How we check
Each checklist step is paraphrased from an official help page, terms page, or company post. The step shows Checked 30 Sep 2026, plus a link to that page. This version was read on 30 Sep 2026.
A step older than 90 days is hidden until it is checked again.
Guidance, not a guarantee.
This checklist is general guidance to help families set up parental controls and talk about online safety. It isn't a guarantee of safety, and it isn't legal, medical, or mental-health advice. Apps change their settings often; each item shows the date this version of the checklist was checked and a link to the official source. Always confirm on the app itself.
No setting or tool can prevent every risk. Parental controls work best alongside ongoing conversations with your child. No setting replaces talking to your kid. That's why the scripts are here.
Not affiliated. We're independent and not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any of the companies or apps mentioned. App names are trademarks of their owners and are used only to identify their products.
Family agreement. The family agreement is a conversation tool, not a legal contract.
If a child is in danger: call 911. In the US, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. To report online exploitation of a child, you can contact NCMEC's CyberTipline (report.cybertip.org). You can also report sextortion to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). We don't make reports on your behalf.
Left off the checklist
Open an app to see what we couldn't confirm. These are the gaps that change a decision: a control that may not exist, a lock you shouldn't count on, or two official pages that disagree.
Apple Screen Time2
What we couldn't confirm
- Ask to Buy and Ask to Browse on a 13th birthday. Apple says both start on under 13. The pages don’t say they switch off by themselves at 13. Check the account on that birthday. Apple Screen Time
- The Share My Location menu name on iOS 27. Family Sharing can lock location sharing. The current iOS 27 page doesn’t name the Share My Location menu. On an older iPhone, use Apple’s guide for that version. Apple Family Sharing
Google Family Link4
What we couldn't confirm
- A teen ending supervision to stop location sharing. Family Link says a child needs a parent’s approval to stop supervision until 18. A Google Maps page says a child over 13 can stop location sharing by stopping supervision. Those pages disagree, so don’t assume either one. Family Link supervision
- Safe Mode, Developer options, and a computer connection. Google documents those locks for business-managed phones. Family Link’s parent pages don’t describe the same switches. Check with Google before you rely on one. Family Link controls
- Clock or time-zone changes. Family Link’s pages don’t say what happens if the phone’s clock changes. Check with Google, and look at the time on the phone. Family Link controls
- An Apple-style age-range share. Google’s parent pages don’t describe a control like Apple’s Age Range for Apps. Don’t assume one is there. Family Link controls
Text messaging9
What we couldn't confirm
- A lock on the iMessage switch. Apple’s Screen Time pages don’t describe a lock for iMessage, Send & Receive, or Messages settings. Use Allowed Contacts, and check the switch again later. Use Screen Time (Apple)
- SMS, RCS, and iMessage under Allowed Contacts. Apple says “Messages” and doesn’t say those three are treated the same. Don’t assume a split Apple didn’t write. Communication limits (Apple)
- Texts sent by satellite. On supported iPhones, messages can go by satellite with no cellular or Wi-Fi. Apple doesn’t say whether Allowed Contacts or a carrier tool applies there. Don’t count on them for satellite texts. Text via satellite (Apple)
- Texting limits inside Samsung Kids. Samsung’s parent page says you can limit who a child can call in Kids mode. It doesn’t describe texting limits there. Samsung parental controls
- Carrier tools and the phone’s own texts. AT&T’s help points text spam to Apple’s and Google’s filters rather than its own text-block list. Check the carrier account before you rely on it to block the phone’s texts. AT&T Secure Family
- Group and picture messages on a kid phone. Gabb includes group and picture messaging. Bark Phone doesn’t document a switch to turn those off. Gabb’s logs show the number and the time, not the words. Gabb parental controls
