How to setup Parental Controls on Gaming Consoles, smartphones, and PCs

All devices have parental controls that help block websites, apps and other content while limiting the total time spent. These settings can also be applied to your WiFi router so that none of the devices connected to your home’s internet can access the parts of the internet you don’t want them to, although the process for setting them up varies for each router. Therefore, parental controls can be set up on individual devices using simple methods.

With very attractive prices on gadgets, consoles, cell phones and computer parts recently during Black Friday and Holiday sales, children received new electronic gifts. Parents need to know how to block and filter out inappropriate content and protect their children from the vastness of the Internet.

Setting up parental controls on all devices that children have access to

Game consoles

On PlayStation 4 and 5, you can set up Family Management features and add up to seven members. In contrast, parents set themselves up as family managers and adjust parental controls for each member.

To enable parental controls on PlayStation 4 and 5, follow the steps below:

• Go to settings.
• Select Family and parental controls.
• Select Family Management.
• You can add your child’s user profile by entering their name and date of birth.
• Next, you need to select their access level and allow or prohibit the use of PSVR and the Internet browser.

On Xbox One and Series X|S, parents can set up Family Settings to monitor their children’s screen time, set specific limits, set age restrictions, prohibit online activities, and more. To do it :

• Press the Xbox button while on the home screen.
• Select Profile and system.
• Select Settings.
• Select Account.
• Select Privacy and online safety.
• Select Xbox Privacy.
• Choose either Child, Teen or Adult default settings.
• After that, you can customize it further by choosing View details and customize.

Parents can also download the Xbox Family Settings app, available on iOS and Android, and sign in with the same account as their game console to have more control over their children’s usage.

Smartphones

On iOS deviceswhich includes iPhones and iPads, parents can set up controls to limit the features of these devices, such as downloads, purchases and restrictions on explicit content.

This can be done by following the following steps:

• Go to the iOS device’s settings.
• Select Screen Time.
• Select Turn on Screen Time.
• Select “This is my child’s device.”
• After that, you can set a password to prevent another family member from changing the settings.
• Select Content and Privacy Restrictions in the same menu and turn them on.
• You can now set age-related restrictions for apps, books and media content.

On Android devices, parental controls can be set up by downloading the Google Family Link app from the Play Store. Parents can adjust the parameters for their children’s devices, restrict various content, approve or disapprove apps, and set screen times.

• After downloading the Google Family Link app to your child’s Android device, sign in with their account and add your account as the parent/guardian. You can now review all the apps installed on the device and remove any of them if you want.
• Next, you’ll be prompted to enable the Profile Manager, which allows you to set password rules, monitor screen unlock attempts, lock the screen, set screen lock, set storage encryption, disable cameras, and more.

Now download the Google Family Link app from the Play Store and sign in. Using the app, you can set all the parental controls available from your device on your child’s.

Windows computer

On Windows 10 and 11you can set up parental controls to set screen time, protect your kids online, track online activity, and more.

Follow the steps below to set up controls on your Windows device/s:

• Open the Settings app
• Go to Accounts
• Select Family and other users
• Add a family member and enter your child’s account details.
• Then download the Microsoft Family Safety app on your smartphone, which is available on iOS and Android.
• Sign in with the same account as your Windows computer and set yourself up as the parent/guardian
• You will now be able to review all available safety options and restrict your child’s device usage accordingly.