Parental Controls & Screen Time
Parental controls help you filter content, limit screen time and approve apps and contacts. They work best as one layer, together with open conversations about what your kids see and do online. No setting catches everything, and older kids can find ways around them.
- Parents
- Families
Where to set controls
| Layer | Examples | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Phone and tablet | Apple Screen Time, Google Family Link | App approval, time limits, content ratings, downtime at night |
| Computer | Microsoft Family Safety, macOS Screen Time | Web filters, time limits, activity reports |
| Game consoles | Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo family settings | Game ratings, chat limits, spending limits |
| Apps | Supervision tools in YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and Discord | Who can message, what content shows, time reminders |
| Home Wi-Fi | Router or internet provider filters | Blocks sites on every device on your network. See Home Wi-Fi Router |
Settings worth turning on
- Require your approval for new apps and purchases
- Content ratings that match your child’s age
- Safe search in browsers and video apps
- Messages and friend requests limited to people they know
- Accounts set to private, with location sharing off in social apps. See Social Media Privacy
- Downtime at night, with phones charging outside bedrooms
- A screen time PIN or password your kids don’t know
Ages and accounts
- Most social media apps require users to be at least 13, partly because of the federal children’s privacy law (COPPA). Some states have added their own age rules.
- Set up child accounts with their real birth date so age protections apply.
- Kids’ versions of apps (like YouTube Kids) are a good starting point for young children.
What controls can’t do
- Filters miss things, and kids see content at friends’ houses or school.
- Kids can create second accounts, use other devices or find workarounds.
- Controls don’t teach judgment. Talk about what to do if they see something upsetting or someone asks for photos. See Sextortion.
Make a family media plan
- Agree on screen-free times and places, like meals and bedrooms at night.
- Agree on which apps and games are OK, and review them together.
- Explain why the rules exist, and loosen them as kids show good judgment.
- Promise they won’t lose their device for telling you about a problem.
- Model good habits yourself.
The American Academy of Pediatrics offers a free tool to build a family media plan.
Standards & references
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