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SafeScroll 👨‍👩‍👧 All ages · Parents 🇬🇧 UK Settings

Parent's Guide to Parental Controls
Platform by Platform

Step-by-step settings for the 10 platforms most used by UK children — TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnite, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Netflix, and Disney+.

ICO Children's Code Internet Matters UK NSPCC Verified 2025
Before you start: Parental controls are a safety net, not a solution. They work best alongside open conversations — a child who understands why restrictions exist is far more likely to behave safely online, including on devices and networks you don't control. Use this guide as a starting point, not a finishing line.

Quick reference — all 10 platforms at a glance

Platform
Minimum age
Key control available
Risk level
🎵 TikTok
13+ (COPPA/ICO)
Family Pairing, screen time, restricted mode
High
📸 Instagram
13+ (ICO)
Supervision, sensitive content filter, DM limits
High
▶️ YouTube
13+ / Kids app
YouTube Kids, Supervised mode, Restricted mode
Medium
🎮 Roblox
No minimum
Account restrictions, chat filter, PIN
High
⛏ Minecraft
No minimum
Microsoft Family Safety, multiplayer off
Lower
🏗 Fortnite
13+ (Epic)
Parental controls PIN, voice chat off, spending limit
Medium
👻 Snapchat
13+ (ICO)
Family Centre, location sharing, contact limits
High
💬 WhatsApp
16+ (UK GDPR)
Privacy settings only — no parental mode
High
🎬 Netflix
No minimum
Kids profile, content maturity ratings, PIN lock
Lower
✨ Disney+
No minimum
Kids profile, content ratings, PIN protection
Lower

Step-by-step settings — each platform

🎵
TikTok
ICO minimum age: 13

How to access settings

Open TikTok → Profile (bottom right)
Tap ☰ (top right) → Settings and Privacy
Family Pairing: requires both parent and child accounts
For Screen Time: Settings → Digital Wellbeing

Key controls to activate

Family Pairing — links your account to manage their settings remotely
Restricted Mode — filters content flagged as mature
Screen Time Management — set daily limit and PIN-protect it
DMs off — under 16s: Settings → Privacy → Direct Messages → Off
Search off — prevents access to unrestricted search results
⚠ Note: Restricted Mode does not block all mature content — it reduces its likelihood. Family Pairing gives the most control but requires your child to consent to linking. Under-13s should not have accounts; if they do, request removal via TikTok's privacy request form.
📸
Instagram
ICO minimum age: 13

How to access settings

Instagram app → Profile → ☰ → Settings and activity
Supervision: requires teen to approve the link
Parent: open your own Instagram → Settings → Supervision
Content filters: Settings → Sensitive Content Control

Key controls to activate

Supervision — view their followers, set time limits, see time spent
Sensitive Content Control — set to "Limit Even More"
Private account — Profile → ☰ → Settings → Account Privacy → toggle on
Restrict DMs — under 16 accounts: only people they follow can message
Daily limit reminder — Settings → Your activity → Time spent
⚠ Note: Instagram's Supervision tools are only available in some regions and require teen agreement. If your child is under 13, Meta's process for age reporting is at instagram.com/help. A private account alone is not sufficient protection.
▶️
YouTube
13+ main app / YouTube Kids for under-13s

How to access settings

YouTube app: Profile picture → Settings → General
Supervised account: families.google.com → your child → YouTube
YouTube Kids: separate app — set up via parent account
Restricted Mode (browser): scroll to bottom of youtube.com → Restricted Mode

Key controls to activate

YouTube Kids app — for under-13s; content curated for age appropriateness
Supervised Google Account — manage content level (Explore, Explore More, or Most of YouTube)
Restricted Mode — filters mature content on the standard app (not 100% reliable)
Watch history off — families.google.com → YouTube History → Pause
Autoplay off — reduces rabbit-hole risk; toggle in YouTube app settings
⚠ Note: Restricted Mode is not a complete filter — it relies on community flagging and automated systems. For children under 13, YouTube Kids is significantly safer than Restricted Mode on the main app.
🎮
Roblox
No minimum age — settings critical for under-13s

How to access settings

Log into your child's account at roblox.com
Top right → Settings (gear icon)
Privacy tab for chat and contact settings
Security tab for PIN and account restrictions

Key controls to activate

Account Restrictions — limits to curated games and disables chat entirely
Chat settings — set to "Friends" only (not "Everyone")
Parent PIN — prevents your child changing settings; set under Security tab
Spending limit — Settings → Billing; prevents Robux purchases without approval
Under-13 filter — auto-enabled if birthdate is entered correctly on sign-up
⚠ Note: Roblox has a high rate of contact from unknown adults. Even with chat set to "Friends," children can be added by strangers. Enable Account Restrictions for under-10s. Regularly review your child's friends list.
⛏
Minecraft
No minimum age — lower risk in single-player

