Worried about your children’s Internet surfing? Do you want to set a time limit on when your child can use their PC? Are you worried that your child might be viewing inappropriate content?
Microsoft allows you to use Parental Control on Windows 11,10, 8, and 7 to get rid of this tension.
Internet is seeping into our lives with a speed of light and its horrors are increasing with it. Every one of us is linked to the internet in some way or another and now even kids have a lot to do with the internet. Parents are worried because the internet’s malicious content can harm their children’s morality and mentality. Also, not every time they can keep an eye on little ones to check what they are doing on their PCs.
The COVID-19 Pandemic brings an online Education System and children are spending more time on the PCs and in the company of the Internet. And every parent wants this company to be kid-friendly and clean of any malicious content. So, Microsoft decided to launch an in-built Parental control for its users to make their experience more family-friendly.
What are the various Windows 10 parental control options?
Windows 10 has a range of parental control options that can be used to keep your kids safe while they are online.
Windows 10 uses the Microsoft Family service to manage and monitor your child’s activity. You can set up a family in the Microsoft Family app and then add other family members, like your child. You can then manage the settings for each family member through the app. The Microsoft Family service also lets you manage settings for all of your kids from one place, like setting time limits on their screen time or limiting their access to certain apps or websites.
The Windows 10 Parental Controls give you more control over what your child experiences on their device. For example, you can set limits on what apps they use and when they’re allowed to use them. It also gives parents more control.
There are many ways to monitor your child’s activity on a Windows PC. You can use the Parental Controls available with Windows 10, you can install monitoring software or you could set up a parental control website and configure it to monitor your child’s activity on the computer.
Monitoring your child’s activity on your PC can be done in many ways. One way is Windows’s Inbuild Parental Control and the other option is to install Parental Control software that will show you the websites they visit, the apps they use, and what they type.
What is Microsoft Family?
Microsoft Family is a platform offered by Microsoft, aiming to keep your family safe from the horrors of the internet. Microsoft Family includes planning tools such as shared calendar, timings, and lists, parental controls, location tracking, and much more.
Features of Microsoft Parental Control In Windows 11 & 10
When you log in to your Microsoft device, it has in-built Family parental control and you can create your child’s account in it. The Microsoft Parental Control offers the following services to its users:
Screen Time Controls in Windows
Parents can Limit screen times in Windows 11/10 and Xbox One games through custom schedules.
Content Filtering
- Filtering inappropriate content from search results (mature/adult content).
- Provide parents with activity reports of web browsing, searches, app & games using time, and screen timings.
- Parents are able to set age restrictions on specific apps and Xbox One games as well.
- Microsoft Parental control allows parents to manage their child’s Microsoft wallet and online purchasing permissions from Microsoft stores.
- Block Adult content containing websites.
Location Tracking
Windows 10 Parental Control also allows parents to track children’s location on an Android device (with running Microsoft) or Windows 10 phone.
In this section, we will explain every step to set Parental control on Windows 10. First, you have to make your child’s Microsoft account to enable the parental control features.
How To Create Child Account on Windows 11/10
Follow the steps mentioned here to create your child’s account on Windows 10:
- Open the Settings of your Windows and select Accounts.
- Click on “Family & other users” from the left-hand settings panel.
- Then click on (+) Sign available next to “add a family member”.
- Click on Add a Child.
- Enter the email of your child’s Microsoft account and click Enter.
Here look at the picture guide from netnanny.com.
| Create Child’s Microsoft Account |
| ->If they don’t have an account, then click on “The person I want to add doesn’t have a Microsoft email address”. ->Type your child’s email address (or one you create for this purpose) and other information. ->Now put the password you choose for them and remember it in case you would want to change the setting sometime later. ->Uncheck the two boxes as shown in the pic. Microsoft will ask you to sign in to your own account for verification. ->Now confirm that your kid can have access to online services using this Microsoft account. These online services include Xbox gaming, Windows Store, and other Microsoft-based websites. ->In the next section, you will have to give you consent to allow access to any non-Microsoft apps (third-party) apps. Before this, the adult has to pay 0.50$ from an adult’s credit card for validation. ->Then complete set-up. You will see the pic at the end when your child’s Microsoft account is done. |
6- Confirm Email & Accept Parental Control Supervision
Now when your child’s account is set up. Visit the mail account of your child. If this is the new Microsoft account you will receive two emails. One email to verify their email address and the other to accept Parental Control supervision on their account. If they already have a Microsoft account, only the second email will be sent to their mail account.
