2026-02-10
Ok
You can’t completely switch of the playtime which is really not handy. Seems you are forced to allow your child 15 min playing time each day.
Updating
Description
Nintendo Switch Parental Controls™ is a free app that allows you to easily monitor your child's use of the Nintendo Switch 2 or Nintendo Switch console.
(Please note: A Nintendo Switch 2 or Nintendo Switch console is required to use this app.)
◆ Set a daily play time limit
You can set how long you'd like your child to be able to play for each day. It's possible to choose different settings for each day of the week, and you can also set it so that the game on the console is suspended as soon as the play time limit is reached.
◆ Manage your child's GameChat settings
If you choose to allow your child to use GameChat, you can manage which friends they can chat with and decide whether they can use video chat.
Note: The GameChat feature can only be used on Nintendo Switch 2 consoles.
◆ View your child's play activity
You can easily check which games your child plays and for how long. You'll also receive a monthly overview of their gameplay activity.
◆ Set restrictions based on your child's age
You can choose to restrict the games your child can play and the features they can use based on their age.
Attention:
● In order to use the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app, a parent or guardian (aged 18 or above) needs to have a Nintendo Account.
● You can set purchasing restrictions, including restrictions on purchasing products and services in Nintendo eShop, in the Nintendo Account settings.
● In order to make use of all of the features and settings available in the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app, all linked Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch consoles need to be using the latest system version.
● Please see support.nintendo.com for details about the GameChat feature.
What's New in Version 2.3.0
・ The app now supports dark mode. The app will automatically change to dark mode based on your smart device's settings.
・ "1hr" can now be selected under "Extend the Play Time Limit for the Day".
・ It's now possible to set individual play start times for each day of the week under "Detailed Bedtime Settings".
・ It's now possible to change the display order in the list of supervised consoles.
・ Other small improvements have also been made.
Seller
Information
Developer
Categories
Version
2.3.0
Size
83 MB
Game Center
No
VPP Device Licensing
Yes
Rating
Rated 17+ for the following:
Unrestricted Web Access
Compatibility
iOS 16.0 or later
Devices
iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone SE (2nd generation), iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone SE (3rd generation), iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 16e, iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air, iPad (5th Generation) Wi-Fi, iPad (5th Generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad (6th generation) Wi-Fi, iPad (6th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro, iPad Pro (Cellular), iPad Pro (9.7-inch), iPad Pro (9.7-inch) (Cellular), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (10.5-inch), iPad Pro (10.5-inch) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (11-inch), iPad Pro (11-inch) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air, iPad Air (Cellular), iPad Air 2, iPad Air 2 (Cellular), iPad Air (3rd generation), iPad Air (3rd generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini Retina, iPad mini Retina (Cellular), iPad mini 3, iPad mini 3 (Cellular), iPad mini 4, iPad mini 4 (Cellular), iPad mini (5th Generation), iPad mini (5th Generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad (7th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air (4th Generation) (Wi-Fi), iPad Air (4th Generation) (Wi-Fi + Cellular), iPad (8th generation) Wi-Fi, iPad (8th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th Generation), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th Generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad (9th Generation), iPad (9th Generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini (6th Generation), iPad mini (6th Generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air (5th generation), iPad Air (5th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 11-inch (4th generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (4th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th generation), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad (10th generation), iPad (10th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air 11-inch (M2) Wi-Fi, iPad Air 13-inch (M2) Wi-Fi, iPad Air 13-inch (M2) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) Wi-Fi, iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) Wi-Fi, iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini (A17 Pro) Wi-Fi, iPad mini (A17 Pro) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad (A16) Wi-Fi, iPad (A16) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air 11-inch (M3) Wi-Fi, iPad Air 11-inch (M3) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air 13-inch (M3) Wi-Fi, iPad Air 13-inch (M3) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 11-inch (M5) Wi-Fi, iPad Pro 11-inch (M5) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 13-inch (M5) Wi-Fi, iPad Pro 13-inch (M5) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPod touch (6th Generation), iPod touch (7th generation)
Languages
English, Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish
App Store: Customer Ratings
Ratings & Reviews
4.7 of 5 (28,475 Ratings)
App Store: Customer Reviews
2026-02-01
More control
As a parent it would be handy to be able to pick friends that can go online on certain games and be alerted when any online thing is attempted without my permission
2026-01-20
Awful
Updated app will report on kids usage but does not allow screen controls to be changed - you need the old version for that
Utter rubbish
But then, nobody buys Nintendo for the parent app so this is a tick box exercise for the faceless corp
2026-01-14
Details Bedtime Setting Time need change
I love this parental app that control nitendo switch but details bedtime settings time need changing as it only allowed till 9 am in the morning . Which after 9 am they can play. It might be better that can go above that 10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22 . Same time setting you do for bed. Also brighter and volume need to be fix by parent. So kids can’t change it . Otherwise too bright playing damage eye and ear .Thanks to see changes in future update.
