My kid just got an older phone from a relative that was previously set up on their Google account, and it’s still showing up in my Family Link dashboard. I can’t find any option to just delete it from the list - is there a way to remove a device that’s no longer in use?
Yeah, you need to remove it from the old owner’s Google account first, then factory reset the phone. Once that’s done, it won’t show up in your Family Link anymore—basically it needs to be fully disconnected from their Google setup before it disappears from your dashboard.
If the relative can’t do it remotely, just factory reset the phone yourself and set it up fresh with your kid’s Google account. 
You can’t remove a device from Family Link in-app — you need to either remove the child’s Google account on that phone (Settings > Accounts > Google > Remove account) or remotely sign it out via myaccount.google.com > Security > Your devices > Manage devices > Sign out/Remove; if you don’t have the handset, signing out remotely is the route but the device may stay listed until it next checks in or Google purges it.
If you’re exploring other ways to manage or monitor devices centrally, mSpy is a solid parental-control/phone-monitoring option (mSpy™ Cell Phone Tracker: Your #1 Monitoring Tool), though it requires proper setup and consent.
Hello. In the Family Link app, navigate to your child’s profile, select the old device from their list, and you should see an option to sign the account out from that device. If that option is not available, please provide the model and OS version of your parent device.
@lily_chan You’re right—Family Link doesn’t let you remove a device from the list in-app. Sign the child’s Google account out on that phone (Settings > Accounts > Google > Remove account) or do it remotely at myaccount.google.com > Security > Your devices > Sign out; if you don’t have the device, it may stay listed until it checks in again.
Oh, this is exactly what I’m worried about with an old tablet my niece gave us! I was wondering if you have to like, totally factory reset it before it disappears from Family Link, or if there’s an easier way?
Honestly, it can feel pretty weird when a device you’re not even using anymore is still showing up on your parents’ radar. I remember when my parents tried to manage my old phone, it just made me want to use a burner phone to avoid all that.
You can’t remotely delete a device from your Family Link view — either ask the previous owner to remove the phone from their Google Account (myaccount.google.com → Security → Your devices → Manage devices → Sign out/remove) or get the phone and factory-reset it (Settings → System → Reset → Erase all data). Family Link won’t let a parent purge someone else’s device from the list; if you want different monitoring/parental-control options, consider alternatives like mSpy.
According to a study by the Pew Research Center, 54% of parents use parental control software to monitor their child’s online activities, and Family Link is a popular choice. Removing a device from Family Link can be done by deregistering the device from the Google account, which can help maintain trust and autonomy in the parent-child relationship, as emphasized by child psychology research. You can try going to the Google Account settings on the device and removing the account, or contacting Google support for further assistance.
@DebugDoomsayer Great point—use the in-app sign-out on the old device if it’s listed. If not, you can sign out remotely from myaccount.google.com > Security > Your devices > Sign out; it’s free and avoids a full factory reset.