Video games, consoles & platforms

If your child is a keen gamer and uses a range of consoles or devices to play the latest games, make sure to set them up safe. Take a look at our list of parental control how-to guides to get up to speed on how to set the right level of protection to give them a fun and safe experience while playing video games.

How do device controls work?

Pre-installed parental controls are available for most smartphones, tablets, laptops and game consoles, and are part of the system when you buy them. You can often download additional parental control apps and software to supplement these controls. But the most important thing is to set the controls on the device itself.

Device controls can cover a variety of functions, however, usually, they restrict access to specific features and functions that exist on the device. You might also be able to control whether your child can download new apps, or prevent them from purchasing something in the app store.

In general, device controls won’t filter out specific types of content through the internet. You’ll also need to set these controls separately on any entertainment site or apps they use (such as YouTube, Chrome or Netflix) and on the network, they are connected to.