How to set parental controls to keep your loved ones safe online

Online parental controls that matter the most

Parental controls are a suite of protections that cover going online as well as overall computer usage. The most common and useful parental controls in a browser do the following:

• block certain websites, apps, and search results
• control online access at certain hours of the day
• set time limits for screentime
• maintain privacy from identity theft, or sharing to social media

Individual websites and platforms will feature their own parental controls, such as YouTube and Facebook. Taking control over the videos that your child views is key to avoiding offensive or adult content. And keeping an eye on how much personal information your child shares on social media can avoid risks such as interactions with strangers.

Visit these websites and learn about their suite of security controls. You can choose to limit the content that your child sees on these social media platforms, prevent them from sharing content, and set their privacy levels.

Microsoft Edge Kids Mode

Browsers like Microsoft Edge come with parental controls to prevent children from accessing explicit content. These are all found within their Settings menu. You can create a new profile for your child and block individual webpages, while retaining your own preferences in a separate profile.

Directly integrated into the browser, Microsoft Edge Kids Mode is a convenient way to turn on all of these parental controls at once.

• Website allow list: Set the addresses that your child is allowed to visit. If your child ends up at a page not on the allow list, Kids Mode will require permissions to access it.
• Strict levels on Bing SafeSearch: Search engines have filters for blocking explicit content, and under Kids Mode, Bing automatically defaults to Strict for its SafeSearch.
• Clear browsing data on close: To protect your child’s privacy, Kids Mode will automatically delete cookies and site data upon close.
• Password-protected mode: To turn off Kids Mode requires your password and credentials, so your child won’t accidentally exit Kids Mode and be faced with an unfiltered Internet.

In addition to these privacy and security features, Kids Mode also has fun features to make the Internet exciting: with instantly installable browser themes, customizable colors, and links to content specially curated to your child’s age range. Try Microsoft Edge today.