Parental controls

On this page:

• What are parental controls?
• Your home wi-fi network
• Desktop and laptop computers
• Mobile devices
• Gaming consoles and smart TVs
• Social media and other common apps
• Streaming services
• Web browsers and search engines
• Generative artificial intelligence
• Using additional software
• Misuse of parental controls
• Other ways to keep children safe in the home

Parental controls are software tools that allow you to monitor and limit what your child sees and does online.

They can be set up to do things like: 

• Block your child from accessing specific websites, apps or functions (like using a device’s camera, or the ability to buy things)
• Filter different kinds of content — such as ‘adult’ or sexual content, social media pages and pages with content that may promote self-harm, eating disorders, violence, drugs, gambling, racism and terrorism
• Limit who can communicate with your child as well as manage the apps they can use to communicate with others
• Allow you to monitor your child’s use of connected devices, with reports on the sites they visit and the apps they use, how often and for how long
• Set time limits, blocking access after a specific length of time. 

If a device or program is shared by multiple members of your family, you should be able change the settings to reflect each user’s age, maturity and skills.

No parental control tool is 100%  effective. Helping your child build good online safety habits is just as important.  

Parental controls can be a useful part of your online safety approach. However, it is best they are used as part of a range of methods to keep your child safe, as they cannot be relied upon to prevent all online harm. Both abusers and children themselves can find ways around parental controls, so consider what else you can do.

Other ways to help keep your child safe include:

• talking with them about what they like to do online, the risks involved, and how to be safer
• making sure their online activities are supervised, especially for younger children
• joining in their online activities when you can
• being aware of who they are connecting with online
• teaching them to follow the steps for reporting online abuse.

Child safety and rights when using parental controls

Trying to control your child’s online habits can be challenging. Even when you’re doing it with best intentions, to try to protect their wellbeing and development, communicating the need for online safety can be hard. So it’s tempting to dictate instead of guiding their choices. But parental controls are most effective when they're used to support and protect – not to control.

It’s a good idea to talk with your child about what parental controls you plan to use, and why – and ask them if they have any questions. Getting a conversation going about it can help build respect and trust. When your child feels they are trusted, they're more likely to come to you for help when it really matters. 

It can be helpful to have a shared plan in place to review the use of parental controls as your child get older. You may want to use a family tech agreement to help you get started.

It’s also important to understand that parental controls can sometimes be misused. This may damage your relationship with your child and unintentionally undermine their ability to manage their own online safety. Read more about Misuse of parental controls.

Wi-fi allows some devices to connect to the internet wirelessly using another device called a router. Some wi-fi routers come with software that allows you to set up parental controls across your whole family wi-fi network. The advantage of this is that the rules you make are applied on all your connected devices – laptops, tablets, smartphones, even game consoles and smart TVs. However, you don't always get the same level of control and monitoring that you get from software installed on each device.  

Search online for wi-fi products using terms like ‘child friendly routers,’ ‘child friendly wi-fi,’ ‘family friendly routers’ and ‘child safe wi-fi.’ Or check out the products accredited through the Family Friendly Filters scheme. 

Some internet service providers (ISPs) provide routers incorporating parental control features as part of their broadband products.

PC/Windows 

Microsoft Family provides the ability to manage your child’s online activity on Windows devices through website blocking, checking in online at any time, and viewing activity reports on sites, apps and games visited. You’ll need to set up a family group of at least one parent and one child, each with their own Microsoft account.

Mac OS 

The OSX Parental Controls allow you to set profiles for each child to do things like limiting access to websites or apps, restricting functions like Siri or the iTunes store, setting time limits for days of the week and for bedtime, and hide inappropriate language in the dictionary and other sources.

Apple tablets and smartphones 

Apple operating systems from iOS12 enable you to restrict access to browsers and applications, in-app purchasing, social networking, some internet content (such as pornography), sharing of data (including photos and location), downloads, media streaming, online gaming, and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) including Apple’s AI assistant, Siri. You can also restrict specific features, like use of the device’s camera, wallet (for purchases) or AirDrop (for file sharing). Find out how. 

