Your Ultimate Guide to Parental Controls | 2023 Parental Control Guide

The internet can be a big, scary place, and the ways we can access it are endless.From smartphones to smart TVs, parents are finding it more and more difficult to limit and monitor their child’s internet usage and activities.The good news is that many of today’s popular internet-connected devices feature parental controls you can trust to do the job in your absence.

All you’ll need to know is where the settings are located and how to use them.  Take a look at some mainstream devices your child may be using and how you can set up a variety of controls, including content blocks and screen time limits.Operating systems Streaming Social media Gaming consoles Are parental controls effective? Preparing parental controls for streaming Each streaming service follows its own protocol for setting parental controls.Putting together parental controls for social media Keeping track of your child’s social media activity can curb the chance of cyberbullying.

It takes many forms online, like threats, rumors, compromising photos and more.In fact, “1 in 5 tweens (9-12 years old) have encountered cyberbullying in some form, mainly on social media apps like Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube and even some gaming apps,” according to cyberbullying.org.Creating parental controls for gaming consoles Parents can control games by rating and age and set spending limits with gaming console parental settings.

Xbox parental controls The family features on any Xbox device can help you control which games your children can play and even the types of content they can view.There is also a parental app for easy access.To access your Xbox parental controls: Press the Xbox button on the controller to open the menu Select Settings and then select All Settings Select Account and open Family In the Family menu, you’ll have the option to restrict content and websites by age.You may also restrict in-app purchases and downloads.  PlayStation parental controls Set parental locks for your child’s PlayStation at the user level or at a system-wide level for maximum security.To access your PlayStation’s parental controls:  Choose Settings and then select Parental Controls/Family Management Select Family Management, then either enter and pick a user to set restrictions on In the Family Management menu, you’ll be able to set monthly spending limits on user accounts and choose whether or not users can communicate with external players.

You’ll also be able to set age restrictions on game maturity ratings.Choose your restrictions and then set a four-digit passcode that only you know to prevent the settings from being changed.Nintendo Switch Nintendo Switch provides a parental app for you to watch your children’s time spent gaming, restrict certain games and more.

Select System Settings on the HOME Menu.Scroll down to highlight Parental Controls, then select Parental Controls Settings.You will be referred to the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app for smart devices, which offers additional options to restrict and monitor your child’s play activity.

Press the X Button and then select Next to continue without the smart device app.Select Restriction Level.Choose from preset restrictions by age or select Custom Settings to manually adjust the settings.

Select each setting that you want to adjust:Important: Nintendo eShop restrictions, including restriction of spending/purchases, must be set in the Nintendo Account settings.Restricted Software – Restrict software by age based on each game’s ESRB rating category.Select Restricted software, then choose the age you would like to restrict software for (6+, 13+, etc).

Additionally, videos captured using restricted software will not be viewable in the album.Software Rating Organization – Adjust the software rating organization that software restrictions are based on (ESRB, PEGI, etc).This defaults to the appropriate organization for your region.

Posting Screenshots/Videos to Social Media – Disable the ability to share images and videos from Nintendo Switch on social media.Toggle between Restricted or Not Restricted.Communicating with Others – Restrict open communication between users, including chat features and exchanging messages.

You can toggle between Restricted or Not Restricted for all software on the system, or adjust the settings for specific software.VR Mode (3D Visuals) – Restrict gameplay in VR mode.This option should be set to restricted if a child of 6 years or younger uses the console.

Toggle between Restricted or Not Restricted.Once the restrictions are set as you want them, select Save, then select OK to confirm.Choose a PIN number (between 4 and 8 digits long), then select OK.

If you use the Control Stick Input (default), each direction of the Control Stick is a number (1 – 8), the Y Button is 9, and the X Button is 0.If you would prefer to enter the PIN using a number pad, hold the (+) Button (Keypad Input) then use the onscreen number pad to enter your PIN.If there are children in the room that you don’t want to see the PIN, you can either undock the Nintendo Switch and enter the PIN in handheld mode or use the Control Stick Input.

Re-enter the PIN to confirm, then select OK.If you are having issues with the PIN confirmation, try using the Keypad Input to enter the PIN and/or select Show when entering it to display it on the screen.(Note that this will be visible to anyone in the room if you enter it while in TV Mode.) Are parental controls effective? Many parents look to these controls to be their eyes and ears when they’re unable to closely monitor a child’s online activities.

However, experts question the efficiency of these tools and whether or not the short-term benefits outweigh the long-term effects on the child.  In a study conducted by Bieke Zaman and Marije Nouwen, research found that most parental control tools focus on prevention and restricting behavior.Strict parental controls could cause the child to miss out on online opportunities, impede on the child’s rights and even harm their well-being.  “We don’t know whether parental controls really work! Previous research on the use of parental controls has not yet reached a conclusive answer on their effectiveness in reducing children’s online risks,” Zaman and Nouwen concluded.  If you do choose to enable parental controls on a child’s device, there are a few ways you can make sure positive changes are made: Don’t overprotect or control Do discuss parental control settings with your child  Don’t resort to punishment if your child accesses restricted content Do make your intentions for parental controls clear to your child Heavy restrictions and punishments could lead your child to conduct online activity in secret.Promote an open and understanding environment for you and your child to discuss what parental controls are in place and why.

Continue to facilitate discussion around the dangers of the web and how you’re helping keep the household and your child safe.   Follow our experts on Facebook or Twitter for new parental controls and more tips on how to help your child navigate the web safely.  Last updated 04/29/20.What to read next Read more Featured How increasing broadband access can increase voter turnout Joe Supan — 3 min read Featured 5 of the best parental control apps to keep your children safe online Robin Layton — 2 min read Featured Internet basics: A complete guide for older adults Robin Layton — 20 min read Latest Tuesday, November 25, 2025 Your ultimate guide to online parental controls Robin Layton — 5 min read Monday, November 24, 2025 Verizon will acquire Starry — here’s what it means for you Camryn Smith — 4 min read Monday, November 24, 2025 Americans are getting 298 Mbps in download speed, but are you? Robin Layton — 5 min read