7- Access To Parental Control Settings
Now when an adult has been verified as a child guardian, parent, or supervisor, it is time to set specific settings. Head to your Accounts menu in Settings.
Below the Family & Other People option, your child’s account and a new option to Manage Family Settings Online will be available.
8– Select Manage Family Settings Online. It will open the Microsoft Family parental control page in your browser.
9– Your parental control page would look like the one in the pic, with an entry for each of your children under your supervision.
10– The menu option on the right to set parental control limits and monitor your child’s activity.
How To Enable/Change Parental Control Settings
Once you have set Parental control, now is the time to set changes like specific web filtering, gaming/app usage, and Screen time. Here is how you can use Parental control on Windows 10 to secure your child’s internet surfing;
Manage Family Settings Online
Navigate through the following path: Start > Settings > Accounts > Family & Other People, and then select Manage Family Settings Online.
Screen Time Settings
Click on Screen time below your child’s name section. It will open the Screen Time tab. Then remove default settings and set your desired ones.
You can fix the certain times and select “Every day” from the drop to set the same screen time restriction on all days.
Content filters – Restrict Online Activities and App usage
Then go back and select More Options below your child’s name. Here select Content Restrictions. Activate the Block Inappropriate Apps & Games and Block Inappropriate Websites option. You can also add any specific apps or websites you wish to block or set an appropriate age rating.
How to block adult content in Windows 11 & 10?
You can switch on the “Filter inappropriate websites and searches” button, to block adult content. This button is located in the “Content Filtering” page of the Microsoft Family page.
Why you should block all other browsers except Microsoft Edge?
Most of the content filtering / restricting function only works when the kid is using Microsft Edge. So make sure that you disable all other browsers installed on the Kids PC is blocked using “Apps and games” settings. Alternatively, you can uninstall all other browsers so that you have better control.
How can I monitor my child’s activity on my Window PC?
The Content filtering page has an Activity section, here you can see daily search activities and visited websites.
- Activity – Recent Web search activity report
- Websites – List of Websites visited recently
- Filter Settings – Filter inappropriate websites and searches
- Only use allowed website – You can allow some websites, so that your kid will be allowed to visit those sites only.
How to allow or block Apps and games in Windows 11/10?
Here you can restrict apps and games based on age limit and through the manual block. By default, all known web browsers are on the blocked list, except Microsoft Edge.
After setting screen time and blocking malicious content now is the time to set activity reporting on your child’s Microsoft account. Select the Activity tab below your child’s name section and expand the Manage section.
Click Turn On Activity Reporting and Email weekly reports to me. This will send you weekly reports of your child’s online activities.
Why choosing other Parental control Apps when Windows have its own Microsoft Family feature?
Although Microsoft has launched its own Family safety parental control feature it is not enough to provide complete internet protection. Windows Parental only protects malicious content when the kid is on a windows browser. It does not provide a safe browsing experience on other browsing extensions like Google Chrome and Firefox.
The same goes for the online shopping experience. It does not secure an online shopping experience when done on platforms other than Windows Browser. To avoid this kind of issue and for better protection of your kid’s internet activity, there is other third-party Parental control software you can install on your windows.
What are some best Parental Control software?
Some best parental control software includes:
- Kaspersky Safe Kids
- FamiSafe Parental Control Software
- Qustodio Parental Control
- Net Nanny Parental Control
You can check out detailed review and features of each parental control software here at:
Best Parental Control Software for Windows, Android, and iOS.
To sum up, Windows Live Family Safety is good to protect your children from the internet’s malicious content but still, it is not good enough to compete with other third-party software. So, if you are looking for medium-level internet you must use parental control on Windows 10 as it is a good choice. But if you are looking for high-level security for your children, go for third-party software like Kaspersky, net nanny, and others.
How To Check Screen Time On Various Devices ?
Click Windows Start -> Go to Settings -> Select Accounts -> then click Family and Other Users
Here you can see “Manage Family Settings Online“, Select “”
Good post, thanks!
But if your child has local account in Windows 11 – internal parental control does not work. Why? (on W7 all was Ok)
Should I use others parental controls, eg Time Boss, Net Nanny or others?