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How to set up a Windows Family Safety account for a child
In This Article
Microsoft provides powerful parental controls in the form of its Family Safety settings, but both guardians and children have to be enrolled online. Here’s a how to set up a safe and secure managed account for your child.
While the set-up process is a little involved, once configured, Microsoft Family Safety makes it easy to set and agree clear, helpful and healthy limits on the computer and internet use of young people in your care.
However, just turning parental controls on and hoping for the best isn’t a winning long-term strategy. It has to go hand-in hand with evolving conversations about online safety. It’s also important to be honest and explain that you are using content filtering. Even young children can understand that not everything on the internet is for them and that you’re filtering out things that might scare, trick or upset them.
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Step1
Search for your Microsoft account info
To start with, let’s make sure you’re logged into your Microsoft administrator account. Type “Your info” into the Windows search bar, click the “Your account info” result that shows up at the top.
Step2
Make sure you’re signed into your Microsoft account on Windows
To check, and check that you’re signed in on the account you expect to be. Make sure it shows an email address – this tells you that you’re using an online Microsoft account to, and that it lists you as “Administrator”.
Step3
Sign in to Microsoft Family Safety
Go tohttps://family.microsoft.com/and sign in using your Microsoft account – the one that your Windows license and is associated with, and which you use when signing in to Windows. If you have no associated family members, you’ll be prompted to create one immediately via a pop-up, but we’re going to take the conventional route – either close the pop-up or skip to step 3 to follow along with the tutorial.
Step4
Add another user
Click “Add a family member”, next to your own profile.
Step5
Enter their email address
If they have a phone number or email address, enter it here. If not, you’ll be invited to create a Microsoft Outlook email account for them. Any email address or phone number can be used, however. If your kids already have Microsoft accounts, for example for Minecraft or Xbox, then you should use the address associated with these.
Step6
Confirm the address
Click Next.
Step7
Choose their role
Set the user up a member or an organiser. If they’re a co-parent, guardian or other person you wish to give administrative powers to, they should be an organiser. Otherwise, select member here. I’m going to create a member account for child in the following steps.
Step8
Click Next
The Next button will turn green once you’ve chosen a role. Click it.
Step9
Confirm your humanity
Enter the captcha
Step10
Click Invite
And then click the Invite button.
Step11
Have your family member sign up
Your family member will receive an email at the account you added, inviting them to join Microsoft Family. They should click the Join now link.
Step12
They then click join on the website
The “Join now” link in the email will take them to the Microsoft family group account creation website. They should click Join now here, too.
Step13
Sign into your member’s Microsoft account
If there’s a Microsoft account already associated with the email address you invited, they’ll be prompted to sign in. Click Next and enter the password when prompted. If they don’t already have a Microsoft account, they’ll be prompted to set one up – click “Create one!” and follow the on-screen instructions to do so – their account details should be saved in a password manager.
Step14
Optional: Create an account
If they don’t have a Microsoft account they – or you – will have to create one. Click “Create one!”
Step15
Click Next on the Create account screen
Check that you have the address right and click Next
Step16
Create a password
Create astrong and memorable password– this should ideally be stored in a password manager but you may need to write it down while you’re working through account creation.
Step17
Click Next
Once you’re entered the password you want, click Next to confirm it.
Step18
Enter their name
Enter your child’s first and last name here. You can use a pseudonym for extra privacy.
Step19
Click Next
Once you’re happy with that, click Next.
Step20
Enter their date of birth
You’ll want to accurately enter your child’s date of birth here, as it affects both the content filtering options for their account and can appear as a security question if access to the account is lost.
Step21
Click Next
Once you’ve filled in their birthdate, click next.
Step22
Get an email verification code
A four-digit code will be sent to the email address associated with the account you’re creating. Copy this number.
Step23
Paste it in
And paste or type it into the next sign-up step in your browser. Untick the “I would like information, tips and offers about Microsoft products and services” box while you’re here.
Step24
Click Next
Tap the next button to verify.
Step25
Click Next when asked to prove you’re not a robot
Your member will be informed that they should solve a puzzle to prove they’re not a robot. Click Next here.
Step26
Solve the puzzle
This kid-friendly captcha alternative will ask them to identify an animal, fruit or similar. If your child if over 13, they should be signed in after completing this step. Go to step 36.
Step27
For under-thirteens: Parental consent required
If your child is under 13, they’ll be asked to have you provide consent for their account. Click “I’m a parent or guardian”.
Step28
Click Continue
Once you’ve made a choice, you’ll be able to click Continue. Do do.
Step29
Sign in to give your child consent
Enter your own Microsoft account email address
Step30
Click Next
Once you’ve done that, you’ll be able to click Next. Do so.
Step31
Opt for them not to stay signed in
They’ll be asked if they want to stay signed in. If you’re doing this set up via your account, click No.
Step32
Read the consent form
Read the consent form. It’s short, informative and details exactly what information Microsoft will have and hold about your child.
Step33
Sign the consent form
Scroll to the second page, read it and, if you agree, type your name into the signature field.
Step34
Click Yes, I agree
Click the Yes, I agree button to give your consent to Microsoft holding data about your child.
Step35
Allow non-Microsoft apps
You’ll next be asked if you want to allow your child to be able to sign into non-Microsoft apps with their account. While this may allow some third parties to collect data as described in the box, it provides a better users experience. Tick the box.