You can also set and change health and safety settings such as screen time, and privacy settings.

If you are concerned about your child seeing unwanted nude images and videos, consider turning on 'Sensitive Content Warning' on their Apple device. It is available to users of all ages. Access it by searching for 'Communication Safety' or 'Sensitive Content' in settings.

Other material such as movies or music with explicit content ratings can also be filtered out. Explicit content ratings cover material such as inappropriate language, violent and sexual content, and references to drugs or alcohol. However, not all files with explicit content will be tagged with these ratings, so an age-appropriate level of parental supervision in addition to the use of device and app controls is advised.

Android tablets and smartphones 

Although Android has no general built-in parental control features, Android devices can be controlled using Google Family Link (see Using additional software). 

You can also set up parental controls on Google Play to restrict the content your child can download or purchase.

Other mobile devices

It’s important to consider all online devices your children might use, including fitness trackers and smart watches. For example, Garmin fitness trackers have parental controls, and Fitbits allow parents and carers to manage children’s accounts.

Smart watch settings are connected to the user account, such as Apple or Google.

Remember, parental controls are not usually set up automatically on devices. You should also check them from time to time to be sure your settings haven’t changed if the device software has been updated.

Mobile service providers 

Your mobile phone service provider may also offer parental control tools as part of a mobile phone plan.

Every major gaming console provides parental control measures to help parents manage their child’s gaming activity. Some online gaming platforms for PC (desktop/laptop computers) also provide parental controls, such as Steam and Epic Games.

Smart TVs offer all the exciting opportunities – and the risks – that come with being online. Most provide some form of parental control, even if it is just a code locking certain features. You could also consider disconnecting the TV from the internet if you are not using the ‘smart’ features. 

Other online games

Unlike games played on gaming consoles such as PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo, online games that are played on mobile devices or in web browsers rarely have parental controls or safety features built in. Some controls may be accessible through Apple’s ‘Game Center’ for Apple devices, and at the app or device management level. Parents and carers should be aware of what mobile or browser-based games their children are playing, and ensure that:

• the content is suitable for children
• the game does not require in-app purchases or ‘micro-transactions’ (or these are turned off)
• the game does not promote or advertise content that is not suitable for children, such as gambling.

Find out more about online safety while gaming.

Immersive technology

You can also find information about how to help keep your family safe when using immersive technologies. Immersive technology is an emerging format that provides new ways to access entertainment, education and health. It also introduces new safety challenges.

Users of immersive technology may use headsets, hand-held controllers and haptic or touch devices to interact with or navigate virtual reality environments. Quest Pro, Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift S, HTC Vive, PlayStation VR and Valve Index are examples of headsets. These enable you to experience and interact in three-dimensions (3D) with digital content in a way that looks, sounds and feels almost real. Types of immersive technologies include augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR) and haptics. One example of where you may be able to use parental controls is the metaverse, in which you will need your child to link their account to yours.

Services should have parental and carer control information available in device or on the product website. For example, information is available for Oculus, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR. Ensure that safety and privacy settings are on, and that your child knows how to use safety tools and how to seek guidance and support when something isn’t right or they need help.

You can also read our research about the metaverse, as well as our position statement on immersive technologies.

Find out more about immersive technology in eSafety’s gift guide.

Social media platforms or ‘feeds’ are curated using algorithms that encourage engagement, regardless of whether it is positive and negative. Content is delivered to users with the aim of keeping them on the platform for long periods of time. You can read more about this issue in our online safety advisory An unfair fight – how algorithms are shaping our adolescents.

There are social media platforms designed for children, such as Kids Messenger. However most social media platforms have a minimum age of 13 for accounts. A new restriction on under-16s having social media accounts is also coming into effect in Australia in late 2025. 

