To set up parental controls in Windows 11, add your child to a Microsoft family group at account.microsoft.com/family, have them sign in to the PC with their own Microsoft account, then set screen time, web filters and app limits from Microsoft Family Safety.
This guide covers creating the child account, each control Family Safety offers on Windows, activity reports, the ways kids get around the limits, fixes when limits do not apply, and how to turn it all off.
How to set up and use parental controls in Windows 11
Windows 11 has no separate parental control panel. Its controls come from Microsoft Family Safety, which you manage on the web or in the Family Safety app.
- Go to account.microsoft.com/family and sign in with your own Microsoft account.
- Select Add a family member.
- Choose Member for a child, then select Next.
- Enter your child's email address or phone number and select Next.
- Have your child accept the email invite and sign in to their Microsoft account.
- Have your child sign in to the Windows 11 PC with that same Microsoft account.
- Back on the family page, select your child's tile and set screen time, content filters and app limits.
Only family organizers can add members, set limits and view activity reports.
What Microsoft Family Safety controls on Windows 11
| Control | What it does on a Windows 11 PC | Where to set it |
|---|---|---|
| Screen time | Sets the hours and total time the child can use Windows each day | Child's tile > Windows tab |
| App and game limits | Caps daily time and allowed hours per app or game | Apps, features, and games |
| Content filters | Blocks mature sites and searches in Microsoft Edge, or allows only listed sites | Edge platform > Filter inappropriate websites and searches |
| Activity reporting | Shows apps, games, sites visited and Bing searches | Activity reporting toggle per platform |
| Spending | Adds money and spending limits to the child's Microsoft account | Family page > child's account |
Create a child account for Windows 11 parental controls
Every child needs their own Microsoft account on the PC.Limits only apply to accounts in your family group, on devices connected to that group.
- On the Windows 11 PC, open Settings > Accounts > Family.
- Follow the option to add a family member, or sign in at account.microsoft.com/family on any browser.
- Select Member as the role for your child.
- Enter the child's email address or phone number, then select Next.
- Approve parental consent when Microsoft asks. A child under the statutory age is prompted to request adult consent.
- Sign out, then let the child sign in to Windows 11 with their account.
Someone already in another family group must leave or be removed from it before joining yours.
In Windows Security, the Family options page also links straight to the family settings website.
Set screen time limits on Windows 11 for a child
- Sign in at account.microsoft.com/family as a family organizer.
- Select your child's tile.
- Open the Windows tab under screen time.
- Select Turn limits on if no limits are shown.
- Select a day, then add a schedule or edit the time limit.
- Use the check boxes to apply the same limit to other days or Every day.
- Select Finished.
Screen time counts while the child is signed in, even when the PC sits idle. In the mobile app, the same settings sit under the child's tile and the Windows/XBOX platform.
Block websites on Windows 11 with Microsoft Family Safety
Web and search filters work in Microsoft Edge while the child is signed in to their Microsoft account. Mature sites are blocked and Bing searches are filtered by default.
- Sign in to your Microsoft account and select Family Safety from the menu on the left.
- Find your child, select the menu next to their name, then select Go to overview.
- Select Edge as the platform.
- Turn on Filter inappropriate websites and searches.
- Add addresses under Blocked sites or Allowed sites.
- For tighter control, turn on Only use allowed websites or Always allow educational websites.
With the filter on, other browsers are blocked on the PC so the filter cannot be bypassed. You can unblock a browser in App and game filters, but filtering will not apply inside it.
Set app and game limits in Windows 11
- Go to account.microsoft.com/family and sign in.
- Select your child's name and choose the Windows platform.
- Open the Apps, features, and games tab.
- Turn on App and game limits.
- Select the app or game to limit.
- Set the daily time allowed and the hours it can be used, the same every day or per day.
- To cover the app's website too, scroll to Block related websites and check the site.
Time limits do not apply to websites on their own. An app installed on two devices may show twice until Microsoft processes the data, so set a limit on each listing.
