How to Set Parental Control on Windows 10 & 11?

Windows 10 has built-in parental controls and robust features to keep your child’s online activities in check. With parental control on Windows 10, you can monitor screen time, set content filters, block specific apps or websites, and set time limits for specific apps. Other than that, you can apply parental controls on Xbox gaming for kids to limit their gaming hours.

Despite such features, kids might bypass the settings and continue to browse the websites and apps of their choice. So, are these controls worth it? This guide details all about these settings and even suggests alternatives. Let’s dive straight into it!

Part 1: How to Set Up Parental Control on Windows 10/11

Parental controls on Windows 10/11 block inappropriate online content, set age restrictions on certain apps and games and limit screen time. Parents can set up parental controls based on their child's age and interests to keep their child safe.

1. Create a Child Microsoft Account

To set up Windows parental lock, your child must have a Microsoft account. If they don’t, follow the steps to create one:

Step 1: Click on the “Windows” button, find and click on Settings > Account > Family > Add someone > Create one for the child. Then, input a new email address and its domain, and click “Next.”  

Step 2: Follow it up by creating a password. Then tap “Next” and add your child’s first and last name, country and region, and birth date.

Step 3: Next, sign into your Microsoft account using valid user credentials.

Step 4: You’ve successfully created a new account for your child. Now, you can set up parental controls such as limited screen time, blocking websites and apps, or click on “Open Family Settings.”

2. Add Your Child to the Family Group

If your child already has an email account, add them to your family group to set up the parental controls. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: On your Windows “Start” button, access the Settings > Accounts.

Step 2: Find the “Family” option and click “Add someone.” Provided your child already has a Microsoft account, enter their email address and tap “Next.”

3. Set up your Microsoft Family Safety

Another way to set up parental controls on Windows 11/10 is using Microsoft Family Safety. Follow the steps for that:

Step 1: In the “Settings” tab, find and tap on Windows Security > Family Options > View Family Settings.

Step 2: You’ll be redirected to the official Microsoft Family Safety website. Tap on the “sign in” icon at the top-right corner and enter valid user credentials to use the respective function.

Step 3: Then, you’ll enter the family’s management page. To add your child to the group, click “add a family member.”

Step 4: The pop-up window then asks you to invite your child through a phone number, email, or WhatsApp. Then, decide whether you want your child to be a “Member” or “Organizer” and tap on “Next.” An invitation will be sent to your child's email ID/phone number.

Step 5: After the invitee accepts your invitation, you must link your child’s devices to Microsoft Family Safety and access the available features. To do so, tap on Settings > Accounts > Family.

Step 6: Select your family member and click “Allow sign in,” once they do, the device will show as connected. You can now see the family members added to the Microsoft Family Safety website.

4. Back to the Device and Set Settings Again

Now that you’ve successfully added your child to your family group, it’s time to start setting the parental controls. For that, follow the steps in order:

Step 1: Click on Settings > Accounts > Family > Open Family Settings.

Step 2: Tap the three dots in the top-right corner of an account to options and click on “Go to overview.”

Part 2: Key Features of Parental Controls on Windows and How to Locate

Windows has plenty of parental control settings to ensure a safe online experience for your child. It lets you monitor screen time and activity reports, set content filters, block specific websites, set time limits for specific apps, limit spending, and set parental control on Xbox Live. Continue reading to find out how to set them up.

1. Monitor Screen Time and Activity Reports

Screen time limits let you set how long your child can access their device. In your child’s profile, you can view the average screen time, so you have an idea of when your kid is mostly using the device. Here’s how you can set screen time limits on the Android Family Safety app:

Step 1: Find the Screentime option in your child’s profile and click “Manage” in the Windows tab.

Step 2: You can set the time limit for each day of the week or an average limit for the entire week. For example, you can change the screen time limit on Sunday to two hours and three hours on weekdays. So, select the day, adjust the “time limit,” and tap on “Save.”

2. Set Content Filters on Windows

Setting content filters ensures your child doesn’t access inappropriate content when performing web searches. You can check the websites your child browse over the week from the “web activity” tab. Then, set up the content filter accordingly, and for that, follow the steps in order:

Step 1: Scroll down your child’s profile page and tap “Content filters.”

Step 2: Toggle “Filter inappropriate websites” to ensure your child isn’t exposed to anything inappropriate when browsing.

3. Block Specific Websites or Categories

If you want to prevent your child from accessing any specific website, add them to the blocked lists. You can research Google, Snapchat, and other websites to gather a list of potentially dangerous websites and add them to the list. Follow the steps in order:

Step 1: Access the “Content filter” on your child’s profile and find “Blocked sites.”

Step 2: Then, add the websites you don’t want your child to access, and once done, tap on “save.”