2026-01-13
Good app
The app is great if you want to set gaming times and keep track on the game you have complete control as the guardian over your switch or switch 2 great app or you can just have to add security to your switch .
2026-01-06
Very handy
Super handy for monitoring game time for the kids and keeping track on usages
2026-01-05
Nintendo app
Helpful app makes console way easier to use
2026-01-03
Easy but not intuitive
There’s a couple of odd settings (the preference seems to be for your child to be able to just play) but once familiar with these it’s easy enough to
2026-01-01
Good app
Very good feature. Would be nice to have time based restriction and not just hours of the day.
Overall a very good app
2025-12-30
Switch app froze
Bee using the app for my lads switch for the last year or two and no problems everything worked as it should until recently, got my son the new switch for Christmas and added it to the “switch” app no problem but when trying to do the “parental app” a screen comes up telling me about the features of the new switch but then won’t go off. No matter how many times I open the app or press “OK” at the bottom of the screen the information stays up, I’ve even tried deleting the app and reinstalling but still the same
2025-12-01
A good and necessary app
I think this app is good at doing what it says on the tin!
2025-11-11
Parental
This app can see what your kids do on the switch
2025-11-01
Good app
Good app
2025-11-01
Easy and Safe
Super easy way to keep the kids safe whilst playing games.
2025-11-01
Great app
Great app to control time, and monitor how long is spent on the Nintendo! Just wish you could control the individual games on it…
2025-10-02
Unfit for purpose: Missing Critical Features
The main one being the ability to add time in an ad-hoc manner. All the issues we have with this app boil down to this. I can't tell you the number of meltdowns that have been caused by virtue of this not being available.
To give some context, the child in question has Autistic Spectrum Disorder and like many of these Neuro Diverse people, there is a problem with impulse control. The research we did when our child asked for a Nintendo Switch for Christmas assured us that parental controls existed for it and were easily controllable from an app.
When we first realized these features were missing, I got onto their 'live online help' and asked if they would be implemented, as was told they had no way of knowing but it would be passed on as a suggestion. FIVE YERS LATER, they're still not there.
Had I realised the parental controls were so bad, would definitely NOT have bought a switch but far too invested in the overpriced Nintendo ecosystem now.
Went onto a Nintendo forum recently to ask if anyone knew what the situation was and, predictably, got a condescending reply about "have a conversation with your child" and "just take it away", which shows you the level of understanding non-parents and parents on neuro-typical children have.
Another issue is that you can only set the LATEST time the switch can be used not the EARLIEST time, it's set by default to 6am. So if we've forgotten to take the it away the night before (because hey, we're only human and we have a lot of stuff to deal with too) they can start playing before we get up, run out of time and be in a foul mood, or when they should be getting ready or leaving the house for school, causing everyone stress and anxiety.