Whatever the laws, some children and young people may still find their way onto social media when they are not meant to access it. Also, there are many other apps that can allow children to connect to the internet and other people, which can put them at risk of harm. 

Various online platforms have additional safety features for users aged under 18, but you shouldn’t rely on these operating automatically or by default. Help your child check their settings regularly to ensure they are using the strongest safety features. 

Find more information in Online tools and features. You can also check The eSafety Guide for information on a wide range of online platforms and services, including social media, games and other apps. 

Here is more detail about some of them.

Discord

Discord is an instant messaging and voice/video chat platform that is popular with online gaming communities. The Discord Family Centre allows parents and carers to see their child’s activity on Discord. The child can also see what information is being shared with their parent or carer. The information available includes their recently added friends (names and avatars), the servers (groups) they have joined or participated in, and the users they have messaged or called directly. However, to protect privacy, the content of messages and calls is not shared.

Find more safety information about Discord in The eSafety Guide.

Facebook

Parental supervision tools have been available globally on Facebook since late 2023. These tools can be found in the Settings menu. The tools can provide insights on things like time spent on Facebook, as well as allowing parents and carers to schedule breaks, and find other resources about managing time online.

Meta also introduced Facebook and Messenger Teen Accounts in April 2025. Users aged 13 to 17 will automatically have their posts, Stories and other content set to friends only, only be able to chat with friends and other connections such as people who send a request using their phone number, automatically have sensitive and age-inappropriate content filtered out of their feed, be required to review posts they are tagged in, receive notifications telling them to leave Facebook after 60 minutes each day, and have their notifications muted between 10:00 pm and 7:00 am.

Find more safety information about Facebook in The eSafety Guide.

Instagram

Supervision tools are available via the Instagram mobile app. Instagram is primarily designed to be used on mobile devices, so some supervision tools may not be accessible via desktop browsing.

Parents and carers can invite children aged 13 to 17 to link their account for supervision. The teen must agree to this before supervision tools can be used. The tools include the ability for parents and carers to set limits on when and for how long their child can use Instagram, to view who their child is connected with and who they’ve blocked, and view some of their settings such as privacy and security. Supervision tools do not enable parents and carers to see their child’s search history, messages or posts (but you can see their public posts, or posts shared to followers if you follow them).

Supervision is automatically removed from the child’s account when they turn 18.

Find more safety information about Instagram in The eSafety Guide.

Messenger

Parents and carers can access supervision tools through the Meta Family Centre. These include the ability to view how much time your child spends on Messenger, view their contacts list, who can message them and their safety/security settings, and who can see their Messenger stories. Children under 18 can also opt into allowing parents and carers to see who they have blocked on Messenger. Parents and carers can also schedule breaks to help manage time spent online.

Find more safety information about Messenger and Messenger Kids in The eSafety Guide.

Reddit

Reddit is an online platform where users can submit and comment on news about a wide variety of topics, including current affairs, politics and entertainment. Content is moderated by community-specific volunteers. Reddit does not have specific parental controls, however it does have some safety features. These include options to increase anonymity, stop your profile from appearing in search engines, restrict who can directly message you, and filter out violent and sexual content.

Find out more safety information about Reddit in The eSafety Guide.

Snapchat

Snapchat provides parental controls through its Family Centre, which is accessible via the mobile app. These controls enable parents and carers to see who their child is communicating with, view their child’s privacy and safety settings (including limiting the types of content that can be seen), manage parental controls for Snapchat’s artificial intelligence chatbot, My AI, and report any concerns directly to Snapchat’s Trust and Safety team. Parental controls on Snapchat are only accessible to parents and carers over the age of 25.

Find more safety information about Snapchat in The eSafety Guide.

TikTok

TikTok uses a feature called Family Pairing to support supervision. This tool enables parents and carers to manage screen time, restrict content and users from searches and the feed, and change privacy and discoverability settings such as who can comment on your child’s videos, who they can be recommended to, and whether they can send and receive direct messages. Direct messaging is only available to children 16 years and older.

