How to Set Up Parental Controls in Windows 10

Parental controls for computers running Windows 10 allow you to monitor and manage the activity of your Microsoft Family group.

How Parental Controls Work

Parental controls are set up and managed using Microsoft accounts. As the parent, your Microsoft account will be used to create and add family members to your Microsoft Family group. Each member of the household must use their Microsoft account, or have one created for them at the time things are configured. There are two types of accounts that can be added to your Family group:

Benefits of Parental Controls

In order to proceed, your computer needs to be logged into a Microsoft Account. If you use any of the following services, you may already have a Microsoft Account:

To Check If You Use a Local or Microsoft Account

1. Click on the start menu.
   
2. Click on Settings.
   
3. Click on Account.
   
4. Check to see if you are using a Microsoft account, or a Local account:
• Signed into a Microsoft account.
  
• Signed into a Local account.
  

To add someone to your Family group, that family member will need to have a Microsoft account. If they have ever used any of the following services, they may already have a Microsoft account. If not, a Microsoft account can be created during set up.

To Add a Family Member to Your Family Group

1. Click Family & other users.
   
2. Click Add a family member.
   
3. Choose whether you are adding a child or an adult.
   

   Adult accounts cannot have child restrictions placed on the account. They can be used to validate a purchase for a child.

   

1. Enter your Microsoft username and press Next.
   
2. Confirm you have the right email address and click Confirm.
   
3. You will get a verification that an invitation was sent. Click Close.
   
4. Check the email for the account you just invited for an invitation and click Accept Invitation.
   

Now that you have created your Family group, you are free to set up or manage any child account's restrictions. We can help demonstrate any of the following features:

You can restrict members of your Family group from being able to log into certain computers in your home. For instance, if there is a home-office computer that your children are forbidden from using, and you want to be sure that they are unable to log into that machine when you're not around, you can restrict login access in this fashion.

To Allow or Block Login Access

1. Click Family & other users.
   
2. Select the family member whose login settings you wish to change.
   
3. Click to Allow or Block the user from being able to log into this computer.
   
   Allow Login Access

   

   Block Login Access

   

1. Open your browser, type in https://account.microsoft.com/family/ and press Enter or Return.
   
2. Click Already set up? Sign in now.
   
3. Enter your username and click Next.
   
4. Enter your password and click Sign in.
   

1. Open your browser, type in https://account.microsoft.com/family/ and press Enter or Return.
   
2. Click Already set up? Sign in now.
   
3. Enter your username and click Next.
   
4. Enter your password and click Sign in.
   

When you add any child into your Family group and turn Activity reporting on, you'll have access to a summary of activity for their Windows 10 and Xbox devices, including any websites they've visited, games and apps they've used, any terms they searched for using search engines like Bing, Google, or Yahoo! Search, and data around how much screen time they've had. You can also choose to have weekly email reports sent to you that will recap all of the same information.

Activity reports are broken down into the following categories:

To Review Recent Activity Reports

1. Click Activity beneath the Family group member you wish to access reports for.
   
2. Then click Manage to expand this category.
3. The first set of information that will be displayed when the Manage category has been expanded are the settings for Activity reporting. You can choose to turn Activity reporting or Weekly email reports On or Off from here.
   
4. Scroll down the page to view the categories that were outlined above.
   

1. Open your browser, type in https://account.microsoft.com/family/ and press Enter or Return.
   
2. Click Already set up? Sign in now.
   
3. Enter your username and click Next.
   
4. Enter your password and click Sign in.
   

Screen time limitations allow you to decide at what times Family group members are able to access their devices, and/or how much time they can spend per day using those devices. These settings can be applied across all of the devices a particular Family group member uses, or you can implement specific settings for each device that is used.

To Set Screen Time Restrictions

1. Open your browser, type in https://account.microsoft.com/family/ and press Enter or Return.
   
2. Click Already set up? Sign in now.
   
3. Enter your username and click Next.
   
4. Enter your password and click Sign in.
   

Setting Content restrictions for your Family group members gives you the ability to limit certain categories of content for each group member. You can require approval for purchases, restrict apps, games, and media based on your child's age, and block inappropriate websites.

To Set Content Restrictions

1. Click Content Restrictions beneath the Family group member you wish to set Content restrictions for.
   
2. The following categories are available for restriction:
   
   Ask a Parent

   Require adult approval for the things your child wants to buy in the Microsoft Store. This does not apply when they purchase items with gift cards or money in their Microsoft account. You can also elect to receive notifications via email for each purchase your child makes from their account. If you have chosen to require adult approval, this email message will give you the ability to approve or deny potential transactions as well.
   

