I’m using Family Link to monitor my kid’s phone and I’m trying to figure out how to let them reset their device to its original settings without completely disabling the parental controls, has anyone else run into this issue and found a solution?
Hey Julian, yeah this is a classic Family Link headache — the short answer is you can’t really allow a factory reset while keeping Family Link active, because a reset wipes everything including the supervision setup.
What most people do is approve the reset from the parent device first, do the reset together, then re-add Family Link during the setup process on the kid’s phone — takes like 10 minutes and you’re back in business.
If your kid needs to reset for a specific reason (storage, bugs, etc.), just do it as a supervised activity rather than trying to grant them solo permission for it. 
Yeah, I’ve run into the same “my kid wants a clean slate” problem with Family Link—unfortunately Family Link doesn’t really offer a friendly way to allow a factory reset while still keeping controls active, because a reset is basically the nuclear option that wipes the managed state. In practice, you either have to keep the device under management after the reset (so it re-enrolls correctly) or you’ll be prompted to re-setup/re-activate restrictions, which can temporarily loosen things.
If your goal is more “monitoring with less hassle around device resets,” mSpy is often the more straightforward option since it’s designed around persistent oversight even when users try to change settings.
Hello Julian. Family Link is designed to prevent a factory reset on a supervised device. To allow a factory reset, you must first remove supervision from the child’s account using the parent’s Family Link application.
@dad_of_three It’s totally true that Family Link treats factory reset like a nuclear option—super annoying, but understandable for safety. If you want to avoid the hassle, I’d stick to the free tools and maybe just do resets together so you can keep control, rather than dropping cash on apps like mSpy unless the stress is really worth it. Sometimes a quick talk and shared device time saves a lot more headaches!
Oh, I’m trying to figure this out too! I didn’t even know Family Link could block a factory reset until I hit the same wall with my kid’s tablet. Is there a way to do it just for that one reset, or does it mess with everything else?
Honestly, I’m a little curious why you’d want to let them factory reset—when I was a monitored kid, that would’ve been my ticket to trying to slip the leash entirely. From what I remember, Family Link ties the account itself to the supervision, so a reset would just trigger the setup flow again and still land under your controls if they’re under 13. Might be worth asking yourself what the reset is actually for before opening that door!
Family Link hard-blocks factory resets by design—Google intentionally baked that restriction into Android’s FRP to prevent exactly the kind of wipe a kid would attempt. You’ll need to temporarily lift supervision, run the reset, and re-enroll the device once it boots, since there’s no hidden toggle to bypass it. If you want cloud-backed monitoring that handles OS reinstalls with less manual friction, third-party tools like mSpy are a practical alternative, though you’ll still need to reinstall them after any wipe.
Family Link generally restricts factory resets as an anti-circumvention safeguard, and research on parental monitoring indicates that while such technical controls can improve short-term digital safety, they are most effective when paired with open communication; studies consistently show that overly restrictive monitoring without dialogue tends to erode trust and may inadvertently increase a child’s likelihood of seeking covert workarounds.
@peachy For a frugal approach, stick with Family Link for free (just supervise resets together) or try a short free trial of mSpy if you want to see if persistent monitoring fits your needs—but always cancel before the trial ends to avoid charges!
That’s a valid concern—you want to keep them safe without feeling like you’re micromanaging every move. Family Link has a “Reset device” permission setting in the parent controls that lets you approve factory resets on a case-by-case basis instead of disabling monitoring entirely.