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Parental controls on the computer

The family computer is where kids meet Discord, browsers and PC games. Windows uses Microsoft Family Safety; Mac uses the same Screen Time as the iPhone.

Steps verified — July 2026

Windows — create the family group

family.microsoft.com
  1. Go to family.microsoft.com, sign in with your Microsoft account and add a member → child account.
  2. On the PC, your child signs into Windows with that account — the controls follow the account, not the machine.
  3. Remove admin rights: your child's account must be a Standard user, never Administrator.

Windows — screen time and apps

family.microsoft.com → child → Screen time / Apps & games
  1. Set screen time schedules per day (works on Windows and Xbox).
  2. Set an age limit for apps and games — anything above the rating asks for your approval.
  3. Block specific apps if needed (e.g., a browser you don't monitor).

Windows — web filtering

family.microsoft.com → child → Web and search
  1. Turn on Filter inappropriate websites and searches — enforces SafeSearch and blocks adult sites in Microsoft Edge.
  2. Optionally turn on Use only Edge: other browsers (Chrome, Firefox) get blocked, because the filter only works in Edge.
  3. Turn on activity reports to receive a weekly summary.

Mac — Screen Time

System Settings → Screen Time
  1. If your child has an Apple Account in your Family Sharing, the same limits from the iOS tutorial apply to the Mac automatically.
  2. On a shared Mac, create a separate standard account for your child and enable Screen Time on that account with a parent passcode.
  3. Turn on Communication Safety and Limit Adult Websites exactly like on the iPhone.

Official video tutorials

Straight from the manufacturer's official channel (in English).

Microsoft Family Safety helps protect what matters mostby Microsoft 365
Introducing the new Microsoft Family Safety: the story behind the appby Microsoft 365
Tip: keep the computer in a shared space (living room, kitchen). Position in the house is the oldest parental control — and still one of the best.