Microsoft Family: What parents need to know

Microsoft Family is a parental control software created by Microsoft to help parents manage their children’s online experience. It is integrated across all of Microsoft’s services, such as Xbox and Windows, and allows parents to monitor their children’s screen time, what content they access and more.

Microsoft Family is a free software and is available on Windows, Xbox, Android and iOS. You can have up to 6 family members under 1 account.

Microsoft Family works by creating a Microsoft account for every member of the family, and then inviting them to a Microsoft Family group which is controlled by the parents.

Once this is done, parents can begin customising the settings and controls on their children’s devices, with the ability to set specific controls for each of their devices according to what’s appropriate for each child and each different age.

Microsoft Family gives parents a wide range of parental controls to help manage their family’s digital lives. These include:

• Content filtering: Parents can block specific websites and apps that they deem inappropriate for their children
• Managing screen time: Limits can be set on how long children can use their devices, and customise these limits for each specific device and app
• Activity reports: Parents receive weekly reports on their children’s screen time, what apps and websites they’ve visited, and what terms they have searched
• Spending limits: Purchasing controls include needing approval for every purchase, and an account balance so that children can not spend more than their parents have given them
• Location tracking: View where your children are currently through GPS on their device
• Driving report: If your child has started driving you can receive summaries on their driving performance to see if they are being safe in the car

• Wide range of parental controls
• Covers many popular devices, including Windows, iOS and Xbox
• Up to 6 family members under one account
• Free to use

Microsoft Family is a great tool for monitoring and managing your child’s online behaviour, but it still has its limits. While it can block access to websites, it can not actually affect the way your child uses the websites they are allowed on. This means it has no control or monitoring over the way your child uses social media. Setting parental controls on your child’s social media accounts can help remedy this limitation and keep them safe.

It also requires all children, even young ones, to have their own email addresses. However, you could just create an email and not give them access, but link it to their devices.

macOS computers can not be monitored using Microsoft Family, so it can not be used to manage your child’s activity if they use a MacBook. However, you can use a MacBook to manage other users activity.

Despite these small limitations, Microsoft Family is still a good way to keep your children safe online.