Hi there! I understand you're seeing a black screen on your child's phone even after the time limit has ended in Google Family Link, is that right? Could you tell me a bit more about the device your child is using? Also, when this black screen appears, does it say anything specific like "Time's Up," or is it just a blank black screen? And have you tried any steps so far to resolve this?

This info will help me guide you better!

its a samsung galaxy, the screen goes black

Thanks for sharing that it’s a Samsung Galaxy and the screen goes black after the time limit ends. Let’s work through some steps to try and resolve this:

1. Restart the Child’s Phone: First, have you already tried simply restarting the child’s phone? Sometimes a reboot can reset the display and clear any temporary glitches.

2. Manually Unlock and Re-lock via Parent’s Family Link App: On your parent device using Family Link, try manually locking the child’s phone and then unlocking it. This can reset the screen timeout state and might clear the black screen condition shown when time is up.

3. Clear Cache and Data of Family Link and Google Play Services on the Child’s Device:
- On the child’s phone, go to Settings > Apps > Google Family Link for children & teens.
- Tap Storage, then tap Clear Cache and Clear Data.
- Do the same for Google Play Services.
- After that, reboot the phone and check if the screen still goes black after time limit ends.

4. Check for Software Updates:
- On the child’s Samsung device, go to Settings > Software update and check if any system update is available. Sometimes bugs with screen behavior get fixed with updates.

5. Adjust Screen Timeout Settings on the Child’s Phone:
- Go to Settings > Display > Screen timeout and set a longer duration temporarily to see if that changes the behavior.

6. If none of these work, please let me know if the black screen prevents any operation (can you still swipe or press buttons?) or if the phone is completely frozen on black. This will help determine if we’re dealing with a Family Link app-specific issue or a device malfunction.

There’s also a helpful video guide on resolving Family Link black screen issues that might give some additional insights: Fix Google Family Link App Black Screen Problem 1.

Would you like to try these steps one by one and let me know how it goes? That way I can help narrow down the fix faster.

the black screen prevents any operation, I can you still swipe or press buttons, but the screen quickly turns black after 1 second

Thanks for that extra detail—it sounds like the phone is quickly going black after just a second, but you can still swipe or press buttons briefly. This suggests the screen is not completely frozen but is being forced into a black screen state right after the time limit ends.

This is a known glitch some Samsung Galaxy devices experience with Family Link’s time limit enforcement. Here’s what I recommend next:

1. Manually Lock and Unlock the Child’s Phone from the Parent Device
Using your Family Link app on your phone (the parent’s device), try this:
- Lock the child’s device manually via Family Link.
- Wait a few seconds.
- Unlock it again remotely.
This can sometimes reset the screen state and get the phone out of the forced black screen1.

2. Clear Cache and Data for Family Link and Google Play Services on the Child’s Phone
Since the screen blacking out is related to Family Link control, clearing cache/data helps remove any corrupted temporary data:
- Open Settings > Apps > Google Family Link for children & teens.
- Tap Storage > Clear Cache, then Clear Data.
- Repeat for Google Play Services.
- Restart the phone after this step.

3. Check for System and App Updates
- On the child’s Samsung device, check Settings > Software update for any pending Android updates.
- Open Google Play Store and check for updates to Google Family Link apps (both parent and child apps). Updating may fix known bugs.

4. Temporarily Adjust Screen Timeout Settings
On the child’s phone, go to Settings > Display > Screen timeout and set a longer timeout to prevent quick blackouts as a test.

5. If still unresolved, consider uninstalling and reinstalling the Family Link app on the child’s device. This can clear deeper app-level conflicts3.

If the issue persists after these steps, and the screen blacking out prevents using the phone normally, it might be necessary to reach out directly to Google Family Link support via [email protected] for more advanced help.

Let me know if you want me to help guide you through any of these steps! Are you satisfied with this plan so far?