Google Family Link is the default answer when a parent searches for parental controls — and on a phone or a family-owned laptop, it's a solid choice. But on a school-managed Chromebook, parents keep running into the same walls. Here's an honest comparison for the specific problem of YouTube eating homework time.
The core difference
Family Link is built to manage a device and account you own. A school Chromebook is owned and managed by the district, signed into a school account. That mismatch is where the friction starts.
Homework Mode doesn't try to manage the whole device. It does one thing well: decide, video by video, whether YouTube content is school-related — and block what isn't.
Side by side
| Google Family Link | Homework Mode | |
|---|---|---|
| Works on a school-managed account | Often can't be added | Yes — installs in the browser |
| Tells homework videos from entertainment | No (blocks all of YouTube or none) | Yes — allows school videos, blocks the rest |
| Blocks the YouTube feed & shorts | All-or-nothing | Yes, always |
| Setup | Account-level, can be fiddly on school devices | Two minutes, sign in once |
| Per-video override | No | Yes |
| Log of what was allowed/blocked | Limited | Yes, on your own dashboard |
| Built specifically for school Chromebooks | No | Yes |
When Family Link is still the right tool
If you're managing your kid's personal phone or a family-owned laptop — screen-time limits, app approvals, location — Family Link is genuinely good and free. Many families use it alongside Homework Mode.
When you want Homework Mode
If the problem is specifically "the school Chromebook keeps turning into YouTube during homework," Homework Mode is built for exactly that. It allows the videos a teacher would assign, blocks the rabbit hole, and shows you a log of every decision — without needing district permissions or full control of the device.
For the bigger picture, see what you can actually control on a school Chromebook, or just go block YouTube on the school Chromebook.
Try it free for 14 days, no card required, and watch the block list fill up before you decide.
Frequently asked questions
Does Google Family Link work on a school Chromebook?
Often not. School Chromebooks use a district-managed account that usually won't accept a Family Link profile, so the controls you'd expect on a personal device aren't available.
What's the difference between Family Link and Homework Mode?
Family Link manages a whole device and account you own (screen time, apps, location). Homework Mode does one thing on a school device: tell schoolwork YouTube from entertainment and block the rest.
Can I use both together?
Yes. Many families run Family Link on a personal phone or laptop and use Homework Mode on the school Chromebook for the YouTube-during-homework problem.