How to Set Parental Controls on Xiaomi: A Step-by-Step Guide

Xiaomi smartphones and tablets have become an integral part of the lives of many families, but along with convenience, they bring risks: uncontrolled access to the Internet for children, excessive enthusiasm for games or content 18+. Parental control on devices with MIUI It can help limit usage times, block dangerous apps, and even track a child's location, but standard settings are often hidden in the depths of the menu, and features are in different versions. MIUI (14, 15 and older may be different.

In this article, you will find current ways to set up parental control on Redmi smartphones, POCO, Xiaomi and Pad tablets, from basic limitations to advanced tools like Google Family Link or Mi Home for smart devices:

• 🔒 Block app installation and purchases on Google Play;
• ⏰ Limit the time of use of the gadget on a schedule;
• 📵 Hide unwanted content in the browser and YouTube;
• 📍 Tracking the location of your child through your Mi Account;
• 🎮 Set up a safe mode for games and social networks.

Important: some features require you to link the device to your Xiaomi account (Mi Account) or Google. If your child already has a profile, make sure to transfer his data to the family account before setting up, otherwise access to the device may be lost after blocking.

1.Integrated parental control in MIUI: Where to look and how to turn on

Modern versions MIUI (starting 12) They have a built-in Parental Control module, but its location and functionality depend on the model of the device. 13/14, Redmi Note 12/13) It's integrated into Settings. → Digital Well-Being, and on Old (Redmi) 9, POCO X3) It may be hidden in the settings. → Accounts. → Family access.

To activate the basic restrictions:

1. Open Settings and search for Digital Well-Being and Parental Control (or Family Sharing on older versions).
2. Choose Parental Controls → Start.
3. Create. PIN-code (remember it! If you lose it, you will have to reset your device settings).
4. Add a child’s profile by indicating their age (this will affect the automatic content restrictions).

After activation, you will be able to:

• 🕒 Set time limits for using the device (e.g. 2 hours on weekdays).
• 📱 Block individual apps (games, social networks) or entire categories (e.g., Purchases").
• 🔍 View activity reports (which apps were used and for how long).

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If there is no section "Parental Control", update MIUI Up to the latest version or use alternative methods from the following sections.

⚠️ Attention: Integrated control in MIUI It only works if the device is tied to an adult's Mi Account, and if the child logs in, all restrictions will be lifted!

Time limit: how to prevent a child from sitting on the phone

One of the most popular features is the use timer. MIUI It can be configured in two ways: through built-in tools or using Google Family Link (more on it in the next section).

To set limits through Xiaomi settings:

1. Move to Digital Well-Being → Parental control → Time of use.
2. Select Set a Limit and ask:

Save the settings and confirm PIN-code.

If a child tries to exceed the limit, a lock notification will appear on the screen. PIN-parental code.

⚠️ Attention: Children learn to get around restrictions quickly. If the child is technically savvy, combine a timer MIUI Google Family Link or specialty apps like Kaspersky Safe Kids.

3. Google Family Link: Universal Control for Android Devices

If Xiaomi’s built-in tools seem inadequate, take advantage of Google Family Link, a free service from Google that works on all Android devices (including Xiaomi).

• 🔐 Blocking the installation of applications without parental permission;
• 🕐 Remote time management of use;
• 📊 Detailed activity reports (including search history in Chrome);
• 📍 Ability to track the location of the device.

To set up Family Link:

1. Download the Google Family Link app for parents on your smartphone (link).
2. Create a family group and add a child account (if not, register via Gmail).
3. On your child’s device, install Google Family Link for children and teens.
4. Confirm the connection of devices through the confirmation code.

After setting up, you will be able to:

• 📱 Lock the device remotely (for example, during lessons);
• 🔍 View your search history and activity on YouTube;
• 🛒 Stop buying on Google Play without your consent;
• 📅 Set a schedule of use (for example, lock from 20:00 to 8:00).

⚠️ Note: Google Family Link stops working when a child turns 13 (under Google’s rules), and then all restrictions are automatically removed and you have to reconfigure them through other tools.

4.Blocking apps and games: how to restrict access to social networks and purchases

Children often spend time playing games (Genshin Impact, Brawl Stars, Roblox) or social networks (TikTok, YouTube, Telegram). MIUI There are two ways to limit access to these apps:

Method 1: Through parental control MIUI

1. Open Settings → Digital Well-Being → Parental Controls
2. Select your child’s profile and go to App Restrictions.
3. Check the apps you want to block (such as TikTok or Play Market).
4. Click Save and Confirm PIN-code.

