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Sophos Mobile Security web filtering with Google Family Link cannot be enabled on a child's device

On two devices, a Galaxy S4 running Lineage OS 14.1 and Galaxy S5 running standard android 6.01, when you install Sophos Mobile security alongside Google's Family Link for children's devices, you are unable to enable the web filtering. 

When clicking the enable slider, it immediately returns to the off position, it doesn't prompt to enable the sophos accessibility service, nor does it bring you to the accessibility settings.

If you manually enable the sophos accessibility service, you are still unable to turn on the filtering service.

 

Has anyone else had this experience, and/or been able to turn on the filtering?

 

With thanks,
Liam



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Parents
  • I have the exact same issue. In my case the child's device (managed by Google FamilyLink) is a fully updated Samsung J5. Previously this was working, but we just did a factory reset of the phone to fix something else, and after reinstalling everything I have the exact behaviour described above, where the toggle switch for Web Filtering just flips immediately back to the off state. Manually enabling Accessibility Service doesn't help.

    To me this is a fairly major bug. One of the prime use-cases for Web Filtering is surely to protect child devices, and FamilyLink is one of the most popular ways to manage child devices, so this must be affecting a lot of people.

  • Hi  

    Sophos Mobile Control is an EMM solution to manage mobile devices. Google has its own version (with fewer features) for personal use- FamilyLink. 

    2 Mobile management softwares, when running together, will create issues. So this is not a bug in the product, but rather a conflict between those 2 applications. Sophos Mobile Control is not designed to be used alongside with another mobile device management solution. My recommendation is to uninstall FamilyLink and use Sophos Mobile Control solely as it has more features and can do the things FamilyLink can do. 

    Thanks,
    Yashraj Singha
    Manager | Global Community Support
    Are you a Sophos Partner? | Product Documentation | @SophosSupport | Sign up for SMS Alerts
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  • Hi Yashraj,

    To say that Sophos EMM has more control may be true, but it's not geared towards parents controlling their child's devices.

    i.e. i cannot control the child device from my parent phone using Sophos, unlike Google's FamilyLink, approving or preventing unauthorized play store installs, setting screen time etc.

    If i am wrong, then please show me where this can be completed, bearing in mind that FamilyLink is a 100% free product.

     

    Finally, Quantumdot, i did follow this up with Google also, and they checked into it for me. They also state it's because they have their own filtering, the two won't work side by side:

    Quote from Google:

    Thank you for your response and for your patience whilst we investigate this issue. Upon checking it shows that the app should work as intended. Since Family Link has its own filtering, It allows the user to allow or block websites on the child device. A different filtering list / method would interfere with the regular functioning of the Family Link app.

    I've tested and it does appear to work, it's just unfortunate it's not as granular as what Sophos offers.

    Cheers,

    Liam

  • Hi  

    As I said earlier, these are 2 different products which have different use cases so there won't be any feature parity. You can block applications from starting up. 

    If you wish to see the other features implemented in Sophos Mobile, please submit a feature request

    Thanks,
    Yashraj Singha
    Manager | Global Community Support
    Are you a Sophos Partner? | Product Documentation | @SophosSupport | Sign up for SMS Alerts
    If a post solves your question, please use the "Verify Answer" button.
    The New Home of Sophos Support Videos!  Visit Sophos Techvids
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