Gmail & your child's Google Account

When you use Family Link to manage your child's Google Account, they can use Gmail to send and receive email.

How Gmail works

For the most part, Gmail will be the same for children as it is for adults. There are only a few Gmail features that aren't available to children under 13 (or the applicable age in your country):

  • Ads: Google won't serve ads in Gmail, or process Gmail messages for advertising purposes.
  • Automatic forwarding: Children can't automatically forward emails to another email address.
  • Gmail offline: If their device isn't connected to the Internet, children can't read, send, or search their Gmail emails.
  • Labs: Children can't turn on experimental Gmail features.
  • Mail delegation: Children can't give someone else access to read, send, or delete their emails.
  • Spam: If Gmail identifies an email as spam, it won't get delivered to your child's inbox or spam folder.

Note: These restrictions won't apply if your child is over 13 (or the applicable age in your country) or had supervision added to their previously existing Google Account.

Block an email address

When you block someone's email address in Gmail on your child's device, your child won't receive emails from that address. This only blocks this address from contacting your child in Gmail.

On your child's device, block the email address. Make sure to use instructions for the type of device your child is using.

Report emails as spam

If Gmail missed a spam email, report the email. Make sure to use instructions for the type of device your child is using.

Manage how Gmail data is used

You can control how Gmail and other Google products use your child's Gmail data through the Smart Features and Personalization setting in Gmail settings.

Troubleshoot problems

I want to read my child's emails

Parents can access their child's account data, like emails, by signing in to the child's account. If you don't know the password, you can reset their password.

Note: You can only reset your child's password if you created their account in Family Link and they're under 13 (or the applicable age in your country). You can't reset your child's password if supervision was added to their previously existing Google Account.

An email didn't get delivered to my child

To make sure that emails make it to your child's inbox, add the sender's email address to your child's contact list.

  1. On your child's device, open the Contacts app. If you don't see the Contacts app, make sure it isn't blocked.
  2. In the bottom right, tap Add people Add approver .
  3. Type the contact's name and email address.
  4. Tap Done Done.

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