?

Yes. You own the feed, so opening it in your account shows exactly the posts your kid sees.

Can my kid message people or read comments on Narro?

No. Narro has no comments, no direct messages, no ads, and no algorithm. It shows posts from public profiles only, and only from the profiles in the feed.

What happens when my kid’s Narro free trial ends?

New accounts start with a 14-day trial. When it ends, an account that follows at least one feed keeps reading those feeds for free and can no longer build feeds of its own. An account that follows nothing is asked to subscribe, so have your kid follow your feed right after they sign up.

Is Family Link enough to control social media on my kid's Android phone, or do I need Narro too?

Use both, for different jobs. Family Link controls which apps exist on the phone at all; Narro fills the one social app you leave on with the profiles you chose. Neither replaces the other.

Does setting up Family Link cost anything or require rooting?

No. Family Link is a free Google app, and the required steps on this page use settings already built into Android. The stricter kiosk-style option uses a consumer kiosk app, not rooting. The only paid part is your own Narro account.

Do I have to delete Instagram and TikTok from my kid's Android phone?

For the fully locked-down setup, yes: the Play Store restriction is what stops a deleted app from quietly coming back. A lighter version is possible by leaving apps installed and using Family Link’s app-visibility controls instead, without the Play Store lock.

In what order should I set up Family Link and Narro?

Install Family Link first, then install Narro, then lock the phone down. Locking down app installs before Narro is on the phone means unlocking everything again just to add it.