Nintendo Switch & Switch 2 Parental Controls: Play-Time Limits, Bedtime & PIN
📣 Communication controls (start here)
Who can talk to your child is the most important setting. Controls stack in layers: console/device → platform account → in-game. Set every layer, because one layer doesn't always control another. Communication Safety Hub →
Nintendo Switch / Switch 2: system-level communication
- Parental Controls app or System Settings → Parental Controls → "Communicating with Others" (In-Game Communication with Others): Restricted, for all software or per game.
Presets: Teen = not restricted; Child and Young Child = restricted. This covers chat, messages, images and user-generated content.
In this guide
Console, app or Nintendo Account?
On the console: age rating restrictions, chat/communication limits, social posting, VR mode.
In the app: all of the above, plus daily play-time limits, bedtime, play history, an allow list, and sharing controls with a second parent.
In your Nintendo Account: eShop spending and visibility, friend suggestions, and data shared with third parties.
Source: en-americas-support.nintendo.com
Step 1 (recommended): Link the Parental Controls app
- Download the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app on your iOS or Android device. You need a Nintendo Account belonging to an adult (18+).
- In the app, tap Start, review the overview, choose whether to send usage data, then tap Sign In/Create Account and sign in. A registration code appears.
- On the console: System Settings → Parental Controls → Parental Controls Settings → If You've Already Downloaded the App.
- Enter the six-digit registration code, select OK, then Link.
💡 Already set controls on the console? Choose Change Settings, enter your PIN, then select Set With Smart Device.
Source: www.nintendo.com
Step 2: Set play-time limit and bedtime (app)
- Open the app and tap Parental Controls (lower-right).
- Play-Time Limit: choose No Limit up to 6 hours a day; toggle Vary by Day for different days.
- Bedtime: set a stop time between 4:00 PM and 11:45 PM (and optionally a morning start between 6:00 and 9:00 AM via the three-dots icon).
- Turn on Suspend Play When Time's Up if you want the game to actually stop — otherwise it only shows a notification.
- Tap the red Save button. Restrictions activate when the console goes online.
💡 If both a play-time limit and bedtime are on, the console uses whichever comes first. You can extend today's limit by 5/15/30 minutes or an hour from the app.
Source: en-americas-support.nintendo.com
Or: set up directly on the console (no phone)
- Select System Settings on the HOME Menu.
- Highlight Parental Controls, then select Parental Controls Settings.
- Press the X Button, then select Next to skip the app.
- Select Restriction Level and choose a preset (Teen, Pre-Teen, Child) or Custom Settings.
- Select Next, choose a 4–8 digit PIN, select OK, then re-enter it to confirm.
💡 Console-only setup can't do play-time limits or bedtime — for those, use the app.
Source: en-americas-support.nintendo.com
Settings by age
| Nintendo preset | Restricts games rated | Chat | Social posting | VR mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child | Everyone 10+, Teen, Mature (ESRB) | Restricted | Restricted | Restricted |
| Pre-Teen | Teen and Mature (ESRB) | Restricted | Restricted | Not restricted |
| Teen | Mature (ESRB) | Not restricted | Not restricted | Not restricted |
Presets are Nintendo's own (US article). Nintendo says VR mode "should be set to restricted if a child of 6 years or younger uses the console." Editorial tip: start with the preset for your youngest player, then use the app's Allow List for specific games.
Troubleshooting
Restrictions didn't apply
Nintendo says app settings activate "as soon as the Nintendo Switch console connects online."
The game keeps running after time's up
Turn on Suspend Play When Time's Up in the app.
PIN confirmation won't work
Nintendo suggests switching to Keypad Input (hold the + Button) and/or selecting Show while entering.
Forgot the PIN
Nintendo has a separate "locate or reset your PIN" help article linked from its parental controls page.
How do I remove controls?
System Settings → Parental Controls → Change Settings → enter PIN → press X (Delete Settings). If you used the app, unlink the app to remove all restrictions.
Official sources
- How to Set Up, Adjust, or Remove Parental Controls on Nintendo Switch – Nintendo Support
- How to Link a Nintendo Switch 2 or Nintendo Switch Console to the Parental Controls App – Nintendo UK
- Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app
Menus change with app and system updates. If a step doesn't match what you see, the official page above is the authority — and please tell us so we can update this guide.
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