Key Takeaways
- Every Netflix parental control lives in one spot, Account then Profiles & Parental Controls at netflix.com, and most of them can't be changed from the TV app at all.
- Flip on a Kids profile and it quietly filters down to titles rated for younger viewers while hiding the account settings.
- Each profile gets its own maturity rating, Little Kids, Older Kids, Teens, or Adults, so you decide what each person can actually see.
- Add a profile PIN lock and kids can't just hop into an adult profile.
- There's no built-in screen-time timer on Netflix, so time limits have to come from your phone, tablet, or TV.
You hand your child the tablet for Bluey, and three taps later they're watching something you would never have picked. Netflix has a full set of controls to stop exactly that, and most parents just never find them.
Netflix runs on nearly every screen in the house, and the default profile shows everything, cartoons and true-crime thrillers alike. The good news: Netflix parental controls pack several safeguards into one place. Kids profiles, per-profile maturity ratings, a profile PIN lock, title blocking, and account-wide viewing restrictions on top. This guide walks through each control with the exact steps for the web browser, the mobile app, and your TV, and it's honest about what these settings just can't do. Whether you're setting up a first profile for a toddler or tightening things up for a tween, here's every Netflix parental control and exactly how to set it up.
What Netflix parental controls can (and can't) do
Netflix parental controls are a set of profile-level tools that filter what each viewer can watch. What they don't do is limit how long anyone watches. You get four main levers, a Kids profile, a maturity rating for each profile, a profile PIN lock, and the ability to block individual titles, plus account-wide viewing restrictions that apply across every profile.
The one thing to get straight up front: these controls filter content, not time. There's no daily timer, no bedtime cutoff. So a Kids profile keeps the scary stuff out, sure, but it'll happily play cartoons for three hours straight.
You manage almost all of these settings from a web browser at netflix.com, not from the TV and not from the mobile app. According to Netflix's parental controls hub, you change ratings, PINs, and blocked titles on your Account page, and those choices then sync to every device the profile signs in on.
How to create a Kids profile on Netflix
A Netflix Kids profile is a separate viewing profile that automatically shows only age-appropriate titles and hides the account and billing settings. It's the fastest way to hand a young child a safe corner of Netflix, and you can build one in about a minute from a web browser.
- Open netflix.com and sign in, then hover over your profile icon in the top-right and select Manage Profiles.
- Click Add Profile.
- Name the profile, then turn on the Kids toggle.
- Click Continue, then Done.
You can also add a profile straight from the Netflix mobile app, under My Netflix then the menu icon then Manage Profiles, though the exact tap path shifts a little depending on your app version. Netflix's guide to creating a Kids profile confirms it's that same Kids toggle driving the whole child-friendly experience.
What a Kids profile filters by default
A Netflix Kids profile shows only titles rated for younger viewers, and it hides account settings, billing, and profile management so kids can't go poking around in them. By default it lands on the Little Kids or Older Kids maturity level, with larger artwork and simpler navigation. One catch worth knowing: autoplay still runs by default on a Kids profile, so one episode rolls straight into the next unless you turn autoplay off in that profile's playback settings.
How to set maturity ratings for a profile
A Netflix maturity rating sets the highest content level a profile can see, and you can tune it person by person on the account. This is how you make a tween's profile stricter than yours without turning it into a full Kids profile. Set it from a web browser at netflix.com.
- Go to netflix.com, sign in, and open Account from the profile menu.
- Under Profiles & Parental Controls, select the profile you want to change.
- Click Change next to Viewing Restrictions.
- Enter your Netflix account password.
- Choose the maturity level for that profile, then click Save.
What the ratings mean
Netflix sorts titles into four maturity levels, and each one maps to the familiar US TV and movie ratings:
- Little Kids: titles rated G, TV-Y, and TV-G, aimed at the youngest viewers.
- Older Kids: adds PG, TV-Y7, and TV-PG titles for grade-schoolers.
- Teens: adds PG-13 and TV-14 titles.
- Adults: includes R, NC-17, and TV-MA titles.
TV-MA means "mature audiences only," Netflix's US label for content meant for adults 17 and older. Set a profile below the Adults level and every TV-MA title disappears from it. These maturity ratings apply per profile and kick in the next time that profile signs in, per Netflix's guide to profile maturity ratings.
How to block a specific show or movie
You can block an individual show or movie on Netflix even when its rating sits comfortably inside a profile's maturity level, which is handy for that one series that somehow slips through. Blocking happens on the same Viewing Restrictions screen you use for maturity ratings.
- At netflix.com, open Account, then under Profiles & Parental Controls select the profile.
- Click Change next to Viewing Restrictions and enter your account password.
- Scroll to Title Restrictions and start typing the show or movie name.
- Select the title from the list to block it, then click Save.
Once blocked, a title stops showing up anywhere in that Netflix profile, search, rows, recommendations, all of it. And because title blocking is set per profile, you'll want to repeat it on each profile you're restricting, as described in Netflix's block-titles guide.