Method 2: Through Application Settings

If parental controls are not working, you can block access to individual programs through Settings. → Annexes → Application management:

1. Find the right app (like YouTube).
2. Click Disable or Delete (if it is a system application, only lock will be available).
3. To completely block, set a password to install new apps in Google Play → Settings → Authentication.

To block purchases in games:

• 💳 In Google Play: Settings → Authentication → Authentication is required for purchases → Choose for all purchases.
• 🎮 V MIUI Game Turbo: Settings → Game mode → Purchase blocking (available on Redmi and POCO smartphone).

Block TikTok and YouTube Kids|Disable the installation of new games|Set a password on Google Play|Check out the Game Turbo settings|Set up restrictions in the browser-->

5. Safe Mode in Browser and YouTube: How to Hide Unwanted Content

Even with social media blocking, children may encounter harmful content through a browser or YouTube. MIUI There are built-in filtering tools:

Xiaomi Browser (Mi Browser)

1. Open your browser and go to Settings → Privacy.
2. Activate the Safe Search option (filters adult content in search results).
3. In the Parental Control section, set up PIN-code and enable age-specific filtering.

Google Chrome

If you use Chrome:

1. Open the Settings. → Security → Secure search.
2. Enable filtering of adult content.
3. To block access to settings, install the Google Family Link app (as described above).

YouTube and YouTube Kids

To limit content on YouTube:

• 🎥 In regular YouTube: Enable limited mode in profile settings.
• 👶 YouTube Kids: Open the app and go to Settings → Select your child's profile settings. Select an age category (e.g., "Under 8 years"). Enable only approved content and manually add permitted channels.

⚠️ Attention: YouTube's restricted mode does not block all dangerous videos. Use specialty apps like Net Nanny or Qustodio for reliability.

6.Additional measures: location tracking and smart device monitoring

If your child uses not only a smartphone, but also other Xiaomi gadgets (for example, Mi Band, smart watches or a robot vacuum cleaner), you can configure family access through Mi Home:

Location tracking through Mi Account

1. Make sure that the child’s device is geolocated (Settings) → Location).
2. In your Mi Account (on the Mi Cloud website or app), go to Devices → Find the device.
3. Select your child’s gadget – its location will be displayed on the map.

Control of smart watches and fitness bracelets

For devices like Xiaomi Mi Band 7/8 or Redmi Watch 3:

1. Link your watch to your Mi Account through the Mi Fitness app.
2. In the child’s profile settings, activate Family Access.
3. Set up low charge notifications, remove the device (if your child has taken off his watch), or leave the safe zone (such as a school).

For smart speakers (Xiaomi Smart Speaker) or robot vacuum cleaners (Roborock), you can restrict access through Mi Home:

• 🔊 Turn off voice purchases in column settings.
• 🤖 Block the vacuum cleaner control from the child's app.

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Location tracking through Mi Account only works if your child’s device is enabled with geolocation services and connected to the Internet, otherwise the data will not be updated.

7 What to do if a child has bypassed the restrictions: ways to regain control

Children quickly learn to bypass parental controls, restart the device in safe mode, reset settings, or install alternative launchers.

If the child resets the phone settings

• 🔄 If the device was linked to Mi Account, after reset, you will need to enter a login / password. Without this data, the phone will not activate (Mi Cloud protection).
• 📱 If the account was not tied, you can only restore control physically by setting up parental control again.

If your child is using a second account

Many children create a second profile on their phone or register an additional Google account to avoid this:

• 🔒 Block the addition of new users to Settings → System system → Multiplayer mode.
• 📋 Regularly check the list of accounts in Settings → Accounts.

If the child has removed control applications

If Family Link or other app has been removed:

1. Remotely lock your device through Google Find My Device.
2. Restor access through your Google account the next time you turn on your phone.
3. Install the control application again and activate the removal protection in its settings.

⚠️ Note: On devices with an unlocked bootloader, a child can install custom firmware and bypass all restrictions. If your Xiaomi has been unlocked, return the official firmware via the Mi Flash Tool.

FAQ: Frequent questions about parental controls on Xiaomi