Complete Guide to Setting Up Windows Parental Controls: Protecting Your Child in the Digital World
As of May 2023, according to Statcounter, Windows dominates 74.89% of the desktop operating system market share. According to Microsoft, the company behind Windows, 1.4 billion people use Windows 10 or 11 worldwide. Arguably, a large portion of Windows users are children who need guidance. Microsoft, like many other tech companies, understood the need for parents to protect their children in a digital world. That’s why they’ve included parental controls in their latest Windows entries. Read on to understand how to enable Windows 10 parental controls and how to use the various features it provides.
How to Enable Windows 10 Parental Controls
First, you have to add your child to your family group. Follow these steps:
- Go to the Windows Start Menu > Select “Settings” > “Accounts.”
- Choose “Family & other users” > “Add a family member.”
- Enter the email linked to your child’s Microsoft account and sign in with it.
- If your child doesn’t have a Microsoft account, click “Create one for a child.”
- Enter the email address you want for your child.
- Fill in the required information such as country, region, your child’s first and last name, and their birthdate. Afterward, choose a password.
- Sign in with your child’s Microsoft account.
- Agree to the terms & conditions and give consent for your child’s Microsoft account.
- Go to your email inbox and, in the confirmation email that Microsoft has sent, click on “Connect a device.”
Connecting Your Child’s Devices to Their Microsoft Account
After enabling Windows 10 Parental Controls, it’s time to manage the specific settings for your child’s device. To manage Windows parental control, follow these steps:
- Go to the Windows Start Menu > Click on “Settings” > “Accounts” > “Family & other users” > “Manage family settings online”
- Here, in your family settings, you’ll see every child’s profile that you’ve added. To change the settings for each child individually, select the three dots at the top-right corner. Then select “Go to overview”
- Here you can see all the available parental control settings on Windows 10. Select “How to connect a device”
- Choose an option, “Windows 10 Device”, “Xbox Consoles”, “Android Phones”, or “iPhones”
- After selecting the type of device your child uses, follow the instructions. You’ll have to download the Microsoft Family Safety app for iPhones and Android Phones, either using the QR code or the link provided.
If you’re still having trouble setting up Windows parental controls, you can watch our video guide on the subject:
If you’re looking for a more comprehensive and flexible solution, consider a third-party parental control solutions like Safes
What Features Do Windows 10 Parental Controls Provide?
The features provided with Windows 10 Parental Controls are categorized into three main sections: Screen time, Content filter, and Spending.
Screen Time on Windows 10
You can set screen time limits on your child’s devices. These limits can be specific to each device, or you can set a schedule that spans across all devices connected to your child’s account.
The screen time limits can also be adjusted for each specific app or game instead of individual devices. This means that you can set a schedule for one game and a different schedule for another.
Content Filter on Windows 10
Windows 10 parental controls grant you the ability to filter content that your child searches on Microsoft Edge. You can block specific keywords so that your child can’t search for them. You can also specify websites as exceptions to the rule.
Regarding apps and games, the parental controls allow you to restrict your child’s apps and games based on their age rating. Microsoft blocks some apps for your child by default, but you can change these.
Spending on Windows 10
In the spending section, you can add money to your child’s account balance. There’s also the option to add credit cards. If you feel the need, toggle the “Require approval for every purchase” on.
Limitations and Shortcomings of Windows Parental Controls
With all its wonderful features, Windows 10 parental controls has some serious shortcomings. These include:
- Lack of support for Android tablets, and non-Windows computers
- Keyword web filtering only works on Microsoft Edge, specifically on Bing, Microsoft’s search engine
- The app blocking on Windows only works on Store apps
- The iOS app is limited in features
Safes — All-Around Parental Control Application for Windows 10
Safes is a parental control app for Windows 10 that helps you create a safer digital presence for your children. We’ve covered the loopholes in the built-in Family Safety parental control and created a solution that is both more comprehensive and more flexible
Conclusion
Windows 10 parental controls are a great way to get started if you want to keep your child safe in the digital realm. It has great features that work well, especially on Windows devices or if your child has an Xbox. But if you want to have access to more tools that can work across multiple devices and platforms, Safes is for you. Overall, the point is that your child is kept safe, and we think Safes is the best option on the market to do exactly that.
