Netflix’s “Who’s watching?” screen can become a useful family boundary instead of a free-for-all, and setting it up takes only a few minutes.
“To choose the types of TV shows, movies or games your kids can watch or play, you can manage their profiles individually or create a profile with the Netflix Kids experience,” the company explains.
Start in a web browser by signing in and opening Netflix’s Account page. Select “Profiles,” then choose the child’s profile; Netflix gathers its main safeguards here, including maturity limits, blocked titles, profile locks and playback settings.
If your child does not have a separate profile yet, open “Manage Profiles,” select “Add Profile” and enter a name. Choose “For Kids,” “Kids Profile” or “Kid?” — the wording varies by device — and select “Continue.”
According to Netflix’s Kids profile instructions, that experience uses a simpler layout, removes direct access to account settings and prevents an email address from being added for a separate sign-in. It also limits the profile to shows, movies and games Netflix has selected for children, although parents should still set an age-appropriate maturity level.
To do that in a browser, return to “Account,” select “Profiles,” choose “Adjust parental controls” and pick the child’s profile. Verify your identity using the code Netflix sends to your email or phone — or enter the account password — then choose the desired maturity level and save it.
Related: Are Streamers Backing Away from Price Hikes?
Parents can make the same change in the mobile app by tapping “My Netflix,” the profile name, “Manage Profiles,” the child’s profile, “Viewing Restrictions” and “Maturity Rating.” Netflix notes that parents must use a web browser when editing the maturity rating for a Kids profile.
A broad age limit may not catch every title your family wants to avoid. Under “Viewing Restrictions,” open “Block Titles,” verify your identity, search for a specific show or movie and add it to the blocked list; Netflix’s maturity-rating and title-blocking guide says those titles will disappear from that individual profile.
Next, keep children from hopping into an unrestricted adult profile. Open that profile’s “Profile Lock” settings, choose “Create a Profile Lock,” enter a four-digit PIN and save it; the PIN applies when someone opens the profile or plays titles downloaded from it.
Parents should lock the main profile too. Once that lock exists, Netflix lets the account owner select “Require PIN to add new profiles,” preventing a child from sidestepping the rules by creating a fresh profile; Netflix provides the exact steps in its new-profile PIN guide.
For a calmer browsing experience, turn off autoplay previews and, if desired, automatic next episodes. In the app, open “Manage Profiles,” select the child’s profile and switch off “Autoplay Previews” or “Autoplay Next Episode”; in a browser, those options appear under the profile’s “Playback settings.”
Finally, check how the setup works in real life. Netflix allows account owners to review each profile’s viewing activity from a browser, and a quick look can reveal whether limits need adjusting as children grow.
If a television or tablet does not immediately reflect a change, switch to another profile and back, or sign out and sign in again. Then sit with your child, open the profile and test a few searches together.
Parental controls cannot replace conversation, but they can support it. Clear limits, regular check-ins and shared viewing help parents guide what enters the home while teaching children to choose what is true, lovely and worthy of their attention.
Read Next: Why Do Tech Company Execs Keep Their Children Away From Screens?
Questions or comments? Please write to us here.
