Explained for parents
Plain-English primers: what it is, how it works, what to watch for, and how its rating works. Then link straight to the setup steps.
What is Roblox?
What is Minecraft?
What is Fortnite?
What is Discord?
What is Call of Duty?
What is Social apps (TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat)?
Ratings glossary (ESRB, PEGI, TV, MPA)
Game & app stores: purchases, approvals, gift cards
| Xbox / Microsoft Store | Purchases go through Microsoft family settings. With "Ask a parent" on, kids must request purchases. Parents can add allowance money to a child's account and see spending history in the Xbox Family Settings app. source · setup guide |
| PlayStation Store | A child's purchases come from the family manager's wallet, capped by a monthly spending limit (default $0). Set it in the PlayStation Family app, on the web, or on PS5/PS4. source |
| Nintendo eShop | The Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app and account settings can restrict eShop spending. source · setup guide |
| Apple App Store | Ask to Buy (Family Sharing) sends kids' purchase requests to the organizer. Screen Time can block in-app purchases and cap app age ratings. source · setup guide |
| Google Play | Purchase approvals let you require approval for all content, paid content only, in-app purchases only, or never. This covers only purchases through Google Play's billing system. source |
| Steam | Steam Families lets parents set restrictions and approve purchase requests. source · setup guide |
| Epic Games Store | Epic parental controls (PIN-protected) cover purchases and ratings for Epic accounts. source · setup guide |
⚠ Gift cards: every store lets you add funds with gift cards, and a gift card balance can be spent without a card on file. We haven't verified each store's gift-card rules for child accounts, so treat a spending limit or approval setting as the real control.