🛡️ Parental controls and family safety · 🕹️ Games and platforms kids play
Xbox (Family Settings)
By Microsoft. Visit Xbox (Family Settings)
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
Xbox consoles, Xbox on Windows PCs, and Game Pass, the subscription library of hundreds of games. For parents, the free Xbox Family Settings phone app and Microsoft family group control each child's account: screen time schedules, a pause button, content limits by age rating, who can be a friend, online multiplayer and chat, and Ask to Buy for purchases. There is an exception setting to allow Minecraft online play only.
Our take: Any family with an Xbox or Windows gaming PC should set up the family group and app; it does nothing for other consoles.
| Ages it suits | any age (child accounts) |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | The Microsoft Services Agreement requires users to be adults or have a parent or guardian agree for them; the parent is responsible for the child's use and purchases. Under 13 (or older where local law says) needs a parent's consent to create a Microsoft account, and only a parent in the family group can change a child's Xbox privacy and online settings. (terms) |
| Price | Free, with paid extras. Family Settings app and family group are free. Game Pass for console $9.99 (Essential), $14.99 (Premium) or $22.99 (Ultimate) a month as shown on xbox.com (Oct 2026); online multiplayer needs a paid tier. |
| Works on | Windows, iPhone and iPad, Android |
| Account | A parent's account |
| Ads | None |
| In-app purchases | Yes |
| The AI in it | No AI in the family tools. |
What's good
- Free app with daily and weekly activity reports
- Ask to Buy and a set allowance in the child's account
- Friend requests can need a parent's approval
- Screen time shared across Xbox and Windows
Watch for
- Settings are spread between the app, the console and the web
- Game Pass and in-game purchases are ongoing costs
- Kids may play on other devices the settings do not cover
- Online multiplayer opens chat with strangers once allowed
Data and privacy
Microsoft says it does not show personalized ads to anyone it knows is under 18, and child accounts made with parental consent join the parent's family group, where the parent can view and delete data. Its privacy statement also says it may use data to train AI models. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
The maker's own claims only; no independent study found.
In the Big Index
- The maker in the who's who: Microsoft
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Where these facts come from
- https://www.xbox.com/en-US/family-hub
- https://www.xbox.com/en-US/apps/family-settings-app
- https://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-game-pass
- https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/servicesagreement
- https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-us/privacystatement
Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.