Parental controls on Android, iPhone, and Google accounts stop your kids from downloading social media apps and interacting with cyber predators or browsing websites with inappropriate content. At some stage, you feel they are ready for online access without restrictions and need to turn them off.

Can parental controls be turned off? 

Yes, you can remove parental controls, but the method depends entirely on the type of device you are using and who set up the restrictions. In most cases, you will need the specific PIN, password, or the supervising parent’s account to disable them. 

How do I turn off parental controls on Android?

To remove parental controls on an Android device, you either need the parent’s account password to turn off supervision via Google Family Link or you must know the specific PIN that was set to lock the controls.

1.  Google Play Store 

Google Play Store settings are the easiest way to remove supervision on your Android or iPhone. Here’s how:

1. Swipe up from the bottom of your Android screen and tap the Play Store app to open it.
2. Tap your profile picture and then choose Settings from the drop-down menu. 
3. Tap the down arrow next to Family to expand the options and select Parental controls.
4. Select a category, such as Apps & games or Books, under Set content restrictions.
5. Choose Allow all, including unrated, and tap the Save button for that category.

Instead of going through each category, under Parental controls, toggle off Parental control is on, type in your PIN, and tap OK. 

2. Digital Wellbeing app

For basic screen time limits and app timers on the Android itself:

1. Open your phone’s Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap Digital Wellbeing & parental controls.
3. Select Parental controls at the bottom and tap Turn off.
4. Alternatively, edit or delete specific app timers within the dashboard.
5. Enter your parental PIN. 

3.  Google Family Link App Settings

Google Family Link is an excellent app to protect your child from dangerous online exposure. However, if they are older than 13, you can use the app to remove parental restrictions on your Android.

1. Swipe up from the bottom of your Android screen and tap the Family Link app to open it.
2. Tap the three lines at the top left, select the child’s account, and type in your PIN.
3. Navigate to Account Settings > Account Supervision > Stop Supervision, confirm this action, and that’s it.

A quick catch here is that you also make these supervisions least restrictive if the child’s age in the Family Link app is still younger than 13. For this, head back to Manage Settings, select Controls on Google Play, and tap Allow all, including unrated.

How to turn off parental controls on Android without password or parents’ permission? 

Parental controls on a Google account require either a passcode or the parent’s passkey to remove. If you delete or alter these settings, like attempting to bypass or uninstall these apps—such as Google Family Link, or any other—it will trigger alerts on their devices. 

In case you’re having trouble with app restrictions or screen time, the best approach is to talk to your parents to adjust the limits. 

However, you can bypass app-specific limitations on the Google account by clearing the Play Store app data in this way: 

1. Open Play Store.
2. Depending on your Android manufacturer, tap Apps, Apps Manager, or Apps & Notifications.
3. Access the Apps list and select Google Play Store. 
4. Tap Storage > Clear Cache, and then tap Clear Data.
5. Open the Google Play Store app, tap the profile pic, and head to Settings > Parental Controls.
6. Toggle off Parental controls are on, and this time the feature won’t ask you for a password.

After this is done, it leaves you stranded at times by not allowing you to download anything afterward. Luckily, you can resolve this issue by uninstalling Play Store app updates and turning off parental controls in the process. When you do this, the Play Store icon will change, meaning the app is reset and the restrictions are disabled.  

How do I turn off parental controls on my Samsung Galaxy?

Galaxy and other Samsung phone models are a bit tricky when it comes to removing parental restrictions on them without a password. If clearing the Google Play Store cache doesn’t help, you need to factory reset it. Do remember that this action will erase everything, like your apps and their settings as well.

To do this, press and hold the Power button and the Volume Down button at the same time. Continue holding both buttons for about 7 to 15 seconds. Then, release the buttons when the screen goes black, and the Samsung logo appears. Now, go to Wipe data/factory reset using the Volume button, select this option with the Power button, and choose Yes.

When the phone restarts, all restrictions will be removed.

How do I completely turn off parental controls on my iPhone?

To completely turn off parental controls on your iPhone, head to Settings > Screen Time, tap Turn off Screen Time, and type in the 4-digit passcode to confirm.

1. Completely disable Screen Time (Removes all controls)

If you want to turn off all the parental controls on your iPhone:

1. Go to Settings > Screen Time.
2. Scroll to the bottom and tap Turn Off Screen Time.
3. Enter your passcode.

2. Turn off only specific controls

As a parent, you may want to only disable some specific parental controls like app limits, web filters, or purchase restrictions on your child’s iPhone, but want to keep tracking other usage. For this, the steps are a bit different: 

1. Go to Settings > Screen Time.
2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions.
3. Enter your Screen Time passcode.
4. Toggle off Content & Privacy Restrictions at the top, or tap individual categories (like iTunes & App Store Purchases or Allowed Apps) to customize.

3. Use Family Sharing

If the parental controls are managed remotely through a parent’s iPhone or iPad, turn them off this way:

1. Open the Settings app on the parent’s iPhone.
2. Tap Screen Time.
3. Scroll down to the Family section and tap your child’s name.
4. Turn off Screen Time or individually adjust their content and privacy restrictions for different iOS apps and features. 

Note: You can also remove the child from Family Sharing to remove all parental restrictions on their iOS device.

How to turn off parental controls on iPhone without knowing passcode?

