Netflix Has Rolled Out New Parental Controls Including PIN Codes & More

With more kids spending an increased amount of time inside these days, Netflix is looking to put more control in parents' hands. And based on feedback from subscribers, Netflix has some new parental controls. What's different? The updated controls allow parents to lock adult profiles, limit watchable titles to age-appropriate content, and block individual films or TV series.

"Every family is different," Michelle Parsons, Netflix's Kids Product Manager, said in a press release unveiling the new features. "It's why we're investing in a wide variety of kids and family films and TV shows from all over the world... It's why we also give parents the controls they need to make the right decisions for their families."

Under Netflix's new parental controls, parents or caregivers can now use PIN codes to lock individual profiles. The feature aims to prevent children from gaining access to another family member's profile that may not have their same parental locks or controls.

Netflix will also now allow parents or caregivers the chance to tailor their children's Netflix experience by filtering available or watchable content to include only titles appropriate for their specific age. For example, a parent can lock their 8-year-old on a 7+ age filter while placing their teen's Netflix profile under a 13+ filter, giving them access to more suitably mature titles.

Parents can gain even more control when it comes to tailoring the list of titles available to their children through the streaming service's new block feature. This enables parents or caregivers to block individual films or television series from showing up on children's profiles. While parents can use the feature to block content they feel is inappropriate or unsuitable for their children no matter its age rating, it can also be used to block that really annoying show or movie your kids have absolutely insisted on watching every single day for the last month. Seriously. No judgement.

Netflix's new parental controls also include the ability to turn off auto play in kids' profiles, effectively limiting their ability to automatically roll from one episode of a series to the next. Parents can also review parental controls for each profile on their account via the "Profile and Parental Controls hub" under account settings and check what their children have been watching within their individual profiles.

While geared at families with young children, Netflix's new features are accessible to everyone and can be found under account settings. "Choice and control have always been important for our members, especially parents," Parsons said. "We hope that these additional controls will help parents make the right choices for their families."