View your child's activity report in Microsoft Family Safety
Activity reports confirm the limits work. They show apps and games used, time spent, sites visited and Bing searches, including attempts to reach blocked sites.
- Sign in to your Microsoft account and open the family page.
- Select your child's card.
- Turn on the Activity reporting toggle for Windows and Web safety.
- Return later and select the platform to review.
- Select Apps, features and games for per-app time.
Web activity appears only for a supported browser. Idle signed-in time counts toward the limit but not toward the usage report, so the two can differ.
How kids bypass and get around parental controls on Windows PC
| Bypass | Why it works | How to close it |
|---|---|---|
| Child account is an administrator | Admins can change or break Family Safety settings | Settings > Accounts > Other users > child's account > Change account type > Standard user |
| Using a parent's sign-in | Limits follow the child's account, not the PC | Change your passwords and keep them private |
| Installing or unblocking another browser | Filters work only in supported browsers | Keep Filter inappropriate websites and searches on so other browsers stay blocked |
| Turning off activity reporting at 13+ | In the US, children 13 or older can opt out of sharing usage data | Talk to the child and regain consent before turning it back on |
| Expired child Microsoft account | Settings stop syncing to the PC | Have the child select Start > Settings > Accounts > Verify |
| Wrong time zone | Usage lands on a different day in reports | Correct the time zone on your Microsoft account |
Microsoft Family Safety not working on Windows 11
Screen time limits and blocks are not working
A glitch in the saved limits, or the child's account is not in your family group.
- Remove the screen time limits, then add them back.
- Confirm the child's account appears in your family group.
- Make the child's Windows account a Standard user.
- Have the child verify their account under Settings > Accounts.
"Screen time information is not shared with you"
You are not an organizer, or the person only shares your Microsoft 365 subscription.
- Ask an organizer to make you an organizer of the family group.
- Add the person to the family group as a member if they only share Microsoft 365.
Activity report is empty or does not match real use
Reporting is off, the child opted out, or idle time and time zone skew the numbers.
- Turn on Activity reporting for each platform.
- Check whether a child aged 13 or older opted out.
- Check the time zone on your Microsoft account.
- Make sure the child browses in Edge while signed in.
An adult account gets child restrictions
The birth date on the account is wrong.
- Correct the birth date on the Microsoft account.
- Remove the adult from the family group if they need privacy.
Turn off parental controls in Windows 11
- Sign in to account.microsoft.com/family.
- To pause limits only, open the child's screen time, select the menu and choose Turn limits off.
- To remove controls completely, select the member you want to remove.
- Select Remove consent next to a child's name.
- Go back to the family group and select Remove from family group.
Windows 11 parental controls FAQ
How do I set parental controls on my computer?
On Windows 11, sign in at account.microsoft.com/family, add your child as a member, and have them sign in to the PC with their Microsoft account. Then set screen time, web filters and app limits from their tile.
How do I limit my child's access to the computer?
Use screen time limits in Microsoft Family Safety. Pick the child, open the Windows tab, turn limits on, and set the hours and total time allowed for each day. Time counts whenever the child is signed in.
How do I set up a kid-friendly Windows 11 device with a child account?
Give the child their own Microsoft account in your family group, make it a Standard user on the PC, turn on web filtering in Edge, and add app and screen time limits. Activity reporting then shows what they use.
How do I disable parental controls in Windows 11?
Select Turn limits off in the child's screen time settings to pause them. To remove them completely, select Remove consent next to the child's name, then Remove from family group at account.microsoft.com/family.
How do I set parental controls on Google Chrome in Windows 11?
Microsoft Family Safety filters work only in Microsoft Edge. When web filtering is on, Chrome and other unsupported browsers are blocked. If you unblock Chrome in App and game filters, Family Safety does not filter sites inside it.
Does Windows 11 parental control work without a Microsoft account?
No. Family Safety limits apply to Microsoft accounts in your family group, on devices connected to the group. A local account on the PC is not covered.
Can my child turn off activity reporting?
Yes, in the United States a child aged 13 or older can opt out of sharing usage data. You then need their consent again before activity reporting can be turned back on.
