A Family Link issue reportedly stops supervised children from making outgoing calls, while incoming calls still work. Workarounds are inconsistent.
A glitch in Google’s Family Link is turning phone calls into a headache for some parents, with outgoing calls reportedly blocked on supervised devices.
Misryoum has seen reports from users describing a pattern: incoming calls and messages still come through normally. but children cannot place outgoing calls.. In these cases. the Family Link system parental controls appear to intercept the call attempt and display an error message indicating calls can’t be placed via the controls.
What makes the issue especially frustrating is that it doesn’t behave like a single, universal failure.. Multiple parents have shared similar experiences across different supervised setups. suggesting the problem may not be tied to one specific phone model or configuration.. Some users say both children in a household are affected at the same time.
After the reports began spreading, parents started comparing notes on potential temporary fixes.. One frequently mentioned workaround involves toggling supervision off and back on through the Family Link app. specifically by using the child’s profile settings.. While some users claim this restores outgoing calling. results are not consistent. and the option to switch supervision off is not available for accounts for children under 13 in at least some setups.
This is where the risk becomes more than just an inconvenience. If outgoing calling is blocked by parental controls, it can complicate a child’s ability to reach help quickly, including in urgent situations where placing a call matters.
Misryoum also notes that some parents point to the possibility of more severe real-world impact, such as emergency calling.. In response to the problem. discussions have included suggestions like deleting and recreating accounts as a last resort. but parents report mixed outcomes. with no guaranteed path to recovery.
For now. the situation leaves families in a trial-and-error loop. relying on forum-tested steps that may or may not work depending on the account and supervision options available.. The uncertainty is likely to feel especially heavy for parents who use Family Link to reduce worries rather than introduce new ones.
The takeaway is simple: parental control tools must be dependable when they affect core phone functions. Until a permanent fix lands, these reports are a reminder that “supervised” doesn’t always mean “smooth,” and families may want to double-check calling behavior on supervised devices.