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 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
Supplementing Windows Parental Controls with Third-Party Apps
Using a third-party parental control app like Safes can help supplement the shortcomings of built-in parental control settings. Safes is available on iOS, Android, Windows, and MacOS. With Safes you can:
- Set screen time limits for individual apps
- Implement smart schedules for each app
- Filter websites on multiple browsers
- Block specific keywords on search engines
- Track your child’s live location
- Be notified when your child has searched a blocked keyword or searched a blocked website
- Instantly block your child’s apps at the press of a button
How to Set Up Safes for Windows
After downloading Safes for Windows on your child’s device, open the installer and click “install.” After installation is complete, click “Start Now.” You’ll be asked to enter a pairing code.
Now it’s time to install Safes on your own phone. Safes family is available both for iOS and Android. You can also access Safes Family through your browser using our web panel. Simply sign up to gain access to our features.
Whether you’ve installed the Safes app on your phone or used our web panel, you’ll be able to add your child at the press of a button. When adding your child, you’ll be given a pair code. This is the code you must enter into the Safes Kid app installed on your child’s Windows device. Now your child’s device is paired, and all the features mentioned above, and more, are unlocked.
All Set for Your Kids’ Digital Wellbeing
Safes offers everything you need to create a safe and distraction-free digital experience for your kids
• Multi-Platform Monitoring
With Safes, you can remotely monitor and control a diverse array of devices and operating systems, not just windows 10. Apart from Windows, Safes supports all devices running on iOS, Android, and macOS.
• Detailed Activity Reports
Learn all about your kids’ digital behavior within seconds. Safes activity reports covers several bases, including screen time, app and social media usage, and blocked content requests.
• Screen Time Management
Set a screen time limit or create a smart day-to-day schedule to protect your kids from sleep disorders, excessive and harmful screen time, and distractions.
• Website Content Filtering
Block out inappropriate web content like violence, hate speech, and pornography. You can do this based on specific websites, content categories, or keywords. This feature is available for all browsers including Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome.
• App & Video Game Block
Protect your kids from inappropriate, distracting, or addictive apps. You can block, limit, or schedule your kid’s access to any app — like video games or social media — with our control app for Windows 10.
• Science-based Profiles
Safes simplifies your monitoring process by suggesting profiles that apply psychologist-recommended rules and limits based on your child’s age.
• Uninstall Protection
Don’t worry about your kid bypassing your rules. Safes uninstall protection ensures only you can remove the app from your child’s device
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have any questions? We’re here to help!
Safes parental control supports all Windows 10 and Windows 11 versions.
No. We analyzed the loopholes in Microsoft Family Safety that allows kids to bypass parental controls and covered them. You can rest assured that Safes parental controls will stay in place.
Yes. You can add specific website URLs to your block list or block them based on categories and keywords.
Yes. But only parents can add exceptions to disable Safes functions.
Yes. Safes offers detailed reports on your kids’ usage habits on their computer. You can review the reports through your Safes web panel or parental mobile app.