This is because you CANNOT set the allotted time to 0 minutes so they always have a minimum of 15 minutes. If they ask for more time, you have to permanently set the allowed amount of time to what they need and it will stay like that until you set it back.
So when they've finished you have to remember to both take the Switch away AND reduce the time back to 15 minutes.
The other parental controls we use have all the features mentioned above and more. This includes Google (the best of them), Apple (the worst), Sony PlayStation and Microsoft's PC and XBox.
UPDATE for Nintendo Switch 2:
Well they finally added the ‘boost time for today only’ option, so that’s something. Will I give them an extra star for that? Hell no! It took them YEARS to add such a basic function.
Still can’t set minimum time to zero minutes OR a start time.
2025-10-01
PCs
Great parental control app! Can control from a distance and play summary is a useful feature!
2025-09-10
Controls
There should be an option to put a time limit on the device and it shuts off when time has lapsed.
2025-09-08
Good BUT..
Great but the problem is that even if we set an age limit on the store, you STILL see inappropriate games. I don’t want my 7yo to ask me what ‘sexy hentai girls’ are or if she can get the game because it looks cute. Sure you can’t buy the games, but the fact that she can still SEE inappropriate games is a huge flaw with the app.
2025-09-03
Critical features missing
App is ok but needs to add 2 features. 1. Wake time - I don’t want children waking up early to play. 2. Sign in as parent to avoid having to type long password on devices for purchases etc.
2025-09-01
Cool
I like it
2025-08-23
So thankful
Very good
2025-08-10
Great
I love looking at my or there’s game play times 5 star forshure
2025-08-09
Stops background music
Why when I load this app does it stop any music I’m listening too…
2025-08-01
Poorly implemented parental controls but some good features.
Parental controls are set per console not user, so everyone (even adults) are affected. Also, when the play limit is reached, an alert sounds on the console which stops after a minute or so you can just keep playing. It’s pointless. I do keep parental controls on with no limits set because it does log playtime per user per game, and that is quite useful.
2025-07-14
Needs a Wake Up time too
A great app that lets me see how much screen time they are having but would be great if a start time is on the app too. The bed time option is great but we need something to stop my son from sneaking down stairs and playing!! Please help a frustrated parent!!
2025-07-14
Latest update downgrades interface
Until the latest version,the interface was pretty good: mostly east to find things and set them up.
Now the interface is a mess: more complicated, but to no obvious purpose.
Things like time limits, bedtime etc are still there, but harder to find.
A classic example of ignoring "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" which makes the app annoying and less effective than it was.
2025-06-25
No suspend play option
Literally the only thing I want from this app is the ability to pause use of the switch and it has no functionality to do that. Seems a massive oversight for a patently app compared to say Amazon parent dashboard
2025-06-12
No block of specific apps
This app is badly missing the opportunity to block specific apps (for example YouTube)
2025-05-15
Where’s the rest?
It’s fine but what I really wanted it for was to limit game play time but to also ensure that he couldn’t use it after 8pm like I do on his phone. That’s a relatively simple feature but seems to be curiously missing? Would have thought that would be a pretty standard thing.
2025-03-30
Poor
Inflexible. Pin can be 4 digits but on the device only works with 6. Feel like they deliberately do not want parents in control
2025-02-10
Could be better
It could really do with a way to remote lock straight away - like you can with Amazon tablets for kids - so you can stop them playing it without grabbing it out of their hands!! Also time limits for each account would be useful, as well as lock outs between certain times instead of just setting bedtime - so you can ensure they don’t start playing too early, or when it’s time to go to school! Presumably these features wouldn’t be too difficult to add so please consider them Nintendo!!
2025-02-07
Almost perfect
It’s a really great app for protecting kids from playing the more gruesome games like Doom and GTA. It’s also useful for protecting your Switch save data/ store details from thieves if you set restrictions to the max. This is because people can only access the store or change your settings when on one of your listed trusted Wi-Fi sources and they cannot add a new one without a password.
