Windows · Accounts & Family
Set Up Microsoft Family Safety
Microsoft Family Safety lets you create a family group to manage screen time limits, content filters, spending, and location sharing for children's Windows, Xbox, and mobile devices from one place.
How to open Family Safety
- Go to account.microsoft.com/family and sign in with the organizer's Microsoft account.
- Select 'Add a family member' and invite a child or adult by email.
- Once they accept, open their profile to set screen time schedules, content filters, and spending limits.
- Review the weekly activity email or the Family Safety app together with your child.
What you should know
- Create a family group and invite members from account.microsoft.com/family.
- Set screen time schedules and app/game limits per child.
- Filter web content and set appropriate age ratings for apps and games.
- Optionally enable location sharing so family members can see each other on a map.
Family Safety settings are managed through your Microsoft account online, not directly inside the local Settings app.
Why it matters
Family Safety gives parents real visibility into what kids are doing across Windows, Xbox, and mobile devices — screen time, app installs, web content — without needing to check each device separately. It turns scattered parental-control settings into one place you actually check.
Best practices
- Set age-appropriate content filters for web browsing and the Microsoft Store before handing a device to a child.
- Review the weekly activity report together with your child rather than only using it to restrict access silently.
- Set screen time limits per app or game, not just a single overall daily limit, so homework apps aren't blocked along with games.
- Enable location sharing only for family members who've agreed to it — it's opt-in for a reason.
Common problems and fixes
- A child's screen time limit isn't being enforced on a specific device.
- Confirm that device is actually signed in with the child's Microsoft account and connected to the internet — Family Safety limits only apply to devices linked to that account.
- Activity reporting shows nothing for a device.
- Activity reporting needs to be turned on separately per child in the Family Safety app or account.microsoft.com/family — it's off by default on new accounts.
- A teen keeps requesting more screen time.
- Use the 'More time' request feature — teens can send a request from their device, and a parent can approve it remotely for that day only.
Tips and tricks
- Use 'Ask a parent' prompts so a child can request purchase or app-install approval instead of being flatly blocked.
- Set different bedtime schedules for school nights versus weekends instead of one fixed screen-time cutoff.
Frequently asked questions
Does Family Safety work on non-Windows devices?
Yes — it also covers Xbox consoles and has companion apps for Android and iOS, so limits and reports follow the child's account across devices.
Can my child see that I'm monitoring their activity?
Family Safety is designed to be transparent rather than covert — children signed into a monitored account will generally see reminders about screen time limits and restrictions.
Is Family Safety free?
The core features are free with a Microsoft account; some advanced features are bundled with a Microsoft 365 Family subscription.
Related settings
- Microphone PermissionMicrophone Permission lets you control which applications can use your device's microphone. This is essential for maintaining privacy and preventing unauthorized audio recording by untrusted software.
- Windows SecurityWindows Security is the built-in protection center for virus & threat protection, firewall & network protection, and device health. It runs Microsoft Defender Antivirus and lets you review recent scans and threats.
- Camera PermissionCamera Permission controls which applications are allowed to access your device's camera. Managing these permissions helps protect your privacy and ensures that only trusted applications can capture video or images.
- Email & AccountsEmail & Accounts lists every account — Microsoft, work/school, or other — that your installed apps (Mail, Calendar, OneDrive, and third-party apps) are allowed to use to sync data. You can add new accounts here or remove ones apps no longer need.
- Other UsersOther Users lets you add separate sign-in accounts for other people who share this PC — family members, guests, or coworkers — each getting their own desktop, files, and settings, isolated from yours.
More Accounts & Family guides for Windows
- Access Work or SchoolAccess Work or School lets you connect this PC to an organization's Azure AD / Microsoft Entra environment so you can access company or school email, apps, and resources, and so IT can apply required security policies.
- PasskeysPasskeys let you sign into supported websites and apps using Windows Hello (your face, fingerprint, or PIN) instead of typing a password — they're stored securely on this device and can't be phished or reused if a website is breached.
- Sign-in OptionsSign-in Options controls every way you can sign into this PC — Windows Hello face and fingerprint recognition, PIN, security key, or password — and lets you require sign-in after sleep for extra security.
- Your InfoYour Info shows the account currently signed into this PC — your name, profile picture, and whether it's a local or Microsoft account — with quick links to manage your Microsoft account online.
- Linked DevicesLinked Devices shows phones and other PCs connected to your Microsoft account, enabling features like continuing a browser tab from your phone on this PC, or seeing your phone's photos and notifications through the Link to Windows / Phone Link app.
- Find My DeviceFind My Device uses your Microsoft account to record your PC's last known location, helping you locate it on a map if it's ever lost or stolen.