Find more safety information about TikTok in The eSafety Guide.

X (formerly Twitter)

X does not provide parental controls, but there are some safety features that you can support your children to use if they have an X account. These include blocking other users’ accounts, muting certain words from the feed to avoid particular types of content, and reporting harmful material.

In Australia, X accounts known to belong to children under the age of 18 will only be able to receive direct messages from accounts they follow. Children’s accounts will also be restricted from accessing ‘sensitive content’ such as pornography.

Find more safety information about X in The eSafety Guide.

YouTube

YouTube Kids offers family friendly content along with parental controls that can set time limits on apps and turn off search functionality. See the YouTube Kids Parental Guide for more information. 

The YouTube Safety Centre provides safety tips, including advice on keeping personal videos private, cyberbullying, spam and phishing. It also has information about how to protect your identity and appropriately manage interactions with other users, tips on how to be a responsible digital citizen and how to use the community flagging system.

Find more safety information about YouTube in The eSafety Guide.

Subscription services such as Netflix, Stan, Foxtel Now and Amazon Prime all provide parental controls for families to ensure children at various stages of development do not access inappropriate material. 

Not all catch-up TV platforms offer parental filters and controls, but they are available on ABC iView, Virgin TV GO, Sky Go, BT TV, NOW and TalkTalk TV. The ABC also has a dedicated platform for preschoolers, ABC KIDS iView. 

Live streaming platforms are also used by independent content creators to broadcast material. For example Twitch is commonly used to share game play-throughs and music, and those watching can chat with each other, so it attracts a lot of young people. There are some safety features that can protect younger users on Twitch, such as the ability to automatically moderate and filter unwanted or inappropriate language in chats, and the ability to filter the viewing of material with content classification labels. However, these are not designed as parental controls.

Web browsers provide the door to the online world, and search engines are the way we explore that world. We all use search engines to find information online, and so do our kids, but with that open access comes the risk of seeing non-child friendly material.  

Safe browsing tips 

• Some web browsers have their own parental control settings. For example, Microsoft Edge provides settings via the Microsoft Family Safety Centre. Settings include screen time limits, content filters, and the ability to manage spending. Others are integrated with broader settings, such as Google Chrome which can be controlled with Google Family Link, and Safari through Apple’s Screen Time feature.
• Encourage younger children to always ask an adult before clicking on an 'Accept' or 'OK' button on a website, as sites may display messages or disclaimers that require a response. 
• Help minimise the risk of your child accidentally coming across websites not intended for children by setting up bookmarks in their browser for sites you would like them to use.
• Where children of different ages share devices, help them set up separate user accounts with strong passphrases, and make sure they lock or log out of the device when they’re not using it. When children of different ages are using a device together, make sure they are supervised by a trusted adult. This will help ensure that older children do not accidentally expose younger children to mature or inappropriate content.
• Explain to your child your reasons for putting controls in place. Especially for older children and teens, being too controlling may lead them to hide their behaviour and not be open with you. 
• If you access content you would not want your child to see, be as careful as possible to avoid accidental exposure. For example, passphrase-protect your devices to restrict access, and delete browser histories so children cannot accidentally stumble on what an adult viewed recently. You can also turn off auto-complete in browsers so that previous search terms adults may have used do not appear.

Child-friendly search engines 

Child-friendly search engines aim to exclude non-child friendly sites and material from search results, while making sure content relevant to the search is provided.

You can find a child-friendly search engine that best suits the needs of your family by researching them online. This can then be set as the default browser available to your child, with some search engines also available as apps.

Be aware that many search engines can contain advertising, and there is always a risk that non-child friendly material may still slip through.