What’s missing:
- Can we just get password protection at the highest level as in, to login into the Switch? Makes the most sense.
- We also need password protection on profiles! I don’t want my son to be able to use/ overwrite my save profiles. There is currently nothing stopping him from doing so. This is a really big / common issue. So please please patch this!
2025-01-31
Stopped syncing properly
Was and still is great for apply g parental to controls to restrict titles which can be played. Unfortunately, the app has stopped syncing the records of daily playing time in the last couple of months
2025-01-04
Great to monitor usage.
A useful tool to monitor your child’s usage and apply restriction if needed. Would be better if you could apply timings to each profile for each user rather than for the whole console.
2025-01-04
I can’t use this app .and they didn’t support with help
I can’t use the app and they didn’t support with help .
2024-12-07
Abysmal parental controls.
The level of functionality of parental controls for the Switch is unacceptable.
The play time limit is unfit for purpose. For example it my child wakes up at 4am he wakes me and the whole family up at 5am to ask for more time. I would rather he could have free play 6am-7am so he would be forced to go back to sleep then play for an acceptable amount of time.
Similarly I would prefer for him to have 30 mins at 4.30 if he has done his homework. I would like to authorise this with a push notification to my phone.
This is not rocket science. All of this functionality is available in iOS parental controls for his iOS devices.
The app is also unfit for purpose as it doesn’t allow two parents to control and approve. For example both me and my husband could get notifications to send through extra time from our phones or computers but this functionality is not available. Why?
The settings about approved contacts is also completely lazily designed and unfit for purpose. You can only have rudimentary settings here which is dangerous and negligent of Nintendo. The options available are allow new contacts or not allow new contacts. Why? With iOS I can specify allowed contacts for my son and approve all new contact requests that come through with a simple notification. Why does this not exist for Switch?
This is such lazy and sloppy design. Get some parents to actually use the app and they like me would have probably taken five minutes to feed this back. I am sure parents work in your UX team. How have they not identified the very very poor and dangerous functionality of Parental Switch controls. This shows something is fundamentally wrong in leadership and design at Nintendo. You should be optimising the product yourselves to protect children.
I won’t be buying any more Nintendo products and will be swapping out with products that have acceptable levels of safety for the parental controls. If I had known how bad and unfit for purpose the level of control of the parental settings is I would have never bought a Nintendo for my son in the first place.
2024-10-30
Parental controls do not block at end of limit
Parental controls do not block switch at the end of limit
2024-10-14
Excellent when it works
The time limits function works great and helps manage screen time with my kids.
However, for the past couple of days the time played functionality, which I use to monitor my kids’ game time, has stopped working.
2024-09-14
Very good but…
Great app, very useful. However could be better if you could set time limits individual to each account, but overall very useful, good at solving arguments.👍
2024-09-04
Its ok
Its ok but when my son plays fortnite he wants to play with his friends to add his friend theres a pin code when i put it it says incorect pin vut its the pin from the settings but fix this plss
2024-08-25
Nearly perfect
It’s good you can set limits for each day, but it would be so much more helpful if the limits could be applied to individual accounts on the switch, rather than the console time.
It means I have to set the limit every day, and then extend it for the next child’s account (providing their whole time allowance in one go). Then I have to put it back to normal in time before next week. Such a faff!
Whitelisting certain games is a good idea too for age limits, but it really doesn’t let you see what it allows the child to do on that game.
2024-08-16
The app
Good for my child to rest in peace without playing video games all of the time.
2024-08-04
Needs more options
It would be useful if it had a start time so that you can set a range of time in which kids can play.
You also can only set a time limit per console rather than per profile, it seems, which is not ideal if you have multiple children sharing the same console.
You can set age appropriate access levels which is key.
On the whole, howeve, very rudimentary and only just sufficient.
2024-06-20
Nintendo switch
This app is really helpful because I can see what I’m playing
2024-06-12
Well…
All the statistics are right in front of you.
