1. Bark
  2. 💡 Solve a problem
  3. Troubleshooting the Bark Phone

Can I use Google Family Link to supervise a Bark Phone?

Updated
Paola Rivera

The short answer is no, but that’s okay! Bark’s built-in features cover everything you would receive via Google Family Link and so much more!

In order to download apps on the Bark Phone, your kid must sign in with an "unsupervised" Google account.

If your child's account is "supervised," Bark recommends creating a “family Gmail” using your personal birthday. Then, connect the account for monitoring and use it to sign into the Play Store on your kid’s phone.

How can I check if my kid's Google account is supervised?

  1. On your parent phone, visit g.co/yourfamily.
  2. You should see something like this:
    gfl supervised member family link.png
  3. If it says Supervised Member under their name, they have a supervised Google account. These accounts cannot sign into Google Play on a Bark Phone.

What do I do if my kid's Google account is supervised?

My kid is under 13 years old

Create a new Google account for your kid

  1. On a different device than the Bark Phone, create a Google account.
  2. Enter in your kid's name.
  3. Enter in your parent/guardian birthday (not your kid's) to ensure the new account is not supervised by Family Link.
  4. Create a Gmail address for your kid.
  5. Create a strong password your kid will remember.
  6. Follow any additional instructions.
  7. On your kid's Bark Phone, open the ⚙ Settings app.
    If you see "Contact your parent for access," allow the Settings app in your Bark parent app. You can block it again after we're done.
  8. Tap Accounts & Backup.
  9. Tap Manage Accounts.
  10. Sign out of the supervised Google account.
  11. Tap ➕ Add account.
  12. Tap Google.
  13. Sign in with your kid's new Gmail.
    Why does it say "Sign in with a work account"? Learn more.
  14. When you're done, you will see your kid's new Google account signed in here:
    mceclip0.png
  15. Then, tap < back until you're at the home page of the Settings app.
  16. Tap Apps.

  17. Enter a device code, if prompted.

  18. Tap Google Play Store.
  19. Tap Storage.
  20. Tap Clear data.
    Google Play Store in apps settings tap storage tap clear data.jpg
  21. Tap < back.
  22. Tap Google Play Services.
  23. Tap Storage.
  24. Tap Clear cache.
    Google Play Services in apps settings tap storage tap clear cache.jpg
  25. Re-open the Play Store app. Your kid should be able to download and update apps now!
My kid is 13 years old or older

Stop supervision

If your child is over 13 years old, stop supervision of their account. This will allow them to download apps on the Bark Phone. Google doesn't let parents stop supervision until their child turns 13. 

  1. On your parent phone or computer, open the family_link_logo.png Family Link app.
  2. Select your child.
  3. Tap Controls.
  4. Tap Account Settings.
  5. Tap Account Info.
  6. Tap Stop supervision.
  7. Follow the on-screen instructions.
  8. Then, on your kid's Bark Phone, open the ⚙ Settings app.
  9. Tap Accounts & Backup.
    Bark Phone Settings.jpg
  10. Tap Manage Accounts.
  11. Sign out of your kid's Google account if present.
  12. Tap ➕ Add account.
  13. Tap Google.
  14. Sign in with your kid's unsupervised Google account.
    Why does it say "Sign in with a work account"? Learn more.
  15. When you're done, you will see your kid's Google account signed in here:
    mceclip0.png
  16. Then, tap < back until you're at the home page of the Settings app.
  17. Tap Apps.

  18. Enter a device code, if prompted.

  19. Tap Google Play Store.
  20. Tap Storage.
  21. Tap Clear data.
    Google Play Store in apps settings tap storage tap clear data.jpg
  22. Tap < back.
  23. Tap Google Play Services.
  24. Tap Storage.
  25. Tap Clear cache.
    Google Play Services in apps settings tap storage tap clear cache.jpg
  26. Re-open the Play Store app. Your kid should be able to download and update apps now!

Other Errors on Google Play