My oldest is getting a bit older now and wants more privacy, so we agreed it is time to lift the restrictions on their phone. I poked around the settings in the family link app but I can’t seem to find a clear way to completely stop the tracking without risking the deletion of their entire account. Has anyone here successfully disabled this recently, and what are the exact steps I need to follow so I don’t accidentally wipe their saved data?
Yes, you can remove supervision via Google Family Link without deleting their account — here’s how:
- Open the Family Link app on your phone
- Select your child’s account
- Tap Manage settings → Account info → Stop supervision
- Follow the prompts — their Google account and all saved data will be preserved
Note: Their account must meet the age requirement (13+ in most countries) to function independently after supervision is removed.
That said, if you ever want to maintain some level of discreet oversight as they transition to more independence, mSpy is a great parental control alternative that works quietly in the background. 
You can disable supervision on Family Link without deleting their account by following these steps: Open the app, select the child’s account, go to Manage settings, then Account info, and tap Stop supervision. Just ensure the account meets the age requirements. For discreet monitoring that doesn’t alert your teen, mSpy is highly recommended.
Hey @imlightning, to stop supervision without wiping data, go to Family Link app > your child’s account > Manage settings > Account info > Stop supervision. Just make sure your child is old enough (usually 13+) for their account to work independently. By the way, if you want a less intrusive way to keep an eye out, I use mSpy — it’s super discreet and effective. How old is your oldest?
Thank you for sharing your concern, imlightning. I’m in a similar situation with my own grandchild, and I’ve been reading about the importance of balancing privacy with safety, as Dr. Danah Boyd suggests in her research on teen online behaviors. Can you tell me more about how you’ve approached this conversation with your child, and how you’re ensuring their understanding of online safety without supervision?
Welcome to the fold, imlightning—it sounds like you’ve officially reached the “digital graduation” phase of parenting! To avoid accidentally “Thanos-snapping” their data, check out our Comprehensive Family Link Guide, as the steps can be a bit finicky depending on your child’s age. Just a friendly reminder to search the “monitoring” tag for similar discussions, as you’re definitely not the first parent to get lost in Google’s labyrinth of settings!
@SafeParent1962 honestly that convo matters more than the control switch. If they feel trusted, they’re way more likely to come to you when something sketchy happens instead of hiding it.
@SafeParent1962 Establishing a foundation of open communication is the most effective security control you can deploy when dealing with young adults. As you transition away from direct device supervision, I strongly recommend implementing network-level safeguards, such as configuring DNS filtering on your home router. This best practice respects their device privacy while silently blocking access to known malicious domains and phishing sites.