Nintendo Switch parental controls: the app, play time and spending limits
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A Nintendo Switch is easy to hand to a child, and just as easy to forget about until the bedtime argument or the surprise bill. Nintendo gives parents three separate tools: the free Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app, the console's own settings, and the restrictions on a child's Nintendo Account. They do different jobs, so it is worth setting up all three.
The Parental Controls app
The app is free for smartphones and is the most flexible option. You need a Nintendo Account of your own as an adult, and you link the app to the console by entering a registration code shown in the console's System Settings under Parental Controls.
Once linked, you can:
- Set a daily play-time limit, with different limits for each day of the week, so school nights can be shorter than weekends.
- Choose what happens when time runs out. By default an alarm appears on screen and the child can carry on. You can instead switch on suspend software, which pauses the game when the limit is reached.
- See activity. The app shows which games were played and for how long each day, with a monthly summary.
- Restrict games by age rating using the rating system for your region, or allow specific titles by hand.
- Grant extra time for a special occasion from your phone, without touching the console.
A tip on suspension: an instant stop can mean lost progress if the game has not saved. Many families leave the alarm on with suspension off at first, agree a rule about finishing the current level, and only switch on suspension if the rule keeps being broken.
Settings on the console itself
If you would rather not install an app, you can set restrictions directly on the console under System Settings, then Parental Controls. This covers age-rating restrictions, limits on posting screenshots to social media and limits on communicating with others. Play-time limits and the activity reports, however, need the app.
Everything is protected by a PIN. Pick one your child cannot guess, and do not type it while they are watching.
Spending limits live in the Nintendo Account
This catches many parents out: the app and the console settings do not control money. Purchases are restricted through the child's Nintendo Account, which you manage from your own account as part of a Nintendo Account family group.
From the family group settings you can:
- Restrict purchases in the Nintendo eShop entirely, or allow them.
- Limit what can be viewed or bought based on age ratings.
- Keep payment details off the child's account so nothing can be charged without you adding funds.
A common setup is to block card payments on the child's account and give them eShop credit for birthdays or pocket money. When the balance runs out, it runs out. Check your bank statements for the first few months anyway.
Online play and chat
Online play needs a Nintendo Switch Online membership, and the family membership can cover several accounts. On a Nintendo Switch 2, GameChat adds voice and video chat. A parent or guardian must be involved in setting it up for players under 16 and for supervised accounts, and the app lets you approve which friends a child may chat with and decide whether video is allowed.
The Parental Controls settings can also restrict communication with other players, and it is worth reviewing your child's friend list together now and then.
A sensible starting setup
- Create a child account inside your family group rather than letting them use yours.
- Link the Parental Controls app and set weekday and weekend limits you can both live with.
- Restrict eShop purchases and remove any saved card from the child's account.
- Set age-rating restrictions for your region.
- Review the monthly summary together rather than using it as a surveillance tool.
Settings and features change with system updates, so check the Parental Controls section of Nintendo's support site if something looks different on your console.
How do you manage screen time with your children? Share what has worked for your family in the comments.