The Xbox offers loads of games that are great for young children to play. But if you also game on the system, or have older children who use it, you might worry your little one can access those games too. Don’t worry! With Xbox Parental Controls, you can ensure that your little one is interacting with content that is age-appropriate for them. However, the process can be slightly confusing, so let’s take a look at how to create a child account for your young gamer.

If your family member does not have an Xbox Live account:

Press the Xbox button to open the guide. Then select ‘Sign in’ and sign into your account.

Press the Xbox button again and select Profile & system > Settings > Account > Family settings > Manage family members > Add to family > Add new.

When your invited family member is prompted to sign into a Microsoft account, press B on your controller. Select ‘Get a new account’ to allow them to create their new Microsoft account.

When you are prompted, select ‘Add to family’.

If your family member has an Xbox Live account on your console:

Press the Xbox button to open the guide. Select ‘Sign in’ and sign into your account.

Press the Xbox button again and select Profile & system > Settings > Account > Family settings > Manage family members > Add to family.

Select your invited family member's profile and press the A button on your controller.

Then, we need to set up a ‘Microsoft Family Safety’ account. This is what you’ll use to set limits on your child’s playtime.

Log into your personal Microsoft account. If you don't have one, then you will need to create one.

Once you log in, look along the top menu bar and click on the tab named ‘Family’.

Under ‘Your Family’, click on ‘Add a child’.

Enter your child's email address and click on ‘Send invite’. If they don't have one, create one by clicking ‘Create a new email address for your child’. If you do that, then you'll be creating a Microsoft account at the same time. When you have your child's account all set up, you will still need to send them an invite.

Once they (or you) accept the email invite, then you can start configuring their online settings.

Then, download the Xbox Family Settings app.

How do I use the Xbox Family Settings app?

To manage a member's spending settings on the console:

Press the Xbox button to open the guide.

Select Profile & system > Settings > Account > Family settings.

Select ‘Manage family members’ and choose a child account.

Select Privacy & online safety > Xbox privacy > View details & customise > Buy & download.

Select ‘On’ in the ‘Ask a parent’ box.

To set content restrictions:

Open the ‘Xbox Family Settings’ app on your mobile device, and then go to Settings.

Select ‘Content restrictions’, and then under ‘Apply age filters’ change the age limit that you want to apply to your child’s games, apps, and other content. Anything rated above it needs an organiser’s approval.

To customise whether your child can follow other gamers:

Open the ‘Xbox Family Settings’ app on your mobile device, and then go to ‘Settings’.

Select the ‘Social’ tile to view or change how members can communicate with other players while they’re online. Parents can also customise whether their children can follow other players.

Some games allow for cross-network communication with players outside of the Xbox service. To adjust these settings, select the ‘Cross-network play’ tile, and then select the communication level for the member in your family group.

To set screen limits:

Open the app, and then select the tile for your child’s account.

Select the ‘Screen time’ tile.

Under ‘Schedule’, you can view the time limits that you’ve set—or those that appear by default—in a grouped or expanded view by using the buttons that are above the list of time ranges.

Select the schedule that you want to change, and choose between the ‘Days of the week’, ‘Time limit’, or ‘Time range’.

Days of the week—Select ‘Every day’, or just one or more days, to set the days to which the schedule applies.

Time limit—Select the drop-down menu to choose from a variety of time limits that increase in 30-minute increments. You can also choose to set certain days to full 24-hour playtime or block those days entirely.

Time range—Under ‘From’, select the time that a member’s screen time can start. Under ‘To’, select the time that a member’s screen time can finish. Otherwise, you can select the toggle switch to enable the time range for ‘Anytime’. Setting a time range is helpful if you want to set a time limit that only begins in the afternoon or evening. For example, if a member can’t start playing until after school, studying, or before bedtime, you can set the time range within that remaining period of the day.

As the organiser of your family group, you can decide if your child can play multiplayer games with their friends:

Open the ‘Xbox Family Settings’ app, and then go to ‘Settings’.

Select the ‘Multiplayer’ tile, and then select the toggle switch to block or allow multiplayer features.

Members may request to play a game online with their friends for a specific title. When you receive this notification, you can approve or deny the request with the following steps:

Select the Notifications tab at the bottom of the screen. To deny the request, simply select ‘Deny’. To review and approve the request, select ‘Show game’.

The app will display details about the game that the member wants to play online, including title, capabilities, rating, and a description. After you’ve reviewed the details, select ‘Allow or ‘Deny’ to respond to the member’s request

So there you have it, all the information you need to make sure your child is safe on your Xbox console.

How can I access Xbox Parental Controls?

After setting up Parental Controls, you can manage and adjust them as needed through the same "Family settings" section in the Xbox settings menu or via the Xbox Family Settings app.