How to access settings

Microsoft account: account.microsoft.com/family
Add child to Family Safety group
In-game: Settings → Multiplayer to control server access
Xbox app (if applicable): Microsoft Family Safety app

Key controls to activate

Multiplayer off — single-player only; removes contact risk entirely
Microsoft Family Safety — screen time limits, spending approval, content filters
Realms only — limits online play to invite-only private servers you control
Chat restrictions — via Microsoft account; restrict to friends-only communication
⚠ Note: Minecraft single-player and Realms (invite-only) carry very low contact risk. Public servers (especially large third-party ones) carry higher risk — apply the same scrutiny as any other online multiplayer game.
🏗
Fortnite
13+ (Epic Games); PEGI 12

How to access settings

epicgames.com → log into your child's account
Account → Parental Controls
Set a 6-digit parental PIN to lock all settings
In-game: Settings → Audio for voice chat controls

Key controls to activate

Parental Controls PIN — prevents any setting changes without your approval
Voice chat off — removes real-time communication with strangers
Text chat off — Parental Controls → Disable text chat
Spending limit — set a monthly V-Bucks spending cap
Auto-reject friend requests — prevents unknown players adding your child
⚠ Note: Voice chat with random squad members is the primary risk. Turn this off and set to "friends only" if they do want voice communication. Spending on cosmetics can escalate quickly — set spending limits as a priority.
👻
Snapchat
ICO minimum age: 13

How to access settings

Snapchat app → Profile (top left) → ⚙️ Settings
Family Centre: Settings → Family Centre → Invite your child
Teen must accept the invitation for Family Centre to activate
Privacy: Settings → Privacy Controls

Key controls to activate

Family Centre — see who they're talking to and manage settings
Contact settings — Privacy → Contact Me → set to "My Friends" only
Location sharing off — Snap Map → Ghost Mode (critical for safety)
Sensitive content filter — Family Centre → Sensitive Content Controls
Story visibility — Privacy → View My Story → Friends Only
⚠ Note: Snap Map (real-time location sharing) is enabled by default and visible to all friends. Switch to Ghost Mode immediately. Snapchat's disappearing messages are a significant safeguarding risk — screenshots can still be taken.
💬
WhatsApp
UK GDPR minimum age: 16

How to access settings

WhatsApp → Settings (bottom right on iPhone / top right on Android)
Privacy settings are the main tool — no dedicated parental mode exists
Settings → Privacy for all key controls

Key controls to activate

Profile photo — Privacy → Profile Photo → My Contacts
Last seen / online → set to "My Contacts" or "Nobody"
Groups → Privacy → Groups → My Contacts (prevents strangers adding them)
Status → set to "My Contacts" only
Silence unknown callers → Settings → Privacy → Calls → Silence Unknown Callers
⚠ Note: WhatsApp has no parental control mode. The legal minimum age in the UK is 16. If your under-16 uses WhatsApp, the privacy settings above are essential — especially Groups and Calls. Review group memberships regularly with your child.
🎬
Netflix
No minimum age — profile controls available

How to access settings

netflix.com → Account (top right) → Profile & Parental Controls
Select your child's profile
Change settings → Viewing Restrictions
Or create a dedicated Kids profile from the home screen

Key controls to activate

Kids profile — limits to age-appropriate content automatically (under-12 content)
Content maturity rating — set a maximum rating per profile (e.g. PG, 12, 15)
PIN lock — requires PIN to change profile or access adult content
Block specific titles — Account → Profile Controls → add title to blocked list
✨
Disney+
No minimum age — Kids Mode available

How to access settings

disneyplus.com → Profile (top right) → Edit Profile
Or in app: Profile icon → Edit Profiles
Kids Mode: toggle on per-profile
PIN: Account → Parental Controls

Key controls to activate

Kids Profile — restricts to content rated U and PG; Star content hidden
Content Rating Lock — PIN required to watch above a set rating
Profile PIN — prevents switching to adult profiles
Star content off — hides the adult/general entertainment section entirely on Kids profiles

Want age-specific guidance for your family?

Parental controls are the first layer. Our age-specific guides give you the conversation scripts, boundary frameworks, and weekly routines to build real digital resilience in your children.

Browse the guides →

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Sources: ICO Children's Code · Internet Matters UK · NSPCC Online Safety · Platform support documentation (TikTok, Meta, Google, Roblox, Epic, Snap, WhatsApp, Netflix, Disney)