How to turn on the child mode on the Xiaomi phone: full setup of parental control

Xiaomi smartphones have become an integral part of many families’ lives, but without the right settings, they can pose risks to children.Children’s mode (or parental controls) on Redmi, POCO and other brands allows you to limit access to unwanted content, set time limits, and even track your child’s activity.

In this article, we’ll look at not only the standard MIUI features for parental controls, but also the hidden features that the manufacturer doesn’t advertise, how to block in-game purchases, restrict access to social networks, set up secure browser searches, and even create a separate profile for a child with unique limitations, and how to bypass the typical errors that reset the settings after a phone reboot.

What is a child mode on Xiaomi and why it is needed

Xiaomi's Child Mode is a set of features that helps you control how much time your child spends on a smartphone. Unlike third-party apps, the built-in MIUI tools don't require root rights and work at the system level, making them more reliable.

• 🔒 Blocking of unwanted applications (violent games, social networks, instant messengers).
• ⏰ Limiting the time of use by days of the week or specific hours.
• 🛡️ Filtering content in the browser and search engines (blocking porn, extremism).
• 📊 Activity monitoring: what apps your child has run and how much time they have spent.
• 💳 Protection from purchases in games and stores (Google Play, Mi Store).

It's important to understand that Xiaomi's baby mode is not just a protection against harmful content, but also a tool for building healthy habits, such as setting up a sleep mode where the phone automatically blocks entertainment apps after 21:00, or setting a limit on weekday games, and parents can get a report at any time about which sites the child visited or which games he launched.

⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi phones with firmware MIUI 12 and later, the child mode is integrated into the Digital Well-being section on older versions (e.g., in the digital well-being section, MIUI 11) you may need to install an additional Google Family Link app – this is what we will explain below.

Preparing the phone before setting up the child mode

Before you activate parental control, you need to follow a few preparatory steps, which will help to avoid malfunctions in the mode and provide maximum protection.

First, check the version of MIUI on your device. To do this, go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version. If you have firmware older than MIUI 12, we recommend you update - in new versions, the functionality of the child mode is expanded. You can start the update in Settings → About Phone → System Update.

Second, create a separate user profile for your child (if the phone is used by multiple family members) to set individual limits.

1. Open Settings → System → Additional → Multiplayer mode.
2. Click Add User and follow the instructions.
3. Set a password for the primary profile (parent) so that the child cannot change the settings.

Also make sure that the phone has deactivated developer mode (if it was activated earlier). Otherwise, the child can get around the restrictions through it. Check this in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click on the MIUI version several times until the developer mode message appears). If it is enabled, go back to Settings → Additional → For Developers and turn it off.

Step-by-step: how to turn on the children’s mode on Xiaomi

Now, let's get straight to the settings, and the instructions are good for most Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models based on MIUI 12-14. If you have a different version of the firmware, some menu items may differ.

Step 1: Activate Digital Well-Being

Open Settings → Digital Well-Being and Parental Controls. If this section is missing, upgrade your firmware or install the Google Family Link app from the Play Market.

Step 2: Set up a child's profile

Click Start and select I'm a parent. The system will prompt you to create a profile for your child -- specify their age (this will affect standard content restrictions). PIN-Remember or write this code, without it, you can't change the settings later!

Step 3: Limiting the time of use

In the Daily Limit section, set the maximum phone usage time, such as 2 hours on weekdays and 3 hours on weekends, and you can also set up Sleep Mode to keep the phone locked overnight (e.g., 22:00 to 7:00).

Step 4: Blocking applications

Go to Application Limits and select the programs you want to block (e.g. TikTok, YouTube, microtransaction games) and set time limits for individual applications.

Step 5: Content Filtering

Enable Safe Browser Search and Content Limitation on Google Play.This will block access to adult sites and apps with an age rating of 18+.

Installed PIN-parental control|Limited use time on weekdays/weekends|Unwanted applications (games, social networks) are blocked)|Secure search enabled in the browser|A separate profile for the child (if the family phone is created)-->

Additional settings: hidden parental control features

Beyond the standard limitations, Xiaomi has a few hidden features that enhance security, often overlooked, but can be critical.

1. Block the installation of new applications

To prevent your child from downloading games or programs without your knowledge, go to Settings → Apps → Permissions → Install Unknown Apps and disable this option for all browsers and file manager. Also, on Google Play, set a password for purchases:

Google Play → Settings → Authentication → Require authentication for purchases

2. Restriction of access to settings

The child may try to reset the phone settings to get around the restrictions. To avoid this, block access to the Settings:

1. Open Settings → Blocking applications.
2. Add to the list of settings and install PIN-code.

3. Location monitoring

If your child's phone supports GPS, you can track their location through Mi Account or the Find Device app.

• 📍 Activate Transfer of Location to Settings → Google → Security → Location.
• 🔄 Enable Device Search in Settings → Mi Account → Find Device.

4. Hiding notices

To prevent your child from seeing notifications from messengers or social networks (such as WhatsApp, VK), go to Settings → Notifications → Do Not Disturb mode and set up automatic disabling of notifications at a certain time.

How to get around typical problems with the child regime

Even after you set up parental controls correctly, users are faced with typical problems, and these are the most common ones and the ways to solve them.

Another common problem is that the child guesses. PIN-To avoid this, use a complex combination (not date of birth or "1234") and change it every 2-3 months. You can also link the confirmation of the change to Mi Account: then for a reset. PIN-You will need to enter a login and password.

⚠️ Note: If you use Google Family Link instead of the built-in child mode MIUI, Note that this app has its limitations, for example, it does not block Xiaomi system settings and does not filter content in Chinese apps (for example, Mi Video.

Comparison of built-in child mode and third-party applications

Many parents are asking themselves, are the built-in MIUI features enough, or is it better to install third-party software like Kaspersky Safe Kids or Norton Family?

As you can see from the table, Xiaomi’s built-in child mode covers basic needs but is inferior to third-party solutions in flexibility. For example, Kaspersky Safe Kids allows you to set up geo-fences (alerts if a child has left a safe area) and block anonymizers that bypass restrictions. However, for most users, MIUI will be enough – especially if you combine them with Google Family Link.

💡

If your child is actively using YouTube, install a separate YouTube Kids app and block access to the main YouTube through parental control. Youtube Kids can set age limits and a viewing timer.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the children's mode on Xiaomi

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The most reliable protection is the combination of the built-in MIUI child mode and the Google Family Link app, which will cover all vulnerabilities from blocking applications to filtering content in the browser.