HAFamily Link

Abstract

1. Introduction

[![GitHub Release][releases-shield]][releases] [![HACS][hacsbadge]][hacs] [![License][license-shield]][license]

Monitor and control Google Family Link from Home Assistant: screen time, device lock, bedtime and school time schedules, daily limits, communication restrictions, app blocking, time bonuses, and optional GPS location. Multiple children and multiple devices are supported out of the box.

The project ships two components that work together. The integration (custom_components/familylink/) polls Google's Family Link endpoints (every 60 seconds by default) and exposes entities and services. The auth service (familylink-playwright/) is a separate container running Chromium via Playwright: it performs the interactive Google login (2FA included) and hands the resulting session cookies to the integration, because Home Assistant's own container cannot run a browser. On Home Assistant OS / Supervised it installs as an add-on; everywhere else it runs as a standalone Docker container. When the Google session expires, you log in again in the auth service's web UI and the integration picks up the fresh cookies automatically.

2. Objective

Control your children's Android devices through Google Family Link directly from Home Assistant. Monitor screen time, set daily limits, manage bedtime and school schedules, and grant bonus time - all from your dashboard.

This project demonstrates how Python can be applied to a real-world Internet of Things (IoT) problem.

4. Technology Stack

5. System Requirements

General requirements for this technology stack — check the README for exact versions.

• Python 3.8 or later
• pip / virtualenv for dependencies
• VS Code, PyCharm or Jupyter Notebook
• Git (to clone the repository)

6. Installation & Setup

git clone https://github.com/noiwid/HAFamilyLink.git
cd HAFamilyLink

1. Set up authentication.
2. Home Assistant OS / Supervised: add this repository as an add-on repository, install and start the Google Family Link Auth add-on, then complete the Google login through its web UI.
3. Home Assistant Core / Container (no Supervisor): run the standalone auth container instead. See DOCKER_STANDALONE.md.
4. Install the integration via HACS (recommended) or manually.
5. Add it: Settings > Devices & Services > Add Integration > search for "Family Link". Auto-detect finds the add-on by itself; standalone users choose manual URL configuration and enter the container's URL.

Full setup instructions are in the project README.

7. Future Enhancements

Suggested extensions you can add to make this your own project.

• Add a mobile dashboard using Blynk or Firebase
• Store readings in a cloud database for history charts
• Add alerts via SMS / Telegram when thresholds are crossed

8. Viva / Review Questions

Common questions examiners ask for projects in this domain.

1. Which microcontroller / board and sensors are used and why?
2. How does the device send data (Wi-Fi, MQTT, HTTP, Bluetooth)?
3. Where is the sensor data stored and visualised?
4. How is power consumption managed?
5. How would you secure the device and its communication?

9. Source Code & License

This project is developed by noiwid and published on GitHub under the MIT License. Please follow the license terms and credit the original author when you use or modify this code.