4. Set Time Limits for Specific Apps

With Microsoft parental controls on Windows 10, you can set usage time limits on specific apps as well. It is especially helpful if your child spends too much time playing games or on social media apps chatting with friends. You can check the average time your child spends on each app/game and set a cap accordingly. Here’s how:

Step 1: Access Screen Time > Apps and games in your child’s profile to check the average time your child spends on each app.

Step 2: Set a limit on the apps with high spending time by clicking on one, followed by “set a time limit.” Or, if you find the app inappropriate, you can tap “Block app” to prevent access to it altogether.

Step 3: Then, set up a usage schedule for the app and the maximum hours your child can access it. Then, tap on “Done.”

5. Limit on Spending

The simplest way to limit your child’s spending is not to give them any money to spend. For example, you choose not to add money to the Microsoft account and do not link your credit card to the account. To select any of the following, access the “Spending” tab and set the appropriate payment controls.

6. Parental Control on Xbox Live

If your child spends most of their time gaming, you can set parental control on Xbox to ensure they engage in more productive stuff. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: In the “overview” section of your child’s profile, tap “How to connect more devices.”

Step 2: Next, set time limits (for example, three hours on Sunday or two hours on Monday), and click on “done.”

Part 3: How to Bypass Parental Controls on Windows 10: What Parents Should Know

Microsoft Family link has multiple settings to keep your child away from accessing inappropriate or mature content and keep them safe. However, today’s tech-savvy kids can easily find the loopholes and access anything by staying out of sight of their parents. Here’s how to bypass parental controls on Windows 10:   

Using Guest Accounts

Microsoft parental controls work as long as your child is logged into their email ID, browses websites, plays games, and so on. But that’s not the case with guest accounts. With these, there are no restrictions on anything they do on the internet. To prevent it, parents can access Settings > Security > Local policies > Guest account status and set it to disabled.  

Access Devices Without Restrictions

If there are other devices at your home, i.e., an old phone or a shared laptop/tablet, your child can use them to browse their preferred websites and play games throughout the day.  It might be the case if the other device is logged onto an account where parental controls aren’t pre-applied.   

Your child will continue to find these loopholes if parental controls aren’t reinforced on them. Here’s how you can do that:

• Built-in tools and settings are easy to bypass, so it’s crucial to use something to keep up with kids and their online behavior.
• Instead of blocking an app/game altogether, provide your kids with healthy alternatives. You can also involve their teachers and have them recommend entertaining yet educational websites and apps.
• Limiting kids’ screen time is the best way to protect them from online dangers. Set up a screen time that ends at bedtime after they complete their studies rather than restricting screen time through apps.
• Younger children tend to engage more in battles when you restrict them from viewing any content and look for ways out. It’s best to keep a direct line of communication and make them understand the dangers of online use.

Part 4: Benefits of Having Parental Control on Windows

Parental control on Windows 10 and 11 has several benefits, including keeping your kids safe from inappropriate content, preventing cyberbullying, limiting screen time, and others. These are detailed as follows:

Part 5: Third-Party Parental Control Software for Windows 10

Despite the advanced features, Family Link is only limited to the Microsoft ecosystem, so you can monitor and restrict your child’s internet usage as long as they’re logged into the linked email account. Many third-party apps do the job well, barring any restrictions, and the following are the best:

1. FamiGuard Monisen

FamiGuard Monisen works as an excellent employee monitoring and parental control app that provides parents with a rich collection of parental control and device monitoring features. The app can monitor your child’s screen time, browser history, app usage, social media activities, and more. Also, remote control features lets you restrict access to any website and deliver a wholesome digital experience.  

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2. Aura

Aura is a sought-after parental control app with an intuitive interface and decent features for parents to keep a tab on their kids’ online activities. It triggers alerts when a child is accessing inappropriate websites, games, and apps. Other than that, it offers antivirus, identity theft protection, VPN, and others to come as a security app.

3. Norton Family

Norton Family ranks in the list of top parental control apps due to its extensive features and web filters. Some standouts include time-scheduling, location tracking, monitoring, and web-filtering capabilities. There are no device limits, making it an ideal solution for large families.

4. Qustodio

Quostodio establishes a fine balance between available parental control and monitoring features, ease of use, and affordability. The app provides the ability to monitor activities, and web content, filter apps and websites, as well as limit screen time. Also, parents can track calls and messages and obtain the real-time location of their children.

5. FamiSafe

FamiSafe is also a good parental control app with industry-standard features alongside some extras. It’s easy to use, can monitor most online activities and the location of your kids, and is available on most platforms. Thereby, you have the flexibility to keep an eye on your kids all the time.

Conclusion

Setting parental control on Windows 10 helps keep your child safe online, but limitations exist. So, there is a chance that kids will bypass them. It’s, therefore, crucial to opt for a tool that delivers comprehensive protection features. FamiGuard Monisen stands out as the top parental control app for Windows by overcoming the limitations of built-in parental controls It offers some extras, such as tracking kids' location and monitoring their calls, messages, and online activities, among others. Try FamiGuard Monisen today and keep your kids safe!

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