How To Set Age Restrictions On Netflix

Prevent kids from seeing inappropriate content with these easy Netflix settings.

From reboots to originals, Netflix is full of entertainment for kids. Of course, it also has tons of age-inappropriate shows that kids could easily stumble across. The good news is that Netflix allows parents to restrict access to mature content so kids can only watch shows geared for their age. To enable parental controls on Netflix, you first have to create a user profile for your kid.

You can set a few parental controls through the Netflix app, but you get more options by going through your account on a web browser. Parental controls are just one way to help your kid learn to make appropriate choices and manage screen time independently. They work best with conversation about why you're restricting access.

Here's how to set up parental controls in Netflix

Sign in to your account, click your profile icon in the top-right corner, and scroll to Manage Profiles.
Click Add Profile, add your kid's name, and check the box next to Kid? Then click Continue.
Click the profile icon you just created and scroll to Maturity Settings; click Edit.
Enter your account password.

On the Viewing Restrictions page, click the content age rating you'd like for your kid: TV-Y (6 and under); TV-Y7 (7 and younger); TV-G/G (general audience); TV-PG/PG (parental guidance); etc. These restrictions are set according to the MPAA and TV rating systems.

In the Kids' Profile section, enable the Netflix Kids experience if you expect your kid to be interacting on Netflix independently. The Kids experience offers a simplified interface and prevents access to all settings.
Under Title Restrictions, add the names of any shows that you don't want your kid to watch.
Click Save.

Create a passcode for each user

An individual passcode ensures that each person in the household can only access their account. It prevents kids from accessing parents' profiles or siblings from watching each other's shows. You can also change your kid's passcode if you don't want them accessing their account at all.

On the Account page, scroll down to the Profile & Parental Controls section. Click the down arrow next to each user's name, scroll to Profile Lock, click Change, and enter your account password.
On the Profile Lock page, check the box next to "Require a PIN to access profile," and add a four-digit PIN. You can also require a PIN for adding new profiles to your Netflix account so kids can't create new ones.

About Caroline Knorr

Image of blog author

As Common Sense Media's parenting editor, Caroline helps parents make sense of what's going on in their kids' media lives. From games to cell phones to movies and more, if you're wondering "what's the right age for…?"... Read more