How to Set Up Parental Controls Across Phones, Tablets, and Consoles
Every major platform has built-in parental controls now — the challenge isn’t finding the tools, it’s that each device has its own separate settings. Here’s where to look on each one.
iPhone and iPad: Screen Time
Settings > Screen Time > set up for a child. Lets you set app limits, downtime hours, content restrictions by age rating, and communication limits (who they can call or message). Managed through Apple’s Family Sharing, so changes sync across their devices.
Android phones and tablets: Google Family Link
A free app that covers app approval, screen time limits, location, and content filtering. Set up from a parent’s Google account and linked to the child’s account.
Windows: Microsoft Family Safety
Covers screen time, app/game age ratings, and web content filtering (including in Microsoft Edge), managed from a Microsoft account online rather than on the device itself.
Game consoles
PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch each have their own family/parental settings for spending limits, playtime, and content ratings by ESRB rating — set up through a family account tied to the child’s console profile, found in each console’s account settings.
The practical approach
Most families end up managing 2-3 of these rather than all of them, based on which devices the kids actually use. Start with whichever device gets the most daily use, and treat the settings as a starting point you’ll revisit as kids get older rather than a one-time setup.
