A Complete Guide to Windows (PC) Parental Controls

Microsoft Family Safety for Windows 10 is a good choice for parents to set basic windows 10 parental controls. Its parental control setting connects PCs, Windows phones, and Xbox One gaming consoles in Microsoft Family.

To set up Microsoft parental controls, it requires Microsoft accounts for at least one parent and one child.

What are Parental Controls available on Windows 10?

Block and filter websites. Filter out mature search results and disable InPrivate browsing on Internet Explorer and Edge. You can only block or unblock specific previously known websites from kids' browsing history. Its filtering rules do not support main web browsers such as Chrome or Firefox.

Limit apps, games, and media: block apps, games, and media by age ratings on Windows and Xbox stores. But it can influence applications update or install. You can track recent app purchases and approve things children may want to buy in the Microsoft Store through email permission.

Monitor computer activity: view online activity or receive a weekly email to know browsing history, search terms, and what apps and games they use.

Manage screen time: set the amount of screen time or set fixed hours to determine how much time children can have access to on the PC.

What should parents be aware of?

Windows 10 parental controls have the advantage of applying across Microsoft devices, but they can't control other devices or device types like Mac, iPhone, or Kindle Fire.

Microsoft settings will not prevent what kids do when they are under someone else's account. To set Windows 10 parental controls without a Microsoft account, FamiSafe can be a better choice for you as a cross-platform computer monitoring app. The app can let parents monitor kids' computers from their mobile devices based on one account. Kids can't get rid of parental control on computers without the parental control pin.

Note:

Microsoft parental control is subject to the same rules. Under Windows 10 parental controls, kids can't switch to their phones after using up their screen time on the computer. Microsoft parental controls will apply the same parental limitations to any device accessed through your child's account. So you can use FamiSafe to set flexible digital rules for kids through different devices.

Windows 7 parental control is a valuable tool for parents to prevent computer addiction. Though it is not perfect for childproofing the computer, it is easy to get started as the first step to set up parental control on the computer.

What parental controls does Windows 7 offer?

Time limits: click and drags the time blocks to decide when your child can access the computer. You can allow a few hours of device usage each day in a week but can't restrict the specific app usage time.

Restrict games: block or allow certain games apps based on certain ESRB ratings or the types of content but can't block game websites or game apps downloaded from browsers.

Allow and block specific programs: Block or allow access to specific programs by clicking on Allow and block specified programs.

What should parents be aware of?

Can't block all inappropriate content? Family Link does not block inappropriate content. Parents can use Safe Search on Chrome and Restricted Mode on YouTube to screen out potentially mature content. However, Google notes that these filters are not totally perfect, so kids can still be exposed to explicit, graphic, or other inappropriate content you may not want them to see.

It is helpful only when kids use separate user accounts. To set Windows 7 parental controls, parents should use the Administrator account to control Standard accounts. So if children have their PCs, you need to change kids' accounts from Administrator to Standard.

Parental Controls in Windows 7 no longer let parents filter website categories or monitor computer activity. Instead, it only offers these three categories: Time Limits, Games, Allow, or Block Programs. For complete protection, like blocking adult websites on Windows 7, parents can use FamiSafe parental control software. It provides content filtering on all computer browsers and daily computer activity, giving comprehensive protection on all devices.