---
title: "How to Set Up Parental Controls on a Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 | The Plain Manual"
description: "Set up Nintendo Switch parental controls with the app or on the console: age ratings, play-time limits, bedtime, GameChat, a safe PIN and eShop spending."
---

# How to Set Up Parental Controls on a Nintendo Switch or Switch 2

[Everyday Gadgets](https://ajmm.org/category/everyday-gadgets/)

To set up parental controls on a Nintendo Switch or Switch 2, the best route is Nintendo’s free **Nintendo Switch Parental Controls** app on your own phone, linked to the console. You can also set basic restrictions on the console itself: open **System Settings** from the HOME Menu, choose **Parental Controls**, pick a restriction level and create a PIN. The console-only method blocks games by age rating, but daily play-time limits and bedtime only come from the app. This guide covers both, in the order Nintendo’s own support pages describe them.

If a Switch is under the tree this year, doing this on Christmas Eve, before the box is wrapped or right after it is opened, saves a lot of arguing in January.

## Console or App: Which Should You Use?

Nintendo offers three places to set controls: the console, the smartphone app, and the parent’s Nintendo Account online. They do different jobs.

| Control | On the console | In the app |
|---|---|---|
| Block games by age rating | Yes | Yes |
| Restrict chatting and messaging | Yes | Yes |
| Daily play-time limit | No | Yes |
| Bedtime | No | Yes |
| See which games were played and for how long | No | Yes |
| Allow List (let one game through despite its rating) | No | Yes |
| GameChat controls on Switch 2 for under-16s | No | Yes |

eShop spending is handled separately, through the parent’s Nintendo Account settings, which you can reach from the app.

If you only have ten minutes, use the app. It covers everything the console does and more.

## What You Need First

- **A Nintendo Account for an adult (18 or over).** Create yours before you start. Nintendo’s Australian FAQ lists this as a requirement.
- **A smartphone** running iOS 15.0 or newer, or Android 8.0 or newer, for the app.
- **An internet connection on the console.** Nintendo notes that restrictions set in the app take effect once the console connects online.
- **A phone number on your Nintendo Account** if you want to manage GameChat on Switch 2.

One important point before you start: Nintendo says many parental controls apply to the **whole console**, not to each user. If siblings of different ages share one Switch, set the controls for the youngest. GameChat is the exception and is set per child.

## Method 1: Set Up Parental Controls With the App (Recommended)

1. Install **Nintendo Switch Parental Controls** from the App Store or Google Play on your phone, and sign in with your Nintendo Account.
2. On the Switch, select **System Settings** on the HOME Menu, scroll to **Parental Controls** and choose **Set Up Parental Controls**. The console shows a QR code that takes you to the app download page, and a way to link the console to the app.
3. Follow the prompts on your phone to link the console. The app will show it once linked.
4. In the app, tap **Parental Controls** in the lower-right corner.
5. Work through each setting: **Play-Time Limit**, **GameChat**, **Restricted Features**, **Allow List**, **PIN** and **Shared Parental Controls**.
6. Tap the red **Save** button after each change. It is easy to forget, and the change will not stick without it.

### Setting the play-time limit and bedtime

According to Nintendo’s US support page, daily limits run from No Limit up to six hours, and you can set different limits for different days, which helps if weekends are more relaxed. Bedtime can be set between 4:00 PM and 11:45 PM, with a morning restart between 6:00 AM and 9:00 AM. If both a daily limit and bedtime are switched on, whichever comes first applies.

When time runs out, you decide what happens. The app can show a notification on screen, or it can **suspend the software**, which puts the console to sleep. Nintendo says the player can usually pick up from the same spot once the restriction lifts, so a suspended game is not lost progress. From your phone you can also extend today’s limit by 5, 15 or 30 minutes, or an hour, or turn it off for the day.

A notification alone tends to get ignored. A suspension is firmer, but it can land mid-level. Many families talk this through in advance; WittyTeens has a practical piece on [ending a gaming session without a meltdown](https://wittyteens.com/ending-a-gaming-session-without-a-fight-the-5-minute-bridge-save-points-and-pausable-games/), built around save points and a five-minute warning.

