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There isn’t one universal switch for parental controls on Samsung phones and tablets. First identify whether the restriction is managed through Samsung Account Family, Samsung Kids, Android’s device-level controls, or Google Family Link. The responsible parent or guardian must make the change, or use the service’s official PIN or account-recovery process.

Identify which parental control is active

Check where the restriction appears and which account or screen it refers to. The systems below are separate: changing a screen-time limit does not necessarily end account supervision, and leaving Samsung Kids does not remove Family Link.

Control system Where it is managed Credential or approval What changing it affects
Samsung Account Family Family area in the parent or guardian’s Samsung account Parent or guardian’s account access Selected controls for the child’s Samsung account, such as apps, web content, and downloads
Samsung Kids Samsung Kids on the Galaxy device Kids PIN or configured screen lock; Samsung documents email recovery for a forgotten PIN Samsung Kids settings or exit from the child-friendly space
Android device-level controls Android Settings on the device Controls PIN and, if configured, recovery account On-device parental-control settings, separate from Family Link supervision
Google Family Link Parent’s Family Link app and Google account Parent account and, for a child under 18, parent approval Google account supervision; this is broader than changing an individual device rule

Menu labels and eligibility vary by Galaxy model, software version, carrier, and region. If a path is missing, consult the support page for that specific system and check the device’s software version.

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Change Samsung Account Family controls

Samsung Account Family controls are managed by the parent or guardian from their Galaxy device. Samsung’s US guide says the child-account controls apply on Galaxy devices running One UI 5.1 or later; wording can vary by release. Samsung’s Family controls guide describes options including web content, apps and games, downloads and purchases, Samsung apps, and the parental-control PIN.

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  1. On the parent or guardian’s Galaxy device, open Settings.
  2. Tap the Samsung account name.
  3. Tap Family, then select the child profile.
  4. Open the relevant control and change or turn it off as appropriate.

This changes the selected Samsung account restrictions; it does not by itself exit Samsung Kids or stop Google Family Link supervision.

Turn off Samsung Kids or recover its PIN

Samsung Kids is its own child-friendly space. Its parental settings and exit are protected by the Kids PIN or configured screen lock. Samsung describes the feature for Galaxy phones and tablets running Android 9.0 and above, with availability varying by carrier. See Samsung’s Samsung Kids guide for device-specific details.

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  1. From the Samsung Kids home screen, tap More options (three dots), then Parental controls.
  2. Enter the Kids PIN or use the configured screen lock.
  3. Change the restrictions you are authorized to change, or use the available exit option to leave Samsung Kids.

If the PIN is forgotten, Samsung documents a recovery route: enter an incorrect PIN five consecutive times, then use the registered email address to request a temporary password. Follow the official recovery prompts rather than attempting to bypass the lock.

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Change Android device-level parental controls

Android’s on-device parental controls are managed separately in Android Settings and use their own PIN. Google’s guide for this specific feature lists Android 17 or later as a requirement, so the same menu should not be expected on every Samsung release. The setup guidance includes adding a recovery account; that account may be needed if the PIN is forgotten.

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Use the device’s parental-controls settings and the configured PIN or recovery process to change these restrictions. This does not stop Family Link supervision, which is managed through the parent’s Google account. See Google’s Android parental-controls instructions for the documented feature and eligibility.

Stop Google Family Link supervision

Family Link supervision is managed by the parent through the Family Link app. Google says a child under 18 needs a parent’s approval to stop supervision. Before proceeding, distinguish stopping supervision from turning off one screen-time or content rule: supervision changes the relationship between the child’s Google account and the parent’s controls.

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  1. Open the parent’s Family Link app and select the child profile.
  2. Tap Controls, then Account Settings.
  3. Tap About supervision, follow the prompts, and select Stop supervision.

Google’s guidance is at Add & manage supervision on a current Google Account. Follow the current in-app prompts; eligibility and options depend on age and country.

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Understand age and family-group consequences first

Stopping supervision and removing a child from a Google family group are not interchangeable. Google says a child below 13, or below the applicable age in their country, cannot simply be removed from the family group: supervision must be transferred to another parent or the supervised account deleted. For a supervised user above the applicable age, supervision must be stopped before removal. Consult Google’s family-group guidance for current rules.

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Samsung’s Galaxy-specific Family Link support page also describes account deletion as an option for children who cannot have an unsupervised Google account. Deleting an account is materially different from changing a device rule: read Google’s current confirmation screens and verify which account data and access will be affected before choosing deletion.

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