Xbox parental controls, set up properly
Xbox parental controls run through Microsoft family accounts, which means one setup covers the console and, if you want, Windows PCs too. The free Xbox Family Settings app makes day-to-day management easy. Here is how to set it up.
Cost
Free, built into Xbox
Key controls
Screen time, content filters, spending, chat
Set up on
Xbox Family Settings app or account.microsoft.com/family
Bonus
The same family group can cover Windows PCs
Set Up Xbox Family Settings
Controls attach to your child’s Microsoft account inside your family group.
Steps:
- 1Download the free Xbox Family Settings app, or go to account.microsoft.com/family in a browser.
- 2Sign in with your own Microsoft account and add your child to your family group, creating a child account if they do not have one.
- 3Set a content age limit so games and apps above their age rating are blocked.
- 4Set screen time schedules: how long they can play and during which hours, per day if you like.
- 5Turn on ask-to-buy so purchases need your approval, and add spending money only if you choose.
- 6Review communication settings to limit chat to friends, or turn it off.
- 7Have your child sign in to the Xbox with their own account, and passcode-protect any adult accounts on the console.
Tip:
The app shows play activity and lets you grant extra time remotely, so a request for ten more minutes does not need a trip to the living room.
What it covers, and what it does not
Family Settings cover games, screen time, spending and chat for your child’s own account, on Xbox and optionally Windows. As with every console, the controls only bite when your child plays signed in as themselves, so protect adult accounts with a passcode.
Worth knowing
Because it is one Microsoft family group, the same setup extends to a Windows gaming PC. If your child games on both, you manage one set of rules, not two.
Frequently asked questions
Related guides
Last reviewed: August 2026. Providers and platforms change their settings screens often, so if a step looks different, the official help page linked above has the latest wording.