Netflix
A kids profile is easy to make and does very little on its own. What matters is locking the adult profiles, because otherwise your child is two taps away from all of them.
Menu names shift between software versions and between phone makers. If a name here does not match what you see, look for something close by rather than assuming the setting is gone.
There is a version built for younger children
A Kids profile, a profile setting in Netflix. Tick “For Kids” when you add a profile. It has a simpler layout, blocks access to account settings, and has no email of its own, so nobody can sign in with it directly.
Worth knowing: Setting a maturity rating above the kids level quietly switches the kid-safe features off. Put a profile lock PIN on your own profile too, or they will just tap across to it.
The official page for a Kids profileWhat to watch for
- A kids profile is pointless if the adult profiles have no PIN, and profile locks are off by default
- Each adult profile has to be locked separately
- A Kids profile's rating cannot be raised later, and Netflix's fix is to delete it and lose the history
Before you start
- Do this on a computer or in the mobile app. Most of it cannot be done from the TV app.
- You'll need your Netflix password a few times.
- 1
Make them their own profile
Ratings, autoplay and history are all set per profile, so a shared profile means none of it applies.
Manage Profiles → Add Profile → For Kids- Open Manage Profiles, then Add Profile.
- Name it, and tick the For Kids box for younger children.
- On a TV the label may read Kids Profile rather than For Kids.
The main account profile cannot be turned into a kids profile, and there is a limit of five profiles.
Who holds this: You set this from your own account, and your child cannot change it back.
- 2
Set the maturity rating
This is the main content control, and it applies to Netflix games as well as films and shows. Two things to watch. Setting a rating above the kids level switches off the kid-safe experience along with it. And a Kids profile that Netflix created automatically when you opened the account cannot be raised at all, so if you need a higher level you have to delete it and make a new profile.
Account → Profiles → Adjust parental controls- Go to Account, then Profiles, then Adjust parental controls.
- Pick the profile and verify it's you.
- Set the maturity rating and save.
Recommended by ageUnder 7 TV-Y7 / G 7–11 TV-Y7 / G 11–12 TV-PG / PG 13–15 TV-14 / PG-13 16–17 Agree it together Rating names vary by country. These are the US names; in the UK and Ireland you'll see BBFC ratings in the same place.
Who holds this: You set this from your own account, and your child cannot change it back.
Already done this?If a profile already has the wrong rating, lowering it works fine from Account, Profiles, Adjust parental controls. The one that catches people is narrower than it sounds: a default Kids profile that Netflix created when you first opened the account cannot be raised above the kids level. That one has to be deleted and remade. Viewing history can be hidden in bulk from the adult profile, but there is no official way to move history from one profile to another.
- 3
Lock every adult profile with a PIN
This is the step almost everyone misses, and without it the rest is decoration. A child who can tap back to your profile has no restrictions at all.
Account → Profiles → [adult profile] → Profile Lock- Go to Account, then Profiles, then pick an adult profile.
- Choose Profile Lock, then Create a Profile Lock.
- Set a 4-digit PIN and save.
- Repeat for every adult profile on the account.
Your child can no longer switch into an unrestricted profile.
On the main profile you can also turn on Require a PIN to add a new profile, which stops them making a fresh unrestricted one. Note that Extra Member accounts cannot use profile locks at all.
Who holds this: You set this from your own account, and your child cannot change it back.
- 4
Block specific titles if you need to
Netflix is the only one of the big streamers that lets you block an individual show.
Account → Profiles → Adjust parental controls → Title Restrictions- On the same parental controls screen, find Title Restrictions.
- Type the title and select it.
- Save.
Who holds this: You set this from your own account, and your child cannot change it back.
- 5
Turn off autoplay
Autoplay is what turns one episode into an evening, and the previews are what put things in front of them they were not looking for. It is set per profile, so switching it off on theirs leaves yours alone.
Account → Profiles → [child] → Playback settings- Go to Account, then Profiles, then the child's profile, then Playback settings.
- Turn off Autoplay previews and Autoplay next episode.
Recommended by ageUnder 7 Both off 7–11 Both off 11–12 Both off 13–15 Previews off at least 16–17 Their call Who holds this: You set this from your own account, and your child cannot change it back.
- 6
Add a device-level backstop
These settings only cover this one service. A device-level control catches the app they download next.
- Set up Screen Time, Family Link, Microsoft Family Safety or your console's own controls.
- Require your approval for new app downloads.
SafeStart has a separate guide for each of these. Pick your device on the home screen.
Safety check
- Child has their own profile
- Maturity rating set for their age
- Every adult profile has a PIN
- Autoplay turned off
- Titles blocked if needed
Worth talking about
- Watch the first episode of something new with them rather than vetting it alone.
- Agree what they do if something they start makes them uncomfortable: stop it and tell you.
Official sources
Menus move. If something on screen does not match these steps, check the official link above.