The Device Lockdown Scoreboard
Every device gets a Control-Depth score (how much you can genuinely lock down with the free built-in tools), a one-line verdict, and the quick wins to switch on tonight.
A note on "control depth". A 5 doesn't mean "set and forget" — it means the platform gives you real, working free tools. The deep step-by-step walkthroughs for each device live in the Ultimate Parents Guide; the free quick wins below are the ones I'd do first.
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Android phones & tablets
Google Family Link
If you install Family Link before your child signs in, you get serious control. Add it after and you'll be fighting the device.
Free quick wins
- Create a Google account for your child via Family Link before first sign-in
- Lock Google Play to age-appropriate ratings + require approval for new apps
- Turn on SafeSearch and YouTube's supervised-account settings
- Set daily limits, bedtime and 'lock now' for school nights
iPhone & iPad
iOS / iPadOS Screen Time
The deepest free toolkit going — once Screen Time is on a child Apple Account, almost everything else falls into line.
Free quick wins
- Set up the device on a child Apple Account so Screen Time and Ask to Buy actually apply
- Turn on Communication Safety to blur nudity in Messages, AirDrop and FaceTime
- Set Content & Privacy Restrictions: web content limited, explicit music off, age-rated apps
- Daily Downtime + App Limits — the bit that protects bedtime
Gaming consoles
PlayStation, Xbox & Nintendo Switch family controls
All three majors have proper parental controls now — chat, spend and play time are the three to lock down first.
Free quick wins
- Create a child account linked to your adult account on every console
- Turn voice chat with strangers off; restrict messaging to friends only
- Require your approval for every purchase + hide your saved card
- Set a daily play-time limit and an auto-shutdown at bedtime
Mac & Windows PCs
Apple Family Sharing / Microsoft Family Safety
Both have decent free family tools — the trick is making your kid a child account, not a second adult.
Free quick wins
- Make the child a child user (not an admin) on the Mac or PC
- Mac: turn on Screen Time + Communication Safety from your Apple Account
- Windows: switch on Microsoft Family Safety — web filter, app limits, screen-time schedule
- Block the browser installing new browsers; lock to Safari or Edge with filtering on
Home Wi-Fi & router
Network-level filtering (router + DNS)
Network-level filtering catches the stuff that slips past a single device — but how deep you can go depends on your router.
Free quick wins
- Switch your DNS to a family-safe resolver to block adult sites across every device
- Use your router's built-in parental controls — most have time blocks per device
- Put kids' devices on a separate Wi-Fi profile so rules apply automatically
- Turn on guest Wi-Fi for visitors so it doesn't sit on the kids' filtered network
Smart TVs & streaming sticks
Netflix / Disney+ / YouTube profiles & PINs
Shallow controls, but the basics matter — kid profiles + a PIN on the adult profile stops most accidental exposure.
Free quick wins
- Create a kid profile on every streaming app (Netflix, Disney+, Prime, Stan)
- Set a 4-digit PIN on your adult profile so kids can't switch into it
- Turn autoplay off — especially on YouTube and the kids' streaming profiles
- Use YouTube Kids on the TV instead of regular YouTube where you can
App Scoreboard
App-by-app honest verdicts — the apps your kids are actually asking for.
See the scoreboardWant it done for you?
Every device, every app, screen by screen — inside The Ultimate Parents Guide.
Ultimate Guide · $13.60/year