Section 1
The TV Blind Spot
Most parents put significant effort into controlling what their children can access on phones and tablets — and then there's an internet-connected screen in the living room, or worse, a bedroom, that nobody has configured at all. Modern streaming devices and smart TVs are full internet devices: they have browsers, app stores, and access to the same content as any other screen.
The two-layer approach here is important: first, configure the device itself; then, configure the streaming services that run on it. Both matter — a locked device still shows what's available inside an unconfigured Netflix account.
A TV in a child's bedroom is significantly harder to supervise than one in a shared family space. If your child has a streaming device or smart TV in their room, the controls described here become more important — but so does the conversation about whether that setup is appropriate for their age in the first place.
Section 2
Streaming Device Controls
Apple TV
Screen Time works here too — and it's well-implemented
Apple TV runs tvOS, which supports the same Screen Time parental controls as iPhone and iPad. If your family uses Family Sharing, you can manage Apple TV content restrictions from your own iPhone — no need to touch the device directly.
On Apple TV: Settings → General → Restrictions → Enable Restrictions. Set a PIN.
Set maximum content ratings for Movies, TV Shows, and Apps.
Disable in-app purchases and require a password for any purchase.
If on Family Sharing: manage via your iPhone → Settings → Screen Time → [Child's name] → Apple TV.
Roku
Simple PIN system; controls individual channels
Roku's parental controls center on a 4-digit PIN. You can require this PIN to launch specific channels, to add new channels, and to make purchases. It's not as sophisticated as Apple's approach but it's straightforward to set up.
Go to my.roku.com and sign into your Roku account. Navigate to PIN Preferences.
Enable "Require a PIN to make purchases" and "Require a PIN to add channels from the Channel Store."
On the device: Settings → Parental Controls → Enable. Set content rating limits.
To block specific channels: Settings → Parental Controls → Channel Lock → select channels to PIN-protect.
Amazon Fire TV
Good controls via Amazon Parent Dashboard
Fire TV has solid parental controls, especially if you use Amazon Kids (formerly FreeTime). Amazon Kids creates a fully supervised profile where you control what apps and content are accessible, with a curated library of child-appropriate content.
Settings → Preferences → Parental Controls. Enable and set a 5-digit PIN.
Set content restrictions by rating (movies, TV, apps). Purchases require the PIN.
For younger children: Set up Amazon Kids profile for a fully managed experience with access to kid-appropriate content only. Manage at parents.amazon.com.
Amazon Kids supports daily time limits and educational goals — worth exploring if your child uses Fire TV frequently.
Chromecast with Google TV
Family Link extends here for supervised accounts
Chromecast with Google TV supports supervised Google accounts via Family Link. If your child's Google account is supervised, those restrictions carry over to the Chromecast — including SafeSearch and content restrictions. The main controls are PIN-based at the device level for everyone else.
Settings → Accounts & Sign-In → Add a supervised child account (if using Family Link).
For general restrictions: Settings → Privacy → Restricted Mode. Toggle on. Set a PIN to lock it.
Restrict purchases: Settings → Account → Purchases and Rentals → Require Authentication.
Smart TVs (Samsung, LG, Sony, etc.)
Built-in controls vary widely by brand and model
Smart TVs from different manufacturers have their own built-in parental control systems, but they vary significantly in quality. The general approach is similar across brands: a PIN system that restricts content by rating and can lock specific apps or inputs. Look in Settings → General → Parental Controls (or similar — menu names vary).
Rather than relying on a TV's own controls — which vary in quality and are often buried in menus — consider using router-level controls to restrict internet access to the TV during specific hours, and configure the streaming service apps themselves (Netflix, Disney+, etc.) with kids profiles. This gives you more reliable control than TV manufacturer settings.
Section 3
Streaming Services: Set Up Kids Profiles
Regardless of which device you're using, every major streaming service supports kid-safe profiles with content restrictions. Setting these up is essential — even a locked device can still show adult content if the streaming app profile isn't configured.
🔴 Netflix
Create a Kids profile — it shows only age-appropriate content and has its own PIN-locked interface. Set a profile PIN on adult profiles so children can't switch to them.
🔵 Disney+
Create a Junior Mode profile. Set your adult profiles to require a PIN to enter. Disney+ also lets you set a content rating maximum per profile.
🟣 Hulu
Create a Kids Profile (shows only content rated TV-Y, TV-Y7, TV-G, and G-rated movies). Add a PIN to your adult profile to prevent profile switching.
🟡 Amazon Prime Video
Create a Kids profile or enable Amazon Kids for a fully managed experience. Set purchase restrictions and content rating limits in account settings.
⚪ Apple TV+
Use Screen Time on Apple TV (described above) to set content rating limits. Apple TV+ content tends to skew adult — worth checking what your child has access to.
🟢 Max (HBO)
Create a Kids profile. Set a profile PIN on your adult account. Max contains a significant amount of mature content — the kids profile is well-separated from adult content.
Most streaming service controls work well when a child is in a Kids profile — but most services don't prevent profile switching without a PIN. Set a PIN on every adult profile on every streaming service. This takes 10 minutes and closes the most common gap.
The TV is just another internet device. Treat it that way.
Device controls + kids streaming profiles + router scheduling covers the vast majority of what children can access on the living room screen. The bedroom TV is harder — which is the best argument for keeping it in the living room.