   Apps, Games, & Media

   Set an age limit to block inappropriate apps, games, and media. Anything that exceeds the content ratings you've decided is appropriate for your child will need your approval.

   This setting applies to Windows 10 and Xbox One devices.

   

   Web Browsing

   Turn this on to block inappropriate websites and help protect your child from sites and search results that are too mature.
   

   This setting only works with Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer on Windows 10 and Xbox One devices and blocks commonly used browsers to help keep your child safer.

   If enabled, you will be able to restrict access to only the websites you allow, or you may choose to only block the specific websites that you add into the Family group interface.
   

1. Open your browser, type in https://account.microsoft.com/family/ and press Enter or Return.
   
2. Click Already set up? Sign in now.
   
3. Enter your username and click Next.
   
4. Enter your password and click Sign in.
   

Managing purchases & spending for your Family group can help you control and be aware of what and when any purchases are made. Child accounts must manually have funds added to them. Additionally, you can set up notifications for any purchases that are made, and even require parental approval in order to make purchases on a particular Family group member's account.

To Add Money to a Child Account

1. Click More Options, then click Spending.
   
2. Click Add money.
   
3. Select an amount of money you would like to add, then click Next.
   
4. From the confirmation screen, click Next to proceed.
   

To Restrict Spending on a Child Account

1. Click Content Restrictions beneath the Family group member you wish to set Spending restrictions for.
   
2. To require adult approval for purchases, ensure the toggle is set in the On position.
   
3. To receive email notification for any purchases this account makes, ensure the toggle is set in the On position.
   

To Approve or Deny Purchase Requests

1. Click More Options, then click Spending.
   
2. All pending purchase requests will be displayed beneath the Purchase History header. Options for approving or denying requests will appear here.
   
   

   If you have chosen to require adult approval for purchases and have also elected to be notified via email when purchases are made for an account, the email message you will receive will also give you the ability to approve or deny purchases right from the message itself.

1. Click The person I want to add doesn't have an email address.

1. Click Use your email instead.
   
2. Enter your current email address you wish to use.
   
3. Enter a password you would like to use and hit Next.
   

   We suggest that you use a unique strong password you don't use on other sites. 

   
4. Enter your name and click Next.
   
5. Select your region and birthdate, then click Next.
   
6. Check your email with the code and enter the code provided to you. Click Next.
   
   
7. Click Close.
   

1. Click Use a phone number instead.
   
2. Type in your phone number and click Next.
   
3. Choose a password you would like to use.
   
4. Enter your name and click Next.
   
5. Select your region and birthdate, then click Next.
   
6. Check your phone for the code and enter the code provided to you. Click Next.
   
7. Click Close.
   

1. Type in an email address you would like and click Next.
   
2. Choose a password you would like to use.
   
3. Enter your first and 
   
   
4. Enter your name and click Next.
   
5. Select your region and birthdate, then click Next.
   
6. Click Close.
   

1. Click Sign in with a Microsoft account instead.
   
2. Enter your Microsoft username and press Next.
   
3. Enter your Password and click Sign in.
   
4. If you have two-factor authentication, you may be prompted to enter a code from your email or phone.

1. Click Sign in with a Microsoft account instead.
   
2. Click Create one.
   

1. Enter your current email address you wish to use.
   
2. Enter a password you would like to use and hit Next.
   

   We suggest that you use a unique strong password you don't use on other sites. 

   
3. Enter your name and click Next.
   
4. Select your region and birthdate, then click Next.
   
5. Check your email with the code and enter the code provided to you. Click Next.
   
   
6. Enter your current windows password and then click Next.
   
7. Click Next.
   
8. Enter a PIN you would like to use when you log into your computer and click OK.
   d

1. Enter the phone number you wish to use and click Next.
   
2. Enter a password you would like to use and hit Next.
   

   We suggest that you use a unique strong password you don't use on other sites.

   
3. Enter your name and click Next.
   
4. Select your region and birthdate, then click Next.
   
5. Check your phone for the code and enter the code provided to you. Click Next.
   
6. Enter your current windows password and then click Next.
   
7. Click Next.
   
8. Enter a PIN you would like to use when you log into your computer and click OK.
   

1. Click Get a new email address.
   
2. Enter an email address you wish to use and click Next.
   
3. Enter a password you would like to use and hit Next.
   

   We suggest that you use a unique strong password you don't use on other sites.

   
4. Enter your name and click Next.
   
5. Select your region and birthdate, then click Next.
   
6. Enter your current windows password and then click Next.
   
7. Click Next.
   
8. Enter a PIN you would like to use when you log into your computer and click OK.