- What Aura can see in messages. Aura describes which apps a child messages in, plus volume and tone. It doesn’t describe reading the messages, and it doesn’t say whether iPhone and Android differ. Aura for parents
- Google Voice age. Paid Google Voice plans exclude users under 18. A minimum age for the free personal account isn’t on that page. TextNow states its own ages in its terms. Google Voice plans
- Nudity warnings on videos. Family Link’s page says the warning works on images. Google Messages says images or videos. Don’t assume video is covered. Parents aren’t sent the images. Google says the feature isn’t perfect. Sensitive content warnings
Messenger Kids4
What we couldn't confirm
- A 6–12 age range. Meta says the app is for children under 13. A 6–12 range isn’t on the current help page. Messenger Kids ages
- A Messenger Kids profile inside regular Messenger. Meta’s move article says this is rolling out gradually. It doesn’t say when, where, whether the separate app will be retired, or how time limits and message review work in the new profile. If the menus don’t match this guide, Meta may have moved the account. Moving a Messenger Kids account
- The name of the group-chat opt-in. The privacy policy says a parent has to opt in before a child joins groups with people who aren’t individually approved. The help pages don’t name that Parent Dashboard switch. Read the friending screen before you turn anything on. Messenger Kids privacy policy
- Deleted messages and a 30-day history. Don’t count on kids being unable to delete messages, or on a 30-day chat window. Those lines aren’t on a current help page or the current privacy policy. Messenger Kids privacy policy
Workarounds9
What we couldn't confirm
- Erase All Content and Settings. Apple’s Screen Time pages don’t say they block Erase All Content and Settings. Check with Apple before you rely on that. Allow or block changes (Apple)
- VPN and Date & Time in Allow Changes. Whether the parent-facing Allow Changes list covers VPN or Date & Time isn’t confirmed. Open that list on your child’s iPhone. Managed Settings (Apple)
- App Clips and Ask to Buy. Apple doesn’t say whether App Clips go through Ask to Buy. Block App Clips in Restrictions if you don’t want them. Block or allow apps (Apple)
- Samsung Secure Folder. Family Link’s pages don’t describe a way to block Secure Folder or see the apps inside it. Look for the folder in Settings. Samsung’s page shows how it appears. Secure Folder (Samsung)
- Root or jailbreak detection. Bark, Qustodio, Aura, and Norton don’t say on their pages that they detect a rooted or jailbroken phone. Check with the maker of the app you use. Prevent deleting Bark
- A removal alert from Aura or Norton. Aura’s pages don’t describe an alert when the app is removed. Norton says some events on its iPhone setup send no alert. Open the app’s status screen even when no alert arrives. Norton Family on iPhone
- Bark Phone and Safe Mode. Bark says the phone locks important settings by default. Safe Mode isn’t on that list. Check with Bark before you rely on it. Bark Phone settings
- Other accounts in Instagram, Snapchat, or Discord. Those parent tools don’t say they flag a teen’s other accounts. Check each company’s parent help. Snapchat Family Center
- The Android VPN symbol. Norton’s “missing VPN symbol” check is written for iPhone. On Android, use the monitoring app’s own status screen. Norton Family on iPhone
Home Wi-Fi5
What we couldn't confirm
- A product named eero Guard. No official eero page uses that name. This site lists eero Plus. Check with eero before you pay for a different product name. eero Plus
- Pause, schedules, or kid profiles in the Spectrum app. Those controls aren’t on the Spectrum pages that describe Security Suite. Check your Spectrum account before you count on pause or a kid profile. Spectrum Security Suite
- Built-in controls on T-Mobile Home Internet. T-Mobile’s T-Life help doesn’t describe built-in parental controls. FamilyMode is a separate app. Check with T-Mobile. FamilyMode (T-Mobile)
- A Screen Time lock for iCloud Private Relay. Apple’s Screen Time pages don’t describe a lock for Private Relay. Block it at the router instead. See the tip on the home Wi-Fi guide. Prepare your network for iCloud Private Relay
