For parents who worry that their children may be spending too much time online, or that they are using their screentime playing games instead of studying, Microsoft Family Safety provides a great way to monitor kids’ usage activity. This article will take a closer look at Microsoft Family Safety’s features for helping to keep family members safe when online, driving, or using smart devices.
What is Microsoft Family Safety?
Microsoft Family Safety is an application that enables families to better manage app use and screentime. With the help of Family Safety, parents can keep track of their children’s screen time and application usage, and establish limits as needed. Because Family Safety syncs with Android, Xbox, and Windows, it’s possible to establish time limits for applications and games that span a variety of devices so that children aren’t able to simply choose another device when trying to get around restrictions. In addition, parents can elect to block some apps fully so that children won’t have access.
Microsoft Family Safety also provides other safety features as well. This app makes it possible to incorporate search and web filters so that browsing is only possible on kind-friendly websites. In addition, Family Safety also offers location sharing for families. Microsoft’s location-clustering feature allows family members to see if others from their family are nearby.
In order to establish settings, any person whose usage will be monitored must be invited to be a part of the user’s online family. This means that they will each need to submit their phone number, email address, or create an Outlook account. After each member of the family accepts the invite, activity reporting and web filtering features can then be turned on for each device. Any restrictions that were created for a family member are displayed in their Family Safety dashboard. Up to six people can be included in a Family Safety family.
This application is available for free, as well as part of a Microsoft 365 Family subscription, which is a version of Microsoft 365 Personal that was created for multiple users.
Main Microsoft Family Safety Features
Microsoft Family Safety provides a variety of helpful features that ensure family members are responsibly using the internet, apps, and games:
- Content filtering allows parents to create a safer environment for their children to use when exploring online. With the help of Microsoft Edge, it blocks inappropriate games and apps, and also can be set to restrict browsing options to only children-friendly websites when kids are on Xbox, Android, or Windows devices.
- Users are able to set screentime limits for various apps, games, and devices. If screentime runs out, they then have the option of adding more. This app also provides activity summaries of usage.
- In addition to location-sharing features, Family Safety also provides options for location tracking. This means that children can share their current location with their parents, or that parents could find their kids on a map, and that they could save their most frequently visited locations.
- Families with young drivers can help their children establish safe driving habits with this app. Family Safety Premium subscriptions provide important information about the driving habits of family members, such as their maximum speed during a drive, the number of times they brake hard, and how often they use their phones. Safety reports can also be generated, as well as a driving history.
- In order to eliminate surprise spending in accounts that have purchase request emails, Family Safety can lock down surprise spending, which helps prevent unexpected credit card bills.
- Establishing time limits for app and internet usage in Family Safety can be done based on either time or schedule. For example, parents could specify a five-hour total limit on usage or could allow usage only during specified time windows. In addition, Family Link can provide schedules by the type of device as well, such as for Windows 10 devices or Xbox consoles, instead of for individual devices.
Benefits & Limitations of Microsoft Family Safety
Family Safety users find many benefits to using this app:
- The dashboard and app are user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing.
- Location tracking is precise. For example, location alerts can be tailored to meet family needs. If a parent wants to make sure their child or children made it to school, they can establish alerts for when they arrive at school, leave, or both.
- This app’s Spending feature provides a helpful way of helping children learn financial responsibility. Parents can add funds to their child’s account, or even link a credit card. Then, they can see the amount their kid is spending on games and apps, as well as the specific games and apps they are purchasing. Age limits can also be applied so that kids can’t buy adult games or apps. After this app is configured, parents will receive a notification each time an app is purchased on their child’s device, even free apps.
There are also a few limitations to this app for users to consider as well:
- When using Family Safety on an iOS device, the location features perform well, but web filtering and app blocking aren’t available.
- One of the main limitations of Family Safety is that it is not able to perform social media monitoring.
- Some users find this app to be very basic and thus limited in its capabilities.
- Mac OS users cannot monitor their family’s safety using this app.
- Time limits on devices are in one-hour increments, and the scheduling feature uses 30-minute blocks, which may not be convenient for all users.
- Filtering of websites only supports Edge.
- Safe Search is enforced only by Bing.
Despite these few drawbacks that limit Family Safety filtering and usage capabilities, this application provides a variety of features that can help keep your loved ones safe.
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