5 Netflix Parental Control Options to Give You Peace of Mind While Your Kids Watch

Any time your little kids are parked in front of the TV and scrolling Netflix for something to watch, you want to be able to leave the room without worrying they'll stumble on something inappropriate. (We're all for Tiger King and Love Is Blind, but let's leave those to the adults.) Netflix gets it—especially these days when staying inside with the welcome distraction of a happy TV show or movie is priority number one.

Netflix is taking further measures to ensure a safe, pleasant, and age-appropriate viewing experience for all—customizable for your household and parental preferences. The streaming platform is investing more than ever in kid-focused content, including global picks, award-winning animated films, and interactive shows. But safety and privacy control options for parents are as important as—if not more important than—abundant content options for kids.

Netflix is doubling down on parental control capabilities to help parents better manage kids' viewing experiences. These parental control options aren't just about stopping your kids from accidentally watching R-rated flicks—it's also a great way to gauge how much screen time they're getting, personalize family members' account profiles, and easily review and change each profile's parental control settings (just head to the "Profile and Parental Controls" hub within account settings to make tweaks).

Here are the five most helpful Netflix parental control options to consider for even happier viewing.

1. PIN protects certain profiles.

Don't want the little ones accidentally starting Peaky Blinders? Keep your grownup picks on a separate profile that's protected by a PIN only you and your partner have. You can also make a PIN necessary to create new profiles. So even if your 7-year-old mistakenly clicks the wrong profile, the PIN step will prevent him from viewing it.

2. Filter by ratings.

Netflix gives you the option within each profile setting to filter by rating. So your 10th grader's profile can include PG-13 flicks and below, while the elementary schoolers keep it rated G. This way, parents can help curate the perfect age-appropriate kids' profile and feel confident in letting them watch on their own.

3. Or completely remove selected titles.

If you want to, filter out—or even block/remove individual series and movies specific titles—so they don't show up anywhere in that specific profile, even when searched.

4. See what they're watching.

Curious what your kids are actually watching? Easily check in to see what the kids are loving within the profile you've created for them. You can help them find more similar options or even choose to limit certain titles if something doesn't feel right.

5. Turn off episode auto play in kids' profiles.

Quarantine or not, Netflix has the power to glue the best of us to our screens. Auto play can be a godsend on lazy Sundays, but sometimes enough is enough. Don't forget that you have the option to turn off episode auto play features within your kids' profiles to gain back some control over their TV time.

Digital safety and responsibility are something all families should practice, whether on social media, online shopping, or streaming content. "The Family Online Safety Institute believes that online safety is everyone's concern—from kids to grandparents," says Stephen Balkam, the founder and CEO of the Family Online Safety Institute. "Netflix's parental controls give parents and families the ability to shape the experience they want their kids to have on Netflix, and help keep them safe."