- eero’s VPN and the content filters. eero Plus includes a privacy VPN. eero doesn’t say whether the parental filters still apply while a device uses it. Ask eero before you turn both on. What is eero Plus
Location sharing6
What we couldn't confirm
- A child turning off device location in Family Link. Google’s location page doesn’t say whether a supervised child can turn off device location, or whether you get an alert. Test it on the phone. Family Link location
- A parent lock in Samsung Find. Samsung’s page doesn’t describe a way to stop a child turning off Share my location. Use Family Link if you need a lock. Samsung Find
- Locking Google’s Location Sharing pause. Outside Family Link, no parent lock for that pause is documented. A share that stops updating is the warning sign. Google Location Sharing
- Menu labels before iOS 27. The Share My Location lock is confirmed on the iOS 27 guide. Older iPhones use a different layout. Use Apple’s guide for your version. Allow or block changes (Apple)
- An alert when My Location changes device. Apple doesn’t say it alerts you when a child switches Use this device as My Location. Know every device on the child’s Apple Account. Share your location (Apple)
- Life360’s minimum age. Life360’s minimum age and child-account rules aren’t stated on the pages used for this card. Read Life360’s terms before you create an account. Life360 terms
Amazon Kids6
What we couldn't confirm
- What happens when a child gets older. Amazon’s steps for removing a child profile, or for turning a Kids tablet into a regular one, aren’t confirmed, including whether anything changes on its own at 13. Check with Amazon before you follow a how-to from somewhere else. Amazon Parent Dashboard
- Leaving the Kids profile. The PIN or password on current Fire OS isn’t confirmed. Keep the PIN to yourself, and use Amazon’s help for your tablet. Amazon Parent Dashboard
- A factory reset. Amazon doesn’t say whether the child profile comes back after a reset. Afterward, check the Parent Dashboard device list and keep the tablet on your account. Parent Dashboard help
- Alexa+ and kids’ voice history. No official page describes Alexa+ inside a child profile, or the current taps for deleting kids’ voice history. Check the Alexa app. Amazon Kids devices
- Clock changes and offline schedules. Amazon doesn’t say whether changing the clock or turning off Wi-Fi gets around schedules. Set schedules ahead of time, and check with Amazon. Parent Dashboard help
- Browsers inside other apps. Amazon doesn’t say the tablet’s browser setting covers a browser inside an approved app such as Netflix or YouTube. Set each app’s own controls. Amazon Parent Dashboard
Fake nude images4
What we couldn't confirm
- Which state law applies. State laws differ, including how they treat minors who create images. Ask local police or a lawyer what applies where you live. Congressional Research Service
- A private message and the 48-hour duty. The FTC names messaging platforms as covered. Whether a message sent to one person counts isn’t settled. Report direct messages anyway. FTC on the Take It Down Act
- Deleting an image your child made. The legal consequences aren’t answered here. Official guidance says don’t delete. Ask a lawyer. NCMEC on sextortion
- Each app’s report-menu wording. In-app menus change. Use NCMEC’s instructions rather than a menu copied from somewhere else. NCMEC: is your explicit content out there
Xbox1
What we couldn't confirm
- When a child account ends. Xbox’s family pages don’t say the age when a child account stops being a child account. Don’t plan on a birthday that isn’t written there. Xbox Family Hub
PlayStation1
What we couldn't confirm
- The age for a child-account upgrade. PlayStation says a child account can’t be removed, and that an upgrade is offered when they are eligible. It doesn’t state that age. PlayStation family setup
Nintendo Switch1
What we couldn't confirm
- Which setup article is for Switch 2. Nintendo’s long setup article is for original Switch models. For Switch 2, use the parental-controls page and the Switch 2 FAQ. Switch 2 parental controls FAQ
Snapchat1
What we couldn't confirm
- A time limit inside Snapchat. Family Center shows how much time was spent. It doesn’t list a switch that sets a time limit. Use the phone’s screen-time tools. Snapchat Family Center
YouTube2
What we couldn't confirm
