Symptoms
The symptom can be described precisely as follows: Google Family Link Location Updates for One Child but Never for the Other. A comparison under controlled conditions matters more than a one-time error banner.
Compare permission, location services and power state on each child's device. Record which side succeeds, which fails, the app or device model, and the approximate time. A paired observation prevents a setting change on the wrong device or account.
Also note what still works. A successful related feature is a useful control case: it means that at least one part of the family workflow is functioning and the fault may be narrower than a complete outage.
Why It Happens
Family management tools separate organizer authority, child-device enforcement, purchase eligibility and app-specific permissions. Seeing an approval on the parent phone does not prove that the exact child profile and device have accepted it.
There are at least three different explanations worth separating before changing settings. Treat each as a testable hypothesis, not a confirmed diagnosis.
- Possibility 1: The setting belongs to a different family member, device or account.
- Possibility 2: A second restriction or content eligibility rule takes precedence.
- Possibility 3: The supervised device has not received a cloud policy change or is running an offline local rule.
Before Making Changes
Do not remove a child account, disable safety filters globally, share passwords or reset the supervised device as an early step. Keep the organizer’s recovery access and any school-managed rules intact.
Write down the current setting values and the account or device selected. If the problem involves a file, save an unmodified copy. If it involves a shared account, ask the owner before altering permissions.
Prepare a harmless comparison before making changes: Compare permission, location services and power state on each child's device. Keep all other variables unchanged. If the comparison cannot be performed safely, skip it and collect a screenshot or status readout instead.
Problem-Specific Diagnosis
Use the following tests in order. Do not interpret a clue as proof until you have a repeatable comparison.
| Targeted check | Interpretation | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Compare permission, location services and power state on each child's device. | If only one route or context fails, prioritize its configuration or content path. | Enable location sharing for the intended supervised account and verify the correct device is selected. |
| Repeat the same operation using a supported alternate device, profile, input or app without changing the original. | If the alternate path works, the failure is likely confined to the first client or environment. | Inspect the first client’s settings and access rights; do not rebuild the entire environment. |
| Restore the original test condition and check the outcome a second time. | If the failure follows the condition twice, the comparison is more reliable than a random successful retry. | Inspect device ownership, multiple signed-in profiles and battery restrictions with consent. |
What the comparison means: if compare permission, location services and power state on each child's device gives different results, do not immediately infer that the file, network or device is damaged. The difference narrows the investigation to a feature boundary and tells you where to look next.
A good first correction is deliberately limited in scope: Enable location sharing for the intended supervised account and verify the correct device is selected. It should be tested before attempting deeper measures because it can distinguish an incorrect preference from a more serious compatibility or permission problem.
The deeper path is not a repeat of that correction. Inspect device ownership, multiple signed-in profiles and battery restrictions with consent. It investigates a second layer only after the simple comparison has failed to account for the observation.
Choose Your Fix: Beginner or Advanced
Use Beginner to isolate a reversible user-level setting. Use Advanced only if the first comparison leaves the failure unexplained. The advanced path investigates different components and is not a mandatory second half of the fix.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
Select Beginner for reversible first checks or Advanced to isolate a different cause.
Observe the exact failure
Compare permission, location services and power state on each child's device. Open the affected feature in its normal context and record one successful and one failing observation if available. Write down the current input, account, or file path before touching a setting.
Check the user-facing setting
Enable location sharing for the intended supervised account and verify the correct device is selected. Use the named application or device control rather than a third-party repair utility. If the option is absent, do not invent a replacement menu path; check product support first.
Repeat with one variable changed
Apply only that reversible change, then repeat the original comparison: Compare permission, location services and power state on each child's device. Record whether the result differs from the untouched baseline. Avoid restarting everything at once.
Confirm and save the working state
Both family views show current locations after a permitted movement test. Check that previously working tasks still work. Keep a screenshot or short note of the original and new values so the change can be undone later.
Identify the subsystem boundary
Inspect device ownership, multiple signed-in profiles and battery restrictions with consent. First determine whether the discrepancy belongs to the local client, source data, or service. This goes beyond the initial user-facing preference check.
Test the competing explanation
Investigate whether a second restriction or content eligibility rule takes precedence. Make a second comparison with a supported alternative while maintaining the same account or file content; do not swap several variables simultaneously.
Review constraints and evidence
Inspect whether the supervised device has not received a cloud policy change or is running an offline local rule. Check documented policy, protocol or device capability rather than assuming a missing option is an error. Note exact versions and results, but never reveal passwords or recovery keys.
Apply a scoped correction or escalate
If tests identify the responsible layer, change only its documented setting and repeat the verification: Both family views show current locations after a permitted movement test. If tests remain inconclusive, restore the baseline and pass the evidence to authorized support.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Assuming the problem has only one cause. In this case, the setting belongs to a different family member, device or account is just one possibility.
- Making several changes together, which destroys the ability to identify which one helped.
- Confusing a successful status icon, download or approval with proof that the actual physical or account outcome succeeded.
- Deleting originals or bypassing device, security or sharing restrictions before proving which layer is at fault.
How to Verify the Fix
Both family views show current locations after a permitted movement test.
Run the same small test at least twice. Record the result after a normal app restart or device reconnection as appropriate; a single success immediately after changing a setting can be misleading.
Check the related feature that worked before the fix. It should still work. If resolving google Family Link Location Updates for One Child but Never for the Other breaks that previously healthy feature, revert the last change and isolate the conflict.
If the Problem Continues
If the symptom remains, move from the first reversible fix to a narrower investigation: Inspect device ownership, multiple signed-in profiles and battery restrictions with consent.
Collect the exact model, operating-system or app version, a short timeline, error text if one is actually displayed, and the two comparison results. Share only non-sensitive screenshots; redact names, addresses, recovery codes, payment details and private files.
For an unsupported feature, licensed document, school-managed account or hardware defect, contact the relevant service provider or authorized support. Avoid repeated resets when tests already isolate a hardware or entitlement boundary.
Prevent Recurrence
Keep a short note of the successful configuration and the test that proved it: Both family views show current locations after a permitted movement test.
After firmware, app, router or account changes, repeat the same harmless check before assuming the old behavior still applies. Preserve relevant backups, labels and original settings.
Use documented device features and permission scopes. A stable, reversible configuration is preferable to one that requires disabling important protections.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an approved family setting be overridden by another restriction?
Not necessarily. A second restriction or content eligibility rule takes precedence. The useful comparison here is: Compare permission, location services and power state on each child's device.
Is removing supervision a safe troubleshooting step?
No broad destructive action is needed for the first check. Enable location sharing for the intended supervised account and verify the correct device is selected. Keep the original data or permissions available for rollback.
How can the organizer verify the correct child device?
The observable pass condition is: Both family views show current locations after a permitted movement test. Repeat the test under the original failing condition and preserve the result for later comparison.
Solution Checklist
Use this checklist to confirm the comparison, safe change and successful result.