Step36
Press Continue
The Continue button will now be clickable. Click it.
Step37
See default account settings and sign out
Your under-thirteen now has a Microsoft account and is part of your Family Safety group. Click Sign out to sign out of your own account and go to to Step 38.
Step38
For over-thirteens: Confirm that they want to join
Finally, Family Safety explains some of the things they’ll be able to do with their account, such as requesting that an adult buy them Microsoft Store software, opt to share their activity or location with family members, and have content filters and screen time limits set for them. They should click Join now, but there’s still time to switch to a different account if you need to.
Step39
Take a look at their member account
Your new user will be logged into their member account. Any Microsoft devices your member’s account is already logged into will appear here. If there are none, the next step is to connect a device. We’re going to use a Windows PC, but Windows PCs, Xbox consoles, and Android and iOS drives can all be connected to Microsoft Family Safety.
Step40
Open Windows user management
In Windows, use the taskbar search box to search for “add user”, then click on “Add, edit, or remove other users” in the results.
Step41
Find your member in Family & other users
Your new family member’s account name or email address should appear in your user list with text reading “can’t sign in” next to it.
Step42
Select them
Click on their account name.
Step43
Click Allow
Now click the Allow button that appears below their account name
Step44
Give your new family member access to Windows
Click allow again when asked to confirm that they should be allowed to sign in.
Step45
Log out of Windows
Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete and click “Sign out”.
Step46
Time to sign in as another user
You’ll find yourself at the Windows sign-in screen.
Step47
Select your new Windows user
Click once, anywhere on the screen and have your new user select their account name from the list at the bottom left. They should now click “Sign in”.
Step48
Have them sign in
A Microsoft account login box will appear, requesting them to enter their password. Do that, then click Sign in.
Step49
Configure their Windows account to use a PIN
They’ll be prompted to create a Personal Indentifiction Numer for login – this is a good idea, particularly if theirstrong master passwordis long or difficult to type. With that done, they’ll be logged into their new Windows account. This will take a few minutes as the new account is set up by Windows
Step50
Allow OneDrive backups
Backups are generally desirable and an automatic backup of key folders, such as Documents, can help avoid your kids losing any important files in case of hard disk failures. Select
Step51
Click Next
Read through the explanation and click Next.
Step52
Deny app location sharing
You’re about to be given lots of choices to make about Windows’ initial settings. It’s tedious, so you should do this by yourself for smaller children. For anyone below the age of majority, always consider configuring Windows’ account settings for maximum privacy. Select No when asked to “Let Microsoft and apps use your location”.
Step53
Click Accept
Click Accept to move on to the next question.
Step54
Deny inking and typing diagnostic data
Click no to prevent Microsoft from sending back data about how the user types or uses a stylus when writing.
Step55
Click Accept to move on
Click Accept.
Step56
Refuse tailored experiences
You don’t want Microsoft to record or base advertising on a child’s internet and computer use, so select No here.
Step57
Accept and move one
Click Accept to go to the next question.
Step58
Deny apps the ability to use advertising ID
More ad tracking here. Say no.
Step59
Click Accept
Click Accept to move on again.
Step60
Click Start
Having made it through that, click the Start menu when Windows’ main interface loads.
Step61
Open the user list
Click the user profile icon – the top icon on the narrow the left-hand column.
Step62
Select your account from the list
Click your own username to return to the login screen.
Step63
Log in
Click your user name at bottom left to log back into your own account. In this example, my admin account requires a PIN to log in.
Step64
Open your web browser
I’m selecting Microsoft Edge here.
Step65
Configure their access privileges
Go to tohttps://account.microsoft.com/family/. You should see your PC listed as connected to your new member’s. Click on your child’s member icon to configure their screen time, content filtering and access settings. You’ll have to do this for younger children, but most kids – and certainly tweens and younger teens – should be involved in configuration by mutual consent.
Now you’ve created accounts for your family members, I’ll take you through the ins and outs of Family Safety configuration and Microsoft Parental controls in my next tutorial.
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FAQs
Make sure your PC is connected to the internet and that you are logged in on your PC with the account that you’re using to manage Family Safety, as an administrator. If that’s all correct, click Add a family member to send another invitation.
No. Although Windows 7 allowed you to apply content filtering and parental controls to any account on the PC, managed Family Safety accounts now must be registered online with Microsoft.
No, they’re free, and adding extra accounts to a Windows system that you have a Windows license for is also free.
Microsoft Family accounts are limited to a total of six members and organisers.
Yes. Although children’s data is protected under UK law and Microsoft provides information on revoking consent for the company to handle the data of the children you’re responsible for, signing kids up for an online service always means that someone – Microsoft in this case – will have access to the data they generate. However, Family Safety means that you’ll be better able to manage your kids’ interacting with the online services they already use, making it a net benefit once the children in your care are old enough to have Microsoft accounts anyway.
No. I use one of my own Microsoft accounts to give my child controlled access to specific Microsoft services, and you can take the same approach in setting up your family controls. Keep an eye on which software purchases are associated with which accounts to avoid future angst, though. When your child is old enough to have their own software license keys, they should probably have their own account to hold them in, even if you don’t give them full control over it until they’re older.
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K.G. Orphanides is a writer and developer whose areas of expertise include internet security, VPNs, Linux for the desktop, small-scale game development, software preservation and computer audio techno…
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Why trust our journalism?
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
