How to Set Up and Use Parental Controls in Windows 10

Written by Luigi Oppido | Edited by Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: September 15, 2021

This wikiHow will teach you how to set up parental controls in Microsoft Windows 10. When you create a child account, two features are enabled by default: strict browsing parameters on Microsoft Edge and disabling the InPrivate browsing on Microsoft Edge. In conjunction with the ability to monitor the child's account, you'll have parental controls set up on that specific account.

Steps

1
Press ⊞ Win+I to open Settings. Alternatively, you can open the Start Menu and click the gear icon.
- Use this method if the account you want to set up parental controls on does not exist. If they have an account, don't use this method.
2
Click Accounts. This is next to a default profile icon.

Advertisement
3
Click Family & other users. It's in the panel on the left side of the window next to a default profile icon with a plus symbol.
4
Click Add a family member. It's next to a + under the "Your Family" header.
- Enter your computer password if prompted.
5
Click Create one for a child (if the child does not have a Microsoft email already). If the child already has a Microsoft email, enter it here to create their account and skip the next step.
6
Follow the on-screen instructions to create a Microsoft account. Enter an email address for the child account, then choose to use an @outlook.com or @hotmail.com domain extension. Click Next to continue, then create a password for the account. Click Next to continue. Enter their name. To continue, you'll need to provide the first and last name of the account holder. Click Next to progress. Finally, enter your birthday, then click Next and Close to finish the account creation process.
- The account will display the label "child" to indicate that parental controls are set up on the account.
7
Sign into the child's account. You'll need to sign into that account while you're connected to the Internet to finish the process.
- To switch users, press the Windows key and click your profile picture that appears in the Start Menu, then click the child account's name.
- From the "Family & other users" option in Settings, you can click "Manage family settings online" to go to your Microsoft account online where you can manage your family as well as apply parental controls to an existing family account. If the account is not in your family, you cannot add parental controls to it.