Compare / Screen Time and Family Link

Cove with Screen Time and Family Link

Apple Screen Time and Google Family Link come with your kids' devices, and they're the right place for screen time and app downloads. Cove adds what they don't: checked YouTube, websites kids can ask for, alerts about worrying searches, and kid-safe AI chat.

What each one covers

Checked against Screen Time and Family Link's own website in September 2026. Features marked experimental in Cove rely on outside services.

What you need	Cove	Screen Time and Family Link
Cost	Free in betaFree during the invite-only beta.	Built inScreen Time comes with iPhone, iPad and Mac. Family Link is free.
Screen time and app limits	Internet schedulesChoose when each app can reach the internet, plus daily video minutes. Experimental.	YesDowntime, app limits and requests for more time. This is where they're strongest.
Approving app downloads	Not in CoveCove doesn't control app installs.	YesAsk to Buy on Apple, and download approvals in Family Link.
Blocking websites	By category, per kidOur VPN app blocks categories of sites on each device, on any network. Experimental.	Built-in filtersApple can limit adult websites or allow only approved ones. Google says Family Link's filter applies in Chrome, not in other browsers.
When a kid needs a blocked site	They ask, with a reasonYour kid says why they need it, and you approve from an email or with a code. Reasons that don't fit come to you.	VariesIn Family Link, a kid can ask from Chrome and you approve in the app. Apple's help pages describe requests for more time, apps and contacts.
YouTube	Video by videoKids watch from channels you approve, and each video is checked before it plays.	App or account levelApple controls the app by age rating and time. Google offers a supervised YouTube account with content levels and blocking.
Alerts about worrying searches	Right awayCrisis words in searches, CoveAI or messages from a paired device email you at once.	Not describedNeither help center describes alerts about worrying searches. Both blur nude images in messages, on the device.
Kid-safe search	Built inFiltered search with shopping and junk removed, plus short answers.	Filters and SafeSearchFamily Link locks SafeSearch on. Apple's web filter can limit adult websites.
Location	OptionalFrom a paired device, only if you turn it on. Experimental.	YesFind My on Apple devices, and location in Family Link.

Where Screen Time and Family Link is the better fit

Screen time, downtime and app limits.
Approving app downloads and purchases.
Blurring nude images in messages, on the device.
Sharing location with the family.

Where Cove is the better fit

YouTube with each video checked, instead of all or nothing.
Websites your kids ask for, with their reason, from any network.
An email right away about worrying searches, and a short one each night.
Kid-safe search and an AI chat you control.

Setting them up together

Keep Screen Time or Family Link on, with a passcode only you know, so your kid can't delete the Cove VPN app or change its settings. Let them handle screen time, app limits and downloads, and let Cove handle search, YouTube, websites and alerts.

Common questions

Do I still need Screen Time or Family Link if I use Cove?

Yes. They're the right tools for screen time, app limits and approving downloads, and they keep your kid from deleting the Cove VPN app. Cove adds search, checked YouTube, website requests and alerts.

Does Family Link filter websites in every browser?

No. Google says Family Link's website filter applies in Chrome, and stops applying if a kid signs out of Chrome or uses another browser. Cove's VPN app filters the whole device.

Does Screen Time tell me about worrying searches?

Apple's help pages describe reports of time spent in apps and on websites, and nudity blurring in messages, but not alerts about worrying searches. Cove emails you right away.

Are Screen Time and Family Link free?

Screen Time comes with iPhone, iPad and Mac, and Google says Family Link is free. Cove is free during its invite-only beta.

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Cove is free during the invite-only beta.

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Screen Time and Family Link is a trademark of its owner. Cove isn't affiliated with or endorsed by Apple or Google. What's written about Screen Time and Family Link here comes from its public pages as of September 2026, and products change, so check their site for the latest.