Son's Phone with Family Link - Focus Mode not available

[Android Central Question]

Hi everyone,

I setup Family Link on my son's phone a few years ago. His phone was Android 9 at the time and I also setup Digital Balance with a password to add some extra restrictions not available in Family Link.

When he got a new phone recently, I setup the Digital Wellbeing settings (very disappointed to find no password lock option). Then I setup Family Link again. As soon as I did it, Digital Wellbeing and Focus Mode disappeared. You literally cannot access the options anymore.

1. Why does Family Link disable Focus Mode? I kind of understand Digital Wellbeing, but surely kids should have access to Focus Mode too??

2. I would remove Family Link and use Digital Wellbeing + Focus Mode but there is no option to setup a password to lock restrictions. He could just bypass the settings with 1 simple tap.

It's really, really frustrating that the restrictions settings in Android 9 were so much better and more secure, and that Focus Mode doesn't work with Family Link. Why make things worse? Why no password or way to stop yourself or your child from breaking the Digital Wellbeing settings?

What's the point of Digital Wellbeing if you can tap once to bypass the settings? If you want to reduce your phone time or your kids, it's worthless.

Do future Android updates change this?

Any ideas or suggestions? Would be much appreciated.

Julie

 

[VidJunky]

Welcome to Android Central Julie.

I understand your frustration, I've experienced a similar issue when buying devices for my own children. On my very expensive phone I could have Verizon's Family app and I had all kinds of options for parental locks and filters. On the cheap phones I got my children, because who is going to hand a child a $1000 device, I could not install the family app and there were zero filters or parental controls. I mean why wouldn't there be these things built into an inexpensive device the type which is more likely to be given to a child, right? So I feel like I totally understand where you're coming from. There's a better than not chance the problem is an issue with the capabilities of the device rather than the apps or services. I'm not saying that there's no way it is the apps, I'm just saying that you might get different results with a different device. If this is app related, the two don't like each other or only work in tandem if this or that feature is turned off, there's really not much we can do to help beyond recommending other apps or services that might work.

What brand and model is the new device?

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