How to set up parental controls on Xiaomi devices: the complete guide

Why You Need Parental Controls on Xiaomi and How It Works

Xiaomi’s modern gadgets are an integral part of the lives of children and teenagers, according to Kaspersky research. 2023 year-end, 68% Russian children 6-12 They have been using smartphones for years, and 42% These are people who have encountered unwanted content online, and parental controls can help limit access to dangerous sites, monitor device usage times, and even track a child's location.

In Xiaomi devices (smartphones, tablets and TV-set-top boxes) implemented built-in system Family Guard, which works on the basis of the MIUI And HyperOS:

• 🔒 Block apps and games by age rating
• ⏰ Set screen time limits
• 🌍 Filter web content via Mi Browser or Google SafeSearch
• 📍 Track geolocation (on smartphones with a MIUI 12+)
• 📊 View activity reports

It is important to understand that the parental controls settings on Xiaomi differ depending on the type of device, for example, smartphones use embedded security software. → Family Guard, and on Mi. TV Stick or Mi Box is a separate Google Family Link app.

Preparing the device before setting up parental controls

There are several mandatory steps to follow before you activate the restrictions, and skipping any of them can cause the control system to malfunction.

First, make sure that the device has the latest firmware version installed. MIUI It's version 14.0.5.+, for HyperOS - 1.0.3+. You can check the current version in the Settings menu. → The phone. → Version. MIUI. If the update is available, install it through Settings → Updating the system.

Install the latest version MIUI/HyperOS|

Create a backup of data (Settings) → Additionally. → Backup)|

Connect the device to a stable Wi-Fi|

Charge the battery at least 50% |

Delete unnecessary accounts Google/Mi (Settings → Accounts)

-->

Second, create a separate profile of the child in the system, so you can separate the settings and the data.

1. Go to Settings → System → Multiplayer mode
2. Select Add Users → Child profile
3. Follow the instructions of the setup wizard, specifying the age of the child

⚠️ Warning: If the device has already been used by a child under your primary account, reset it to factory settings before creating a child profile. Otherwise, the restrictions will not work properly due to a conflict of access rights.

Step-by-step: how to turn on parental control on the smartphone Xiaomi

On smartphones and tablets Xiaomi (Redmi series, POCO, Mi is a parental control that is configured through the built-in Security app. Let's take a look at Xiaomi. 13 Pro with HyperOS 1.0.4, This is also suitable for other models on MIUI 12-14.

Step 1: Open the Security app (the shield icon) and go to Family Guard. If this is not available, update the app via Google Play.

Step 2: Click Start Setup and select Parent. The system will suggest linking your Mi Account account, which is a must to synchronize settings between devices. If you don't have an account, register it in advance.

Step 3: Create a PIN code for parental control (minimum 6 digits), write it down on paper and store it in a safe place - you can't recover the code without resetting the device.

Step 4: Set the limits:

• 🕒 Time of use: Set a daily limit (for example, 2 hours) or intervals of permitted use (e.g, 16:00-19:00)
• 🎮 Apps: Select categories to block (games, social networks) or add specific applications to the blacklist
• 🌐 Web filter: Activate SafeSearch in Mi Browser or Google Chrome
• 🛒 Shopping: Block payment without password confirmation

💡

If your child is using YouTube, activate the limited mode in the app settings, which hides comments and videos with age restrictions.

Features of setting up for Mi TV Mi Box

On Xiaomi TVs and Mi Box consoles (including Mi models) TV 4S, Mi Box S) does not have built-in parental controls. Instead, Google Family Link is used, which you need to install separately from Google Play.

Algorithm of settings:

1. Download Family Link to your smartphone (parent device)
2. Create a Google account for your child (if not) through families.google.com
3. Connect your TV to the same Google account as your child
4. In Family Link, select your child’s profile and activate it: 📺 Time limit for YouTube and Google Play Movies 🔍 Filtering content by age (3)+, 7+, 12+, 16+) 🛑 Blocking the installation of new applications without permission

For additional protection on the Mi TV You can block access to the settings system PIN code:

1. Go to Settings. → System system → Parental control
2. Set a PIN (by default: 0000 or 1234)
3. Activate the lock to: 📶 Changes to Wi-Fi network 🔄 Resetting settings 📦 Install applications from unknown sources

⚠️ Attention: On Mi TV Stick (models without Google Play) Parental controls are configured only through the PIN code in the system settings. Set a complex password, as standard combinations (0000, 1111) are easily hacked.

Additional Security Measures: What to Do Beyond Parental Control

Xiaomi's built-in tools provide basic protection, but for complete security, a comprehensive approach is recommended.

• 🔐 Install third-party apps: Kaspersky Safe Kids - an advanced web filter and GPS-Norton Family Tracking – Social Media and YouTube Qustodio Control – Time Limit with Flexible Schedules
• 📱 Set up Safe Mode in Messengers: WhatsApp: Settings → Account. → Confidentiality → Confirmation in two steps in Telegram: Settings → Confidentiality → Lock code.
• 🌐 Use it. DNS-Filtering: In the router or on the device, write DNS CleanBrowsing (185.228.168.168) or OpenDNS FamilyShield (208.67.222.123)

For HyperOS devices (e.g. Xiaomi 14 or Pad) 6S Pro) the function "Digital well-being mode" is available:

• 📊 Track the time spent in each application
• 🛑 Automatically block the gadget after exceeding the limit
• 🌙 Enable night mode with limited notifications

Activated in Settings → Digital well-being → Control panel.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even when you set up the parental controls correctly, they can malfunction, and let's look at the typical situations and how to fix them.

Problem 1: Did the child reset the PIN through the Password?

Solution: In Family Guard, turn off Recovery via email/SMS (is in the settings → Security → Password Recovery: If the code has already been reset, reset the device completely and reset the control.

Issue 2: Restrictions do not apply to new applications

Solution: Enable automatic blocking of new applications:

1. Open up Family Guard. → Application management
2. Activate the switch to Block new applications
3. Add exceptions for educational programs (e.g. Duolingo or Photomath)

Problem 3: Web filter doesn’t work in Chrome or Firefox

Solution: Set up the filtering level DNS or use extensions:

• For Chrome: Install BlockSite or uBlock Origin with a blacklist of sites
• For Firefox: Activate Settings → Confidentiality → Protection against tracking → Strictly.

💡

If your child is using a device on Android 10 or lower, update the firmware to MIUI 12+. In older versions, Family Guard is unstable due to vulnerabilities in the system of delimitation of rights.

Comparison of parental controls on Xiaomi and other brands

To understand how effective Xiaomi system is, compare it with its counterparts from Samsung, Apple and Huawei.

Xiaomi’s main advantage is the flexibility of settings for different age groups, such as creating separate profiles for children 6 years old (full blocking of social networks) and 14 years old (time-only restriction), while Apple offers more reliable protection against circumvention due to a closed ecosystem.

If your child uses multiple devices (such as a Xiaomi smartphone and a Samsung tablet), consider universal solutions like Google Family Link or Kaspersky Safe Kids that work across all platforms.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions