Add Google Play Gift Card To Child Account

[TheSavvyProjectManager]

I'm getting frustrated trying to figure out how to purchase apps for my child using a Google Play Gift card I purchased for him:

His tablet is a Samsung A310. His play store is signed in under his account which is a child account linked to my family. My account is the family manager.

When I try to "redeem a code" under his account, it tells me I need to do it on the parent account. I can't seem sign into my account on his tablet. When I attempt, i asks me for my own permission and then goes into an "Add a school account" screen which I don't want.

When I try from my desktop computer to add it under my Google account, my laptop tells me I need to do it on his device.

In the meantime, I read something about "Family Library." Maybe that's the answer but I can't figure it out.

How in the world do I translate the gift card into apps on his tablet?

Thanks for listening.

 

[B. Diddy]

I think Family Library is your best bet; https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/7007852?hl=en#zippy=,requirements. Not all apps support Family Library, but I would suspect that most games for kids will be.

 

[TheSavvyProjectManager]

Thank you. Great answer. Here's the problem I'm now having. I can't seem log into Google Play on my laptop. It's telling me I should sign in "on my device" I don't have a device. I have my son's Android tablet... but if I try to add an account on his to sign in my account it's giving me trouble. How do I get my account signed in on his tablet to purchase the apps for the family? Other than purchasing an Android tablet for myself, I'm not sure what the workaround is. There must be a simple way.

 

[B. Diddy]

If you create a Family Group that includes your account as the administrator and your son's Google account, then you shouldn't have to log into his tablet. You should just be able to purchase an app on your own device, and make sure the Family Library toggle for that app is turned on.

How are you trying to access the Play Store on your laptop? Are you going to play.google.com/store on the browser?

 

[TheSavvyProjectManager]

I'm getting closer. I used your link and I was able to log into the Play Store on my PC using my Google Account. Now I can see apps which I can purchase/download however can I purchase the app without downloading it because I have a windows PC and it's not going to work to download it to my PC. As I understand it, I can purchase the app and there's a toggle somewhere for Family Library. Does this only work properly if both he and I have an Android device?

 

[Joshua Luther1]

I would highly recommend downloading the Family Link app on either your iPhone or Android phone. It's available on both stores. You can better manage the content that your child can access.

Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro

 

[B. Diddy]

I'm getting closer. I used your link and I was able to log into the Play Store on my PC using my Google Account. Now I can see apps which I can purchase/download however can I purchase the app without downloading it because I have a windows PC and it's not going to work to download it to my PC. As I understand it, I can purchase the app and there's a toggle somewhere for Family Library. Does this only work properly if both he and I have an Android device?

You can purchase any app using the Play Store website on any device -- it'll ask you which device you want to install it to.

I don't think there's anything on the Play Store app page that specifies if the app is available for the Family Library -- you just have to install it and see if the toggle shows up. If it doesn't, you can always immediately get a refund.

 

[TheSavvyProjectManager]

Ok. Thank you for all your help. I still haven't gotten anywhere but I've learned a lot so that's something. New problem. When I attempt to purchase an app from my laptop it gives me a message

"This Google account is not yet associated with a device. Please access the Play Store app on your device before installing apps."

That's likely because my Google Account is not signed into an an Android device anywhere.

When I go to my son's tablet and attempt to add my account to his tablet to associate it with play store, I get the message that I can only add a school account to his tablet, so I can't add my own account. Somehow it's locked down so I can't add a regular google account. This could be the crux of the problem.

So I can't purchase apps from his account, I can't get my account onto his tablet and I can't purchase apps using my laptop because my account is not associated with Google Play Store on any device.

Any other suggestions?

 

[B. Diddy]

Do you have your own Android device that you can add this account to?

 

[Joshua Luther1]

Is the tablet from his school? If he's only using a Gmail account given from his school, then I would create his own personal account and use that instead. Unless of course if the tablet is from his school.

Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro

 

[TheSavvyProjectManager]

No, and I think that's part of the problem. It's assuming I would. I do not.

 

[B. Diddy]

If you don't have an Android device, maybe try Google's new beta feature that allows installing Android games to a PC: play.google.com/googleplaygames. That might be a way to get your Google account associated with a device.