Limiting screen time on Xbox One

[Kermit power]

Afternoon all,

Does anyone know of a way to set screen time limits on the main user of an Xbox One?

I'm trying to limit my kids' time on it, but from what I can find online, I would need to set them up with child accounts on a Microsoft family account to do this.

The problem with this is that when I first set the thing up, I just put one account on there, and the whole family has used it ever since. This means that all their game progress and everything is on that account, and presumably if I got them to log in on new accounts, they'd lose it all?

I would imagine a Microsoft would also then expect me to pay for multiple Xbox Gold accounts!

Any thoughts? I'm wondering if I can set up a new adult member and make the existing one a child?

[Dave.]

Is there a scheduler on your router?

Set a static IP for it & limit it to the hours you want. Depends how old/clever they are to bypass it.

Or you could just, y'know, tell them?

[Pinoyuk]

Just bought one based on been told at the Microsoft shop in LOndon .That you can control the accounts in order to limit play time etc

[p1stonhead]

Can’t you know, just, make them turn it off?

Or take the controller?

[snuffy]

p1stonhead said:

Can’t you know, just, make them turn it off?

Or take the controller?

I've just mentioned this to the missus. She suggested taking the cable away.

[Kermit power]

p1stonhead said:

Can’t you know, just, make them turn it off?

Or take the controller?

If we're here, yes. Sometimes we aren't, as we've got these annoying things called jobs.

Take next Thursday as an example. I'll be overseas on work, and my wife won't get back until 22:30.

Should one of us pop home at 7pm to ensure they're off the Xbox? Maybe I could take the controllers with me, and therefore not allow them the time we're happy for them to have? Alternatively, maybe rather than being all sanctimonious, you could actually try contributing something worthwhile?

[p1stonhead]

Kermit power said:

p1stonhead said:

Can’t you know, just, make them turn it off?

Or take the controller?

If we're here, yes. Sometimes we aren't, as we've got these annoying things called jobs.

Take next Thursday as an example. I'll be overseas on work, and my wife won't get back until 22:30.

Should one of us pop home at 7pm to ensure they're off the Xbox? Maybe I could take the controllers with me, and therefore not allow them the time we're happy for them to have? Alternatively, maybe rather than being all sanctimonious, you could actually try contributing something worthwhile?

How old are these kids that you leave at home alone late at night but you also worry about their screen time?

I was expecting under ten but I assume they are mid-teens minimum?

And my suggestion of taking the controller still works if your wife takes it before work. If it’s only occasionally you aren’t at home to police it, I’m sure they can do without at all every now and then.

Or if they are teens, ignore it because they’ll most certainly outsmart you with technology

Edited by p1stonhead on Sunday 10th November 18:56

[Kermit power]

The boys are 11 & 14. They've also got a 16yr old sister, but she's not interested in the Xbox.

We're perfectly happy for them to have an hour or so each of an evening, just not being in it until 10 minutes before my wife gets home, and anyone who thinks just telling them not to is going to work is pretty naive!

So long as I can time limit the current account, I really don't think they can get round it, as they'd need my password and my mobile for the two factor authentication. They might be able to create a new account, I suppose, but then they'd have to find a way to pay for the Xbox Gold subscription, and more importantly, lose all their current progress.

[bigandclever]

No idea. This person seems to have managed it though ...

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/xbox/forum/all...

[SV_WDC]

Kermit power said:

I would imagine a Microsoft would also then expect me to pay for multiple Xbox Gold accounts!

Xbox Live Gold is shared across all accounts on the console with Xbox One:

https://support.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-one/xbox-live/...

[Kermit power]

SV_WDC said:

Kermit power said:

I would imagine a Microsoft would also then expect me to pay for multiple Xbox Gold accounts!

Xbox Live Gold is shared across all accounts on the console with Xbox One:

https://support.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-one/xbox-live/...

Ah, that's useful, thanks!

[Durzel]

Put a PIN on the HDMI input, or on the whole TV if you can’t do that.

[weeboot]

I'm pretty certain you can do screen time of some description on the xbox. You need the account they're using on the xbox to be a child account of yours, or restrict your own account.

Also, as has been mentioned, have you got parental controls on your internet router? I've defined a group of devices as kids stuff and applied a policy to that to shut down internet connections at a specific time. That's just on a BT Home Hub, so nothing fancy.

[VTECMatt]

If set up as a family you just need to go into their Microsoft accounts, pretty self explanatory on there, along with time restrictions.

[nickv]

Since I installed google wifi and put the original router into bridge mode
its great i can pause any device on the network or set schedules for the kids.

I can pause and un-pause remotely when away from the house. whilst on 4g or 3g

You set up firewall rules within your router to do similar, but any savy kid just needs to reset the router and it wipes out the schedules.

Sky broadband has similiar idea

The beauty of being able to pause individual devices is you can block your 11 year olds internet but leave your 15 year olds on, so you dont get your daughter phoning you and complaining there's no internet lol

Google wifi is brilliant very simple app to use, i just wish it's wifi signal was a little more powerfull

Edited by nickv on Monday 18th November 13:08

Edited by nickv on Monday 18th November 13:10