Nintendo Switch parental controls – what they do and how to enable them

Learn all about Nintendo Switch parental controls

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The Nintendo Switch, demographically, is very family-oriented. Not only is it filled to the brim with family-friendly exclusives likeMario Kart 8 DeluxeandAnimal Crossing: New Horizons, the portable nature of the device means that kids can continue to enjoy gaming while parents can take control of the TV, for example.

But that level of accessibility does come with its own set of concerns. If you have especially young children, it may be in your best interest to set limitations on the content they can access and play. That’s where theNintendo SwitchParental Controls mobile app comes in.

If you’ve ever thought about limiting your child’s playtime each day, or setting restrictions on games based on age rating or access to online content, the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app provides a highly customizable hub for managing play on the console.

However, accessing Nintendo Switch Parental Controls via a dedicated app as opposed to on the console itself may seem counterintuitive at first, but Nintendo has developed the app in such a way that parents can change settings on the fly without needing to interrupt playtime on the Switch. Read on, then, to learn all about Nintendo Switch parental controls, what they do and how to enable each setting.

The initial setup

Before you can start adjusting parental controls for the Nintendo Switch console, you’ll first need to download the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app. It’s available on both iOS and Android smartphones, and you just need to head to youroperating system’s app store, type ‘Nintendo Switch parental controls’ in the search bar and finally tap ‘Install’ to download the app to your phone.

Once you’ve downloaded the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app and have opened it on your phone, you’ll be prompted to sign into your Nintendo account and link it to the app. This way, the app will be able to communicate with your Nintendo Switch console. Once you’ve linked your account through the app, it will generate a 6-digit registration code that must be entered on your Switch.

On your Nintendo Switch console, then, head to ‘System Settings’ from the console’s dashboard. Navigate to the ‘Parental Controls’ submenu, and select ‘Parental Controls Settings.’

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You’ll then be prompted to download the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app, but as we’ve already done that here, our next step is to enter the registration code that’s displayed on the app. Select ‘Enter Registration Code’ and type in your 6-digit key.

If successful, the app will prompt you to look at the screen of your Nintendo Switch console, on which the final option to link your Nintendo account to the app shall appear. Select ‘Link’ and your console will now be linked to the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app.

Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app overview

Now that you’ve linked your console to the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app, the full suite of features it provides are now available to you. Let’s have a quick look at all the elements of the app, at a glance:

Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app settings

Finally, here’s a breakdown of all the different parental controls you can apply to the Nintendo Switch console. All of these settings can be freely adjusted at any time, with no need to reset the console while it’s being played. So feel free to experiment with the settings to find out what works best for you.

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Rhys is TRG’s Hardware Editor, and has been part of the TechRadar team for more than two years. Particularly passionate about high-quality third-party controllers and headsets, as well as the latest and greatest in fight sticks and VR, Rhys strives to provide easy-to-read, informative coverage on gaming hardware of all kinds. As for the games themselves, Rhys is especially keen on fighting and racing games, as well as soulslikes and RPGs.

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