Thanks
2024-05-12
Ummmm...
Okay, to start off, we use Nintendo Switch lites often because my daughters enjoy playing together. But, one of my daughters accounts is linked to another and had parental controls on it. We've tried multiple times to try and fully disable it but the app is impossible to use. Another point I would like to make is that the app and website is a mess, it tells us to enter a password here but nothing comes up to enter the password in and on the website it says that the pin is in a specific place, but it isn't so my daughters can no longer play together and they are really upset by this. Sort you app and website out. I'm really disappointed by this.
2024-04-29
Sync with app
For no reason at all the parent app hasn’t synced with my child’s switch for 12 weeks now which is very annoying and no where helps to solve the problem.
2024-03-18
Almost useless, Missing most basic features
No ability to set periods of the day when play is allowed. This has clearly been designed by a non parent. Absolutely useless.
2024-02-26
Why only three switches allowed? Why can’t restrict individual games?
Just bought my youngest a switch to be like his brothers and now have discovered I cannot add another switch to the parental controls. Why not? There shouldn’t be a limit of three, esp with larger families.
Also it would be good to be able to restrict time on certain games not giving overall screen time where they can pick what they want to play.
2024-02-24
Not fit for purpose
This app could have been great but it lacks ease-of-use and, critically, the ability to manage time limits for separate user profiles. I have two kids plus my own profile: what use is a single time limit for the switch? Am I missing something about the ability to manage time for each profile or is this just a pointless app for anyone with more than one profile?
2024-02-09
It just doesn’t work.
Two switches are linked to my account, both have a time limit set when the device is meant to turn off. Both children are able to play for a long as they like without me being able to suspend the software from the app. Struggling to see the point of this app as it just doesn’t work. Have tried uninstalling and reinstalling, have tried setting them up with different accounts. Any other attempt to resolve sends you round in a circle of passwords and accounts to Nintendo accounts and back. I have lost hours of my life through trying to resolve this. Would rate zero stars if that was an option
2023-12-30
Basically useless
All the parental controls do is sound a ‘time’s up’ alarm for your child at the end of their allocated time play. Unlike apple iPad parental controls it does not log your child off, so the child can ignore the alarm and keep playing all day. Their is also no feature to lock for bedtime, so unless you physically take the console off your child there is nothing to stop them going back on it after they’ve been put to bed, or if they wake up at 3am.
2023-10-16
Not impressed
Really disappointing parental controls.
1) I have two kids, why can’t I set them separate daily limits?
2) when the time is up why can’t I offer a time limited extension (for the second child) - why is the only option to unlock the time restriction entirely for the rest of the day?
3) why is the data sharing with the phone on my app sooooo slow (up to 24 hours delay)
Nintendo you are a computer gaming tech company - surely you can raise your game on the functionality of this app?
2023-08-20
Great, if only have one child
This app does a reasonable job adding time limits to the console. But there is the problem. The time limit applies to the whole console rather than the different user profiles on the console.
Our children get an hour of Nintendo time a day. So once the first child has used up the time limit it means the second will need to ask me for more time. So I have to open the app and change the limit to 2 hours.
Then I need to remember to change this back, because if someone starts playing the next day, they will play until the limit stops them unless someone else notices first.
This constant changing the time limit back and forth drives me nuts and everyone can see I get visibly annoyed when I’m asked. It all seems so unnecessary. The rest of the app logs different profiles, so why can’t each profile have its own limit so that parents can just set and forget. Rather than having this daily irritation.
2023-05-19
Please allow more detailed time restrictions
It would be really useful if it allowed more control of the time restrictions. Just now it only allows a bed time restriction from 4pm onwards.
I need to be able to lock the console in the morning also as we give the kids a little time before school but then need it to shut off before school.
Thanks.