Safe search settings 

In most search engines, you can activate ‘SafeSearch’ to filter the search results so they don’t include explicit content like pornography. For example: 

• Google
• Bing 
• Yahoo7 

SafeSearch isn’t 100% accurate, but it can help you avoid explicit and unsafe search results on your phone, tablet or computer. 

Google Family Link  

Family Link is an app developed for families with children under the age of 13 who have an Android device. It enables you to set screen time limits, review app permissions (such as their camera, location, contacts), block apps and approve downloads, block sites and filter content. 

You and your child need to have Google accounts and be signed in to use Family Link. It is worth reading the parent disclosure statement. 

Your family online

• Google offers the ability to create a family group with up to six family members to manage various Google products and features. 
• Google Family Safety Centre contains general advice and information for families, and direct links to tools and resources. 
• eSafety’s Digital Wellbeing page provides tools, information and tips on how to form a balanced relationship with all things digital.

Most online tools that use generative artificial intelligence (AI) features aren’t built with specific safeguards for children’s safety. This includes chat assistants (such as ChatGPT and Claude), companion apps (such as Replika and EVA AI) and creative tools (such as Adobe Firefly). Some have automatic moderation to prevent the creation of illegal and restricted content, but this may not be enough to protect all children. It’s best for children only to use these tools with adult supervision. Character.ai has introduced ‘parental insights’ that provide parents and carers with a weekly snapshot of their children’s interactions with AI chatbots on the platform, including which models they interact with, and for how long.

For more information, you can read eSafety’s online safety advisory on AI chatbots and companions and our position statement on generative AI.

You can also buy software to provide additional control and convenience. 

Some products are designed to be installed on each device. Others use special hardware in conjunction with your wi-fi router. Some are accredited under the Family Friendly Filters scheme. 

They tend to operate as a subscription service, with pricing tiers aligned with numbers of devices; some offer free versions for basic protection on a limited number of devices. Compatibility with macOS and iOS can vary. To find a filter that is right for you, search online using terms like ‘internet filters’ or ‘family filters’ and check out review sites.

Parental controls are not one-size-fits-all solution. They are often promoted as a way to keep your loved ones safe, but in some cases they could encourage an unhealthy level of surveillance and over-control, causing mistrust and harm.

Young people, especially teenagers, need some personal space to develop a sense of identity, boundaries and independence. So it’s important to make sure your level of use is aligned with your child’s age and maturity, which usually means reducing parental controls as they get older.

When children grow up in homes where they feel constantly watched or controlled, research shows they can struggle to make decisions or take action on their own. This can impact their confidence and the ability to form healthy relationships later in life. They might grow into adults who feel like they always need permission, or who expect to be controlled by others – leaving them at greater risk of coercive control (a pattern of abusive behaviour used to gain and keep power over a person). Or it can lead to them becoming over-controlling themselves. 

It may be helpful to keep these things in mind:

• A young person might turn to the internet to explore their identity or find support – particularly if they don't feel safe or accepted at home. If a parent or carer uses controls to monitor online activity and enforce conformity, the child may feel they have to hide who they really are. 
• If controls are too strict (for example blocking all access to messaging or the internet) it can cut off the young person from friends, support networks and helpful information.
• If a child finds out their parent or carer has secretly installed apps or settings to monitor their online activity, it can damage trust and stop them openly discussing issues and seeking help.
• Using controls to threaten, shame or expose a child's private messages or online activity can make them feel unsafe and may lead to longer term issues.

Out of home care 

When caring for children and young people in out of home care service environments, the use of parental controls should be guided by policies and processes to prevent intentional or unintentional misuse. For example, it is important to respect children’s privacy when setting up monitoring functions in an app, and let children and young people know how to make a complaint about the use of parental controls. 

Find out more about keeping children safe in out of home care.

Find out more about ways to protect your child:

• Online safety basics
• Are they old enough?
• Good habits start young
• Privacy and your child
• Protecting children from sexual abuse online
• Keeping your family safe during domestic and family violence
• Gift Guide for tech gifts