The Microsoft Family Safety app is a parental control app, allowing you to keep an eye on your family’s app usage and screen time, amongst other features like location tracking and filtering the content they see. Family Safety has some premium extras for Microsoft 365 Family accounts.
It’s available for Windows computers, but also mobile platforms like Android and iOS as well as the gaming platform Xbox.
Most of the Family Safety app services are free. With a Microsoft 365 Family plan you’ll get some location and driving special features that we’ll explain below.
Getting Started
Simply go to the Microsoft Family Safety website and sign up to gain access. You can also go to the Google Play Store or Apple Store to download the Microsoft Family Safety app.
Basic Features
For those who sign up for the basic features, they include:
Screen time limits
Basically, in a way to balance your family’s online habits, you’ll have the power to decide on the length of time family members can use their connected devices, including mobile devices such as Android and iPhone, the Xbox console, iPad, and Windows devices.
Specify limits to your liking, you can use a different schedule each day, and set limits to all or specific devices.
Time limits don’t actually work on websites, but you can limit your family member’s access to a game or app and block related websites or apps.
You’ll also be given access to summaries of each member’s screen time, including total use, most used apps and a breakdown of time used on each app.
Content filters
If you want to protect your family from any inappropriate web content (and there’s plenty out there these days), then using the content filter feature would be useful.
Simply add the URLs to block specific sites, or you could work the other way around and only list websites that are allowed to be viewed.
Additionally, you can set age limits to ensure that each member is viewing aged appropriate content when it comes to web content, apps, and games.
There are a few downsides to this feature though, mainly being that it only works across Windows, Xbox and mobile devices that have Microsoft Edge browser and Family Safety apps installed. Plus they must be signed into their Microsoft accounts for it to work.
So, the feature has a few security holes, particularly as a simple sign out of their Microsoft account on Edge and they’re free to roam whatever site they wish.
Location Awareness
Basic users will get partial access to location awareness with the ability to share location and save places.
Once set-up, users can see family member’s location in real time on the Family Safety map.
The map features are only available on Android and Apple iOS devices, and will only work if location sharing has been enabled within their own connected device in the Family Safety app.
Location alerts won’t be available for basic access, to do so and get more features like drive safety, you’ll need to have a Microsoft 365 Family subscription.
Premium Features
Premium features include all the basic features previously mentioned, plus the addition of location alerts and drive safety.
Drive Safety is only available in the US, UK, Canada and Australia.
Location Alerts
At this stage, location alerts are available for Android devices, and are promised ‘soon’ for the iPhone.
Users can set a location alert, meaning that the app will provide an alert when a family member arrives or leaves a saved place. This feature will only work if location sharing is turned on, and saved places are set up. It’s very useful for concerned individuals that want to make sure a family member has gotten from A to B safely.
Drive Safety
Setting up drive safety provides insights on family member’s driving details including:
- Top speed – the fastest speed during the drive.
- Phone use – if the phone is moved whilst driving and for how long.
- Hard breaking – if the vehicle suddenly slows down.
- Fast acceleration – if the vehicle suddenly speeds up.
Drive history will be available for up to 2 weeks after individual drives.
Microsoft sells it as a way to build better driving habits amongst families, or perhaps it can be seen as invasive, but that’s down to each individual family and their opinions on the location tracking features of the app.
Device Access
Most features are available on Windows devices, Xbox console, Android, iPhone and iPad.
Android tablets are not yet supported, and only location features are supported on iPhone and iPad, screen time features are not yet available.
It’s also important to note that for a lot of family features to work, location permissions must be enabled, and each family member’s role is set as a member not an organizer, as features may not work properly otherwise.
Family Organizer vs Member?
Organizer
An organizer is the admin of the family group. They’re able to add or remove members, manage and set permissions and limits, and review reporting. Access will include:
- Setting screen time limits
- Setting website and search filters
- Setting app and game filters
- Viewing activity reports
- Managing permissions for purchases
- Locating family members
- Distributing allowances for the Microsoft Store
- Removing and providing consent.
Member
Family members are basically the ones to share their important info with the organizers, including their locations and screentime.
Members can request for approvals for additional screen time, or purchases. Family members over statutory age can update their settings to specify the exact information they share with their organizer, which can include:
- Let organizers see your devices – meaning they can see the device health and determine if updates are needed.
- Let organizers see your activity – view activity reporting, adjust account limits, add spending money to the account, view websites they’ve visited, search terms in Bing, apps and games used.
- Let organizers see your location – allows organizers to turn on ‘Find your child’ and locate family member on the map.
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