If you want to disable parental controls on your iPhone and you don’t know the 4-digit passcode anymore:

1. Go to Settings > Screen Time.
2. Tap Change Screen Time Passcode > Change Screen Time Passcode again.
3. Tap Forgot Passcode?
4. Enter the Apple ID and password used to set up the passcode, then create a new one.
5. Then, go back to Change Screen Time Passcode and select Turn Off Screen Time Passcode.
6. Now type in your newly created password, save the changes, and you can then disable parental controls or content restrictions without needing a passcode.

Do parental controls turn off at 13 on iPhone or iPad?

No, parental controls do not turn off automatically at 13 on an iOS device. They remain active until the managing parent manually removes the restrictions or the child reaches legal adulthood. However, at this age (the digital age of consent in the U.S.), the dynamic of how these controls work changes significantly:

• Google Accounts: Children gain the option to manage their own Google Account, but they cannot do it alone. They must send a request to their parents, and both must agree to update the account. If the child decides they want to manage their account independently, parents must approve the transition.
• Apple Accounts: Apple’s Screen Time limits and Content & Privacy Restrictions do not automatically drop at 13. These restrictions remain in place until the parent physically turns them off, disables the Screen Time passcode, or removes the child from the Family Sharing group.
• Social Media: Many platforms (like Instagram or TikTok) transition users aged 13-15 into default “Teen Accounts.” These features have stricter privacy limits (like private accounts by default), though they are still actively monitored by connected parental controls.

How to override parental controls on an iPhone?

To override parental controls (Screen Time) on an iPhone, you must have the designated 4-digit Screen Time passcode or the linked Apple ID credentials. Without these, the settings cannot be bypassed directly on the device without a full factory reset. 

Why am I not getting my child’s app requests on my iPhone?

If you aren’t getting “Ask to Buy” or any app requests on your iPhone, the issue is usually caused by disabled notifications, an active Focus/Do Not Disturb mode, or an iCloud account mismatch. 

Follow this quick, step-by-step checklist to troubleshoot and fix the problem:

• Turn off Focus/Do Not Disturb: Swipe down from the top right of your screen to open the Control Center and temporarily disable any active Focus or Do Not Disturb modes. These modes can block time-sensitive notifications like app requests. 
• Check Notification Settings: Go to Settings > Notifications > Screen Time and ensure notifications are allowed, including lock screen alerts and banners. 
• Verify Apple IDs: Go to Settings > [Your Name] and ensure you are signed in with the same Apple Account (Apple ID) used as the Family Sharing organizer. You can verify this by tapping Family > [Your Name] > Purchases to check your linked Apple Account for purchases. 
• Confirm “Ask to Buy” is Enabled: On your iPhone, go to Settings > Family > [Your Child’s Name] > Ask to Buy and ensure Require Purchase Approval is toggled on. 
• Check Device Names: Surprisingly, a known Apple bug requires your iPhone and your child’s iPhone to have completely different names. Go to Settings > General > About > Name on both devices to rename them. 
• Restart and Update: A simple reboot can fix stuck iCloud syncing. Turn both your phone and your child’s phone off and on again. Next, make sure both devices are on the newest version of iOS/iPadOS by going to Settings > General > Software Update.

How to disable hotspot on iPhone parental controls?

Apple’s built-in Screen Time settings do not natively feature a specific switch to block Personal Hotspot. However, you can effectively disable it by restricting cellular data changes.

1. Go to Settings > Screen Time on your child’s iPhone.
2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions, turn the feature on, and type in your passcode.
3. Scroll down to the Allow Changes section and tap Cellular Data Changes.
4. Set it to Don’t Allow.

However, the best way is to restrict the hotspot from the carrier’s side. Since it is an add-on service provisioned by your network provider, they can disable it at the account level. Call them and ask customer service to remove the Hotspot/Tethering feature from your child’s iPhone.

How do I turn off Google parental controls?

To turn off Google parental controls on your child’s Android or iPhone, go to phone Settings > Google > All services > Parental Controls. Tap the three dots at the top right corner of your child’s device, tap Stop Supervision, type your PIN (Parent Access Code), and follow the instructions. If you are doing this from your own phone, select the child’s profile in the Family Link app and stop supervision from there.

How do I turn off child mode on my Google Account?

You can turn off child mode on your Google account using the Google Family supervision page and manage it yourself after you get the email from Google that you are 13 years old.  The other way is to just ask your parent to disable parental controls on your Android or iOS device.

1. Taking charge of the Google account using Gmail 

You and your parent will get an email when you are about to be 13 years old or the applicable age in your country. You can then graduate your Google account and end supervision at that time. To do this:

1. Launch Gmail on your device and open the “Ready to take charge of your Google Account?” email.
2. Click Review Settings.
3. Choose Stop Supervision.
4. Select I’m ready. 

2. Accessing the Google Family Supervision website

If you can’t find the email sent by Google when you are about to be of unsupervised age, open the Family Supervision website, scroll to the bottom, and tap Stop Supervision. Next, follow the on-screen instructions to remove parental control on your account. 

3. Configuring a new Device

You can also turn off child mode on your Google account while setting it up on a new device. Here’s how:

1. Open Settings on your new Android or iOS device, scroll down, and tap Accounts.
2. Tap Add account.
3. Select Google and sign in using the correct login credentials.
4. Tap Learn more when you see get your parent prompt on the screen.
5. Tap Stop Supervision.
6. Check the I Understand box.
7. Select Stop Supervision again.

Final take 

If your child uses an Android device with active parental control restrictions, you now know many ways to remove them with or without a password easily. Not only that, you learned how to do this on a Samsung phone and what to do with your Google account when you are about to be of an age that does not require the child mode.