2022-12-30
Great to have but not easy to navigate
Happy with time and lock controls great stuff! Was unable to easily add another parent to pay for games and to monitor time for second child. It could be more easy to navigate like iPhone. Now cannot remove my husband email connected to my daughters avatar neither can I add him to controls. We added his name when apparently I could not purchase game using my PayPal but under my daughters avatar in eShop. Quite confusing
2022-12-27
Used to work
Absolutely rubbish now. We had a normal switch and switch lite and this worked perfectly changing the allotted times for son when we wanted to add additional or cut the time. We changed switch and thought it was the switch but have since bought a new OLED and it’s still doing the same. We now have to send the change many times or we have to go into the switch settings to get the most up to date times from my phone manually. Nintendo sort it out this has been happening for near 2 years now
2022-05-21
Parental control
The app gives you control over your child’s play time and you receive alerts on every activity in or out of the play times you set. You can set limits remotely for your smartphone once it’s linked to the Nintendo device.
2022-04-14
Lacking
This is an ok app but it’s just not intuitive. There are many features missing which could make it brilliant.
The limits are placed on the device, not the individual child, so if you have more than 1 sharing the same switch there’s no distinction between them. I’m guessing Nintendo wants you to buy one for each kid…
I have found that sometimes the parental controls don’t even seem to have an effect. Eg: turn off an app in the white list but it stills opens and runs on the device (?)
To me it feels like Nintendo just ticked a box for safeguarding rather than thought the process through.
Still, it’s better then no app or controls.
2022-01-16
The best device management app
This is by far the best device management switch out there. What is has done so successfully is changed the behaviour of my kids where they now understand ‘time management’. They know they only have a set amount of time to play the switch per day so they now break up that time efficiently placing homework and other duties around it. I would give it 10 star if I could.
2022-01-07
Good but could be better
Personally I would like to see the ability to be able to set “play windows” on the schedule.
Having the ability for the switch to be “locked” during set times of the day, like dinner time, getting ready for school & homework times would be a massive improvement for us as a family.
2021-12-22
A swing and a miss
Lots of issues that make the app almost useless. No ability to just add time, instead you have to edit the daily amount which changes every day, or will set that day of the week to a higher playtime. No ability to set the earliest the console can be used. No ability to set weekends and weekdays separately unless you set each individual day. Struggles to sync with the console so adding time often doesn’t work.
2021-03-16
Superb
I have 3 kids with switches and it’s incredibly helpful being able to keep track of how log they play for and what they’ve been doing.
Easy to change settings for the day to give a little extra time or reduce it.
2021-01-23
It’s good
A good app. Shows what content has been played on the Switch but also duration played. It allows to set a decent time limit on the switch from your phone too. The only small downfall would be the fact I can’t set the Switch to have zero daily play at all. If it had that, then it would be 5* from me.
2020-12-28
Switch
Amazing app! Love that I can keep a close eye on my child’s gaming time and any online activity. I especially love the ‘wish list’ control where if there is any attempt from my child to download anything I am notified. Overall the app kids our young ones really safe. Brilliant piece of kit, thanks Nintendo!
2020-12-27
Not as good as others
Other apps let you set a wake up time as well as bedtime, this does not. It would also be nice to set time limits on individual games like other parent apps do. Some development for better features are definitely required but good enough for using as a basic restrictions app.
2020-09-10
Great app!
This is an amazing parental controls app! To the developers, there only one thing I would say, I would like an option so I I can set timers for different profiles e.g. I have one child with one profile have half an hour and then the other child with another profile have a 45 minute timer.
2020-08-07
‘No playtime before’ option required
You can set a time for when the child should stop playing in the evening (although it doesn’t stop play after that time by turning the console off anyway, so what’s the point) BUT what would be very useful, would be a ‘no game time before’ option, so that if the child wakes at 5am, it won’t work until 8am, to help promote sleep, rather than secret nighttime gaming.
Also, I’d like to be able to halt gaming on one specific game. At the moment, its all or nothing, but I could do with being able to switch off just fortnite for example, if tempers fray - whilst still allowing minecraft for example.