### Restriction levels

You can pick a preset or choose Custom. The preset names depend on your region. Nintendo’s US page lists **Teen**, **Pre-Teen** and **Child**; the Australian FAQ lists Young Child, Child and Teen, matched to local classification ratings. Choosing a preset sets game ratings, communication and posting restrictions in one go. Changing any individual item turns it into Custom.

### GameChat on Switch 2

For players under 16 and supervised users, Nintendo says GameChat must be set up through the app before the child can use it. You approve friends one at a time and can add a note about each approval, then withdraw it later. Video chat can be blocked entirely or set to need your permission each session.

## Method 2: Set Up Parental Controls on the Console Only

If you do not have a smartphone, Nintendo’s US support page gives these steps:

1. Select **System Settings** on the HOME Menu.
2. Scroll to **Parental Controls**, then select **Set Up Parental Controls**.
3. Press the **X Button**, then select **Next** to skip the app setup.
4. Select **Restriction Level** and choose a preset or **Custom Settings**.
5. Select **Next**.
6. Create a PIN of 4 to 8 digits and select **OK**.
7. Enter the PIN again and select **OK**.

This blocks games above the chosen rating and limits communication. It does not give you play-time limits, bedtime or play history.

## Choosing and Protecting the PIN

The PIN is what stops a child simply switching everything off. Nintendo notes it is also needed to restore factory settings and to change some system settings, such as the date and time. That matters: changing the clock is an old trick for getting around time limits.

- **Avoid birthdays and house numbers.** Children know them.
- **Enter it out of sight.** Nintendo suggests undocking the console and typing it in handheld mode, or using Control Stick input, where each direction is a number from 1 to 8, Y is 9 and X is 0. Hold the + Button to switch to the keypad.
- **Write it down** somewhere only adults can find it.

## How to Change or Remove the Controls Later

On the console: **System Settings** > **Parental Controls** > **Change Settings**, enter your PIN, then adjust the restriction level and select **Save**. To remove them, choose **Delete Parental Controls** instead.

If you set things up through the app, unlinking the app from the console removes all console restrictions. Restrictions on the Nintendo Account, such as eShop spending, have to be lifted separately.

## Spending: Stop Surprise eShop Bills

Game purchases are controlled through the parent’s Nintendo Account rather than the console. Open your account settings (the app links there) and restrict eShop purchases for the child’s account. If your child receives eShop gift cards for Christmas, you may still want purchases to need your approval.

Spending limits work differently on each platform. Our guide on [setting screen time limits on a child’s phone](https://ajmm.org/how-to-set-screen-time-limits-on-your-childs-phone/) covers the same ideas for phones and tablets, and our guide to [shopping online safely](https://ajmm.org/how-to-shop-online-safely-without-getting-caught-out/) is worth reading if your card is saved on any family device.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Can I set different rules for each child on one Switch?

Mostly no. Nintendo says most controls apply to the whole console, so set them for the youngest player. GameChat settings on Switch 2 are the exception and are set per child.

### Does the Parental Controls app cost anything?

No. Nintendo lists it as free on iOS and Android, though normal mobile data charges may apply.

### Can my child get round the time limit by changing the clock?

Nintendo says the PIN is needed to change some system settings such as the date and time, so keep the PIN private.

### I forgot the Parental Controls PIN. What now?

If you linked the app, check the PIN setting inside it. Nintendo’s US support page describes how to locate or reset a forgotten PIN, and if you are still stuck, contact Nintendo Customer Service.

### Do these controls work on the original Switch as well as Switch 2?

Yes. The same app manages both, and Nintendo says up to eight consoles can be linked to one smart device. A few settings differ: VR restrictions apply only to the original Switch.

Sources: Nintendo Support, [How to set up, adjust or remove Parental Controls on Nintendo Switch 2](https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/68322/), and Nintendo Australia, [Parental Controls overview and FAQ](https://www.nintendo.com/au/support/articles/parental-controls-for-nintendo-switch-2-and-nintendo-switch-overview-faq/).

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