- A zero-minute Shorts limit. A Shorts time limit is documented. YouTube said a zero-minute option was coming. No help page confirms it is available. Don’t count on it until you see it. Supervised accounts (YouTube)
- Leaving supervision at 13. A YouTube Kids page says a child can graduate to a self-managed account. Family Link says a child needs a parent’s approval to stop supervision until 18. Don’t assume the account leaves supervision on its own. YouTube Kids graduation
Instagram2
What we couldn't confirm
- Instagram Map steps. Meta says Map sharing is off unless the teen opts in, a supervising parent is notified, and that parent can turn access off. No help article lists the taps, so they aren’t a checklist step. Instagram Map (Meta)
- An Instagram spending control. No Family Center spending control was found. Stars for Gifts are bought in the app store. Use Ask to Buy or Family Link purchase approval. Instagram help
Discord2
What we couldn't confirm
- A daily minute limit. Discord documents scheduled downtime, not a daily minute allowance. Don’t look for a daily cap that isn’t listed. Discord Family Center
- Older teen-default lists. Discord marks its earlier safety post as out of date. Use the current parent article, not an older list of defaults. Discord safety update
WhatsApp1
What we couldn't confirm
- Screen time and spending controls. No separate time or spending control is documented beyond what a parent-managed account already restricts. WhatsApp terms
Roblox1
What we couldn't confirm
- Account-type ages in every country. Roblox says those ages vary by region. This site uses the 5–8, 9–15, and 16+ bands Roblox states. Check the help page if your country looks different. Roblox account types
ChatGPT1
What we couldn't confirm
- A violence-related deactivation review. Safety notices for self-harm name trained reviewers. For a deactivation tied to violence, OpenAI only says the review may differ. That process isn’t described. ChatGPT parental controls
Character.AI2
What we couldn't confirm
- The weekly Parental Insights email. The company’s blog describes a weekly email the teen starts. The setup article is no longer available, so those taps aren’t listed. Character.AI Parental Insights
- Other parent controls. Beyond the age check, the under-18 experience, and device blocking, no other parent controls are documented. Character.AI Safety Center
Meta AI2
What we couldn't confirm
- Turning off AI-character chats. Switches to turn off character chats, or to block one character, are described as planned. They aren’t something you can do today. Meta on teen AI characters
- Parent alerts for suicide and self-harm. Those alerts are described as in development, not as a switch you can turn on. If a child is in danger, call 911. In the US, call or text 988. Meta teen accounts
Telegram1
What we couldn't confirm
- A minimum age outside the EU, UK, and Australia. The terms state 18 for the EU, UK, and Australia. They don’t state a minimum for other countries. Don’t use a number from somewhere else as Telegram’s rule. Telegram terms
X1
What we couldn't confirm
- Teen-only default settings. No official page states different defaults for teens. The settings on the checklist are ordinary account controls you change together. X terms
Reddit1
What we couldn't confirm
- iOS parental approval requests. Reddit calls iOS parental approval requests “coming soon.” They aren’t a step you can do today. Reddit teen defaults
YouTube TV1
What we couldn't confirm
- A lock on the content filter. The filter is set per account and per device, and YouTube videos are unavailable while it is on. No PIN is documented. Don’t treat it as a lock. YouTube TV content filter
Spotify2
What we couldn't confirm
- Whether a family member can undo the explicit block. Spotify documents an explicit-content switch and a Family manager block. It doesn’t say whether a member can turn that block off. Those steps stay off the checklist until that’s clear. Spotify explicit content
- Managed accounts and Spotify Kids. Managed accounts have a PIN, and Spotify Kids can lock Grown ups with a PIN. Shared playlists can still include explicit songs. The override question above is still open, so these aren’t checklist steps yet. Spotify Kids
Gemini1
What we couldn't confirm
- Settings for ages 13–17. No official page for teen Gemini settings was found. Nothing is listed for that age. Under 13, Gemini stays off until a parent turns it on. Gemini and Family Link