parental controls

Meaning

Features or settings included in television services, computer games, streaming services, and mobile devices that allow parents to restrict the access of children to inappropriate content.

Examples

• I need to set up parental controls on the tablet before letting my kids use it.

  I need to set up parental controls on the tablet before letting my kids use it.

• Many streaming platforms have strict parental controls to block mature content.

  Many streaming platforms have strict parental controls to block mature content.

• My teenager figured out how to bypass the parental controls we set on the home router.

  My teenager figured out how to bypass the parental controls we set on the home router.

• Parents can use parental controls to limit screen time during weekdays.

  Parents can use parental controls to limit screen time during weekdays.

• These parental controls let you filter out explicit language and violence in video games.

  These parental controls let you filter out explicit language and violence in video games.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I turned on the parental control on his computer.

  ✓ I turned on parental controls on his computer.

  The term is almost always plural ('parental controls') because it refers to a suite of settings rather than a single button.

• ✗ She put parental controls to her daughter.

  ✓ She set up parental controls for her daughter.

  Use 'set up... for [someone]' to indicate who the controls are meant to protect, or 'on [a device]' to indicate where they are applied.

Related Expressions

Practice

• If you don't want your kids watching horror movies, you should activate the ___.

  💡 Digital settings used by adults to restrict what children can view.

  Show answer

  parental controls

• He forgot the passcode to bypass the ___ on his smart TV.

  💡 The protective digital locks on devices.

  Show answer

  parental controls