How to lock a Netflix profile with a PIN
A Netflix profile lock is a 4-digit PIN that anyone has to enter before opening a specific profile. Locking your adult profile is honestly the single most effective control here, because the most common way kids bypass restrictions is simply switching into an unlocked grown-up profile. Set the PIN from a web browser.
- Open Account at netflix.com and, under Profiles & Parental Controls, select the adult profile.
- Click Change next to Profile Lock.
- Enter your Netflix account password.
- Turn on the Profile Lock toggle and set a 4-digit PIN, then click Save.
How to change or reset the PIN
To change a Netflix profile PIN, head back to Account then Profiles & Parental Controls, select the profile, click Change next to Profile Lock, enter your account password, and type a new 4-digit PIN. Forgot the PIN? You reset it the exact same way. It's your Netflix account password, not the PIN itself, that unlocks this setting, so keep that password private from your kids.
Setting Netflix controls on different devices
Netflix keeps its parental controls on the account rather than the device, which is exactly why you set them once and they follow the profile everywhere. Profile creation, maturity ratings, title blocking, profile PINs, all of it gets edited at netflix.com in a web browser on a phone or computer, then synced out to every screen.
The Netflix TV app and the mobile app can switch between profiles and prompt for a PIN, but they generally can't edit the viewing restrictions themselves. If your only Netflix device is a smart TV, just open netflix.com in your phone's browser to make these changes, since the same account settings apply. And for the limits the streaming service can't handle, your device's own tools take over, starting with iPhone parental controls and Android's built-in settings.
What Netflix controls won't do — and how to set real time limits
Netflix parental controls filter content, but there's no screen-time timer, no daily cap, no automatic bedtime cutoff. If you want to limit how long your child watches, that limit has to come from the device, not from Netflix.
On an iPhone or iPad, Apple's Screen Time sets daily app limits and downtime. On Android, Family Link and Digital Wellbeing do the same job, and you can also lock apps on your child's device so Netflix only opens when you allow it. Most smart TVs throw in their own profile timers and PINs too.
How much is "too much" is murkier than it sounds. The American Academy of Pediatrics and Common Sense Media both make the same point, that what kids watch matters more than the raw minute count. For a practical starting point, see our guides to how much screen time is healthy and a few simple screen-time rules that are actually easy to keep.
How to turn off or change Netflix parental controls
To turn off Netflix parental controls, you just reverse the same settings you switched on, all under Account then Profiles & Parental Controls, all with your account password. To lift the content filters, select the profile, open Viewing Restrictions, raise the maturity level to Adults, and save. To drop a profile PIN, open Profile Lock, enter your account password, and flip the toggle off. And deleting a Kids profile entirely clears its restrictions along with it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I set up parental controls on Netflix?
Set up Netflix parental controls at netflix.com under Account then Profiles & Parental Controls. Pick a profile, then adjust its Viewing Restrictions to set a maturity level, block specific titles, or turn on a Profile Lock PIN, and every change needs your account password. You can also add a dedicated Kids profile from Manage Profiles. Most of these settings can't be edited from the TV app, so reach for a web browser.
How do I create a Kids profile on Netflix?
Create a Kids profile by opening netflix.com, hovering your profile icon, and choosing Manage Profiles, then Add Profile. Name it and turn on the Kids toggle before you save. A Netflix Kids profile automatically shows only titles rated for younger viewers and hides account and billing settings. You can fine-tune the exact maturity level later under Account then Profiles & Parental Controls.
How do I lock my Netflix profile?
Lock your Netflix profile with a 4-digit PIN under Account then Profiles & Parental Controls. Select the profile, click Change next to Profile Lock, enter your account password, turn on the toggle, and set the PIN. Once it's locked, anyone opening that profile has to enter the PIN first. This is the most reliable way to stop kids from switching into an unrestricted adult profile.
What does MA mean on Netflix?
MA on Netflix refers to the TV-MA rating, which means "mature audiences only," content intended for adults 17 and older. It's the highest US maturity label and can include strong language, violence, or sexual content. Setting a profile's maturity level below Adults hides TV-MA titles from that profile, and a Netflix Kids profile never shows TV-MA content at all.
How do I block certain shows on Netflix?
Block a specific show on Netflix through Viewing Restrictions under Account then Profiles & Parental Controls. Select the profile, open Viewing Restrictions, enter your account password, and type the title into the Title Restrictions field, then select it to block. The blocked show disappears from that profile's search, rows, and recommendations. Blocking is per profile, so repeat it for each profile you want to restrict.
How do I turn off Netflix parental controls?
Turn off Netflix parental controls under Account then Profiles & Parental Controls using your account password. To remove content filters, open a profile's Viewing Restrictions and set the maturity level to Adults. To remove a profile PIN, open Profile Lock and switch the toggle off. Deleting a Kids profile also clears its restrictions. Every change needs the account password, not a profile PIN.