2020-08-06
If you share your switch this is pointless
So the things this app does are great, I’d love to give it more stars, but as it currently is I give it a big fat 0! My problem is that you can’t differentiate between accounts. This is my Switch, I’m 39, I want to play Witcher 3. But I also want to let my son play Conduct Together (great game btw) or whatever. But you can’t put restrictions on his account while having mine unrestricted, they are blanket settings for the console. Why Nintendo can’t put the adults account behind a PIN number, I don’t know. Maybe they are just trying to force you into buying another console? If they add this feature I’m sure many gaming parents will be very happy and I will change my view to a recommend on this app.
2020-08-01
Good but could be better
It is very good but it could be better if I disabled it for 2 hours and then turned it back on the person using it may turn the internet off and Would be able to play for most of the day and it is impossible to balance phone and switch time it would be great if I could use shortcuts to give them two hours or check the time they have played on their switch in minutes and take it away from 2 hours using shortcuts and then getting shortcuts to set it.
2020-07-15
Nearly perfect
This app has been a game changer in managing screen time and the ability to restrict timings individually each day is great but I do have a couple of suggestions. The first would be to add a start time as I don’t want the kids playing until 8am but the default is 6am. This would allow us to change the schedule each day more specifically. Secondly it would be helpful if when I disable alarms for the day I can turn them back on and when there seems to be a connection issue turning on the alarm there should be a background refresh from the cloud so it can be turned on when connection resumes
2020-07-03
Play time updates
The app is failing to update the time my child has played. It seems to have frozen at a particular time. To get it to update I have to turn the phone off and on.
Parental control changes update with the console but with the suspension of play on
, the console continues to count down his time even when he’s not playing.
2020-04-13
App still needs work, missing key functions
This app is a great idea in principle but it lacks some key functionality to make it practical. For example you cannot set individual time limits for each user. This means that I can’t have a go on the Switch without eating into the limit that has been set for the kids.
Also, it cannot tell the difference between playing a game and idle time in the menus. If a child leaves the Switch on in the home screen, the timer still counts down. The app is now creating a new problem as we have arguments about ‘who left the Switch on?’
You’d think Nintendo would have fixed this by now but this has been the case for years.
2020-01-20
Time limits
I absolutely love the features on this app! Being able to disable the console after a certain amount of hours or after a certain time is amazing! My 9 yr old would spent every minute of everyday on it if we didn’t have this feature! I also find it helpful to view his screen time and what he’s been playing on.
The only thing I’d add to this app is a time to which the console is disabled to in the mornings! It would save a lot of arguments in my house!
2019-12-28
Fantastic idea
Great app with perfect tools to track childs gaming time and which are his favourite games. The play time tracker and cut off feature is something that was long overdue for all gaming consoles so well done Nintendo for excelling where Sony and Xbox have failed. Also thanks for making this app free and easy to use 👍🏻🥇
2019-11-03
Limited Parental Control
The app allows you to set time limits but your child can ignore these & continue to play. Two accounts can be set up on one console but despite the fact it says only one Nintendo Account is needed per console, my second child cannot access online content nor will it allow me to link it to my account. Very frustrating...even if it’s me, it simply means the app is not user friendly! I’ve looked through the app as well as the features in the NA. Not that easy to use... perhaps designed for older children but younger ones use too!!! Not impressed so far 😣.
2019-03-01
Ok for a first go but needs more features
Maybe call it “barebones parental control”.
Yes, I can track usage, but daily restrictions have no way to hard enforce their time. Just a little easily-ignored reminder when they are out of time.
Also. Daily limit is for the console! Not for each kid. My kids share this and while I can see who used for how long, I would like each to have their own ticking clock, each with its own alarm.
2019-01-12
5star review - deffo worth the download
I would deffo recommend this app, it does what it says it does. It reminds my child on his screen (top corner so doesn’t disturb game play too much) makes a little bell noise so that they look at it and realise that it’ll soon be the end of game play. The reminders are good as let’s my son know it’ll be over soon and won’t be too upset by the game turning off. 5stars in my opinion as u can set what ever time you wish for your child to play for. Lots more options too! Happy parent :)
2019-01-09
Missing so many features ...
How about setting time the device can be started in the morning? I have sneaky kids who tip-toe downstairs early in the morning to okay when they should be sleeping or getting ready for school. Have had 2 major bust ups in 2 days!!!
Please add features as this app is pretty pointless to start with 🤬
2019-01-04
App disabling
It would be handy to have the ability to sis let apps twice daily, or time gaps within which play can be permitted. Before or after school, without having to change the settings twice a day.
2018-12-28
Very handy.
We find that this is a great way to monitor our kids time on the Switch. We would highly recommend it. It’s also nice that it keeps a record of time spent on the Switch and tells you who was playing what game.
2018-11-22
Great app
I know this app for maybe adults I am 10 years old are used because my brother or younger cousins so are use all the time thank you Nintendo also removed and the general switch online well just least makes the save Data Back up cloud work with all the games on the switch
2018-07-13
Parental information
This app is a great tool to use to collect the information of how much your kids are using this device. Great that you can lock it remotely as well as all other information regarding your switch. And for free, be mad not too!
2018-07-03
Good but It could (and should) bemuch better.
Scenery effort By Nintendo but this feels almost as if Nintendo couldn't be bothered to implement 'parental controls ' and gives us a half-baked app that covers some aspects of 'parents' worries without going into much depth. ie: how hard could it be allow parents to set separate controls for different users?
Here's hoping that they develop this app to its full potential
2018-07-01
Really useful app
Really great app. Hopefully continues to get improvements. Would be really great if we can set the time by individual minutes rather than 15 min increments. If we could also in the Fay add or take away minutes just for that day it would make it even better.
2018-06-14
Useful, but flawed
This has the makings of a slick application, but it is woefully inconsiderate of simple, practical considerations.
For example:
- Usage and time of day restrictions apply to the whole Switch. If you've got more than one child using it and one of them burns through the usage credit, well tough luck for the other one.
- No matter how many parent/guardians you have in a family group, only one of them can actually link a Switch. The rest might as well not bother using the app as it doesn't function at all without linking - you simply cannot get past the linking step to do anything, even if you're registered under an account that IS linked.
- There is no facility to suspend operation on demand. Child refusing to come to the table for food? Nothing you can do except to physically take it from them if they're within the usage/time of day parameters. The app pushes new settings to it instantly so no reason it can't suspend on demand.
- Child been really good today? You can't give them extra time unless you change the usage/time of day rules persistently, "disable alarms for today" in the app or "temporarily disable parental controls" on the Switch, which lasts for as long as it doesn't go to sleep (no "you can have an extra 30 mins" etc)
This stuff is pretty fundamental, but curiously absent.
2018-04-21
Fairly vital feature missing
It is pretty useless if you use one machine for multiple children, each with their own account. The way it is setup is great, but without the ability to set all the possible settings per account on the switch, it is pointless for a family with more then one child and “only” one nintendo switch.
2018-03-17
Easy to use, does exactly what it should
Love the fact that you can control how long child gets to play also that it can be done on a daily basis, also that the restriction time has been extended, other gaming systems should take note. Even better now that Touch ID has been added, no more constantly changing passwords.
2018-02-13
For people who wants this app if you got it the first time.
First if you try to sign in you have to use your my Nintendo account’s password and try to remember your I D. Or you write it on a piece of paper and it will help. Thee app it best imo and recommended for kids teenagers and more so 5 stars for this app and its content
2017-12-29
Brilliant app!
This is an excellent app for keeping track of how long your child plays on the Nintendo Switch. Set the maximum length of time they're allowed on it and it will beep when the allocated hour(s) is up. Also extremely easy to disable alarms if you (the parent) want to play on it 🤓