How to Set Up Nintendo Switch 2 Parental Controls

Since its debut with the NES in 1985, Nintendo has provided quality content and captivating gaming experiences for consumers of all ages. Today the entertainment giant’s flagship console is the Nintendo Switch.

In 2025, the Nintendo Switch 2 was launched with tons of new features and new parental controls. To help you protect your child while they’re racing through MarioKart levels or picking fruit in Animal Crossing, we’re going to walk you through how to set up Nintendo Switch 2 parental controls.

Getting Started

The first thing to note is that parental controls are set for the console, not individual users. The same restrictions will apply to everyone who uses the console, so they should be set with the youngest player in mind. The parental controls on the Nintendo Switch console allow parents to:

• Restrict software by age based on each game’s ESRB rating
• Block posting to social media
• Block communication with others
• Restrict VR Mode (3D Visuals)

The Switch Parental Controls app has the same functionality, plus the following additional features:

• Set play-time limits
• View play activity
• Set GameChat restrictions 

Finally, through your child’s Nintendo account, you can also set restrictions on Nintendo eShop purchases. Nintendo eShop restrictions can only be set through an account’s profile settings on a PC or smart device, accessible by signing in to http://accounts.nintendo.com.

Introducing GameChat

One of the new features of the Switch 2 is GameChat, which allows players to voice chat, video chat, and screen share with other players. Players under 16 are required to have GameChat enabled by a parent through the Switch parental controls app. If enabled, parents can manage their child’s GameChat usage, including approving specific friends for your child to chat with and approving the use of video chat.

Regarding video chat, the Nintendo Switch does not come with a built-in camera, but supports external USB-C cameras. Along with video chatting with other players, this feature will allow players to insert their face into certain games. 

How to Set Up Nintendo Switch 2 Parental Controls

Accessing parental controls for the Switch 2 is fairly easy. To access this function directly from the console, follow these steps:

1. On the Home Screen, locate and select Systems Settings.
2. Once selected, scroll down to Parental Controls.
3. Select Parental Control Settings, which appears on the right side of the screen.
4. Scroll down and select Use This Console.
5. Select Restriction Level.
6. If you would like to enable the pre-made settings, select either Child, Pre-teen, or Teen from the menu and the console will automatically restrict content based on your child’s age.
7. If you would rather have your settings customized, select Custom Settings instead.

Customize Your Settings

If you want to only restrict certain functions, follow these steps:

1. From the Custom Settings menu, select Restrict Software.
2. To restrict games based on their rating, select Content Rating System.
3. To restrict the ability to post to social media, select Post to Social Media. (NOTE: No players under the age of 13 will be able to access Nintendo’s social media content, no matter what the parental controls are set to).
4. To limit your child’s ability to send messages, share images, and get user profile information, select Free Communicating with Others.
5. To restrict gameplay in VR mode, select VR Mode (3D Visuals). (NOTE: Players ages 6 and under will automatically have this set to Restricted). 

Once you have your parental controls set to your exact specifications, select Next to save your preferences and create a four to eight-digit PIN number that you will use in the future to access the Parental Controls.

Controlling From Your Smartphone

To access the parental controls on your Android or iPhone, you will need to register your Switch console to the Nintendo Parental Controls app. To do this, open the app on your phone and either sign in or create a new Nintendo account. The app will then give you a set of instructions, including a code that you will need to submit on the Switch console.

Here are the steps to set up to register your Switch to your Switch app:

1. On your Switch console’s Home Screen, launch the System Settings.
2. Scroll down and select Parental Settings.
3. Select Parental Control Settings.
4. You will then be sent to a page that will ask you how you would like to set up your Parental Control Settings. Select Use your Smart Device.
5. It will ask you if you have the Parental Control app. Select Yes.
6. Then select Enter Registration Code. Enter the code the app generated for you when you first opened it.
7. Select Register.

Once your console and app are successfully set, here are the steps enable set parental controls through the app: 

Play Time Limit

1. Go back to the app and select Set Parental Controls.
2. Select Play Time Limit. You can either select No Limit or you can choose to limit activity for up to 6 hours. You can also toggle Set Days Individually to set these restrictions individually for each day of the week. 
3. Select Bedtime to set when gameplay will stop at a certain time each day, as well as when the console can be used again the next morning. 
4. Select Suspend Software at Set Time to make sure the console is not playable when the limit is reached. Otherwise, a notification will appear, but software will still be playable.

GameChat

1. First, you must register a phone number to your Nintendo Account to set Parental Controls for GameChat. 
2. In the app, select Set Parental Controls 
3. Select GameChat
4. Select the user you’d like to change the following settings. 
5. When your child has sent a request from their console to chat with a friend, select Chat approval request received. 
6. Approve or deny the request. Before approving the request, you can add a note about why you decided to approve them. 
7. If you change your mind, you can block an already approved player by selecting them from this list and selecting Revoke GameChat Permission. 
8. Then, select Video Chat Settings. 
9. You can decide whether your child needs to ask for permission for every chat session, or choose not to allow video chat at all. 
10. If you set it to ask permission for every chat session, you’ll receive a notification through the app to approve or deny your child’s request to chat. 
11. While video chat is in sessions, you can change the field of view for the camera by selecting Play Activity in the bottom left corner. Then, select Video Chat. Choose between Face-Only View, Focused View (No Surroundings) and Full Camera View, then select Save. 

Safelist

Safelist settings can be used to exclude specific software titles from restricted software settings on your Nintendo Switch 2 console. Games on your safelist can be played on the console without entering the Parental Controls PIN. These games are still subject to any restrictions set for daily play time limits. Any software titles that have been played on your console can be added to your safelist. 

Once you are done with a setting, tap the red Save button on the screen to confirm. And that’s it! You’ve enabled Nintendo Switch parental controls.