PlayStation Family App is here to help parents manage kids' gaming habits

Sony has unveiled a new mobile tool designed to give parents greater oversight of their children’s PlayStation activities. The PlayStation Family app, now available worldwide on both Android and iOS, offers a range of parental control features that extend beyond what was previously available on the consoles themselves. With this move, Sony hopes to strike a balance between allowing young players to enjoy gaming and giving parents peace of mind about how much time—and money—their kids are spending online.

At its core, the PlayStation Family app allows parents to monitor their children’s activity remotely through a smartphone. Instead of needing to log into a console or the PlayStation website, moms and dads can now review play sessions, manage screen time, and even handle purchase approvals with just a few taps. The streamlined interface places all of these controls at their fingertips, making family management far more accessible.

One of the standout features is the ability to view detailed Activity Reports. These reports summarize how long kids have been playing on a PlayStation console, breaking down usage into daily and weekly snapshots. The insights not only give parents a clearer picture of gaming habits but also provide a foundation for conversations about balancing schoolwork, hobbies, and leisure.

The app also includes push notifications in real time. For instance, if a child wants to extend their allotted playtime or attempt to access a restricted game, parents receive an instant alert. They can then approve or deny the request without delay, no matter where they are. This feature is likely to resonate with families who have struggled with enforcing limits in the past, offering a quick and decisive way to manage requests.

Another area where the PlayStation Family app steps in is spending. Since children can purchase content directly from the PlayStation Store, parents often worry about surprise charges. With the new app, parents can set monthly spending caps, add funds to a child’s account in controlled amounts, and track balances at a glance. This ensures that digital shopping stays within agreed boundaries and prevents unwanted bills at the end of the month.

Households with more than one gamer can also benefit from customizable profiles. Parents can create individual accounts for each child, tailoring limits and filters to suit different ages and maturity levels. This avoids blanket restrictions and allows for more nuanced management, acknowledging that an older teenager and a younger sibling may require very different approaches.

Of course, concerns about content remain at the heart of parental supervision. The gaming industry is filled with titles that include violence, adult themes, or strong language. Sony addresses this by equipping the PlayStation Family app with adjustable content filters. These filters can be fine-tuned or applied through presets aligned with recommended age categories. Beyond content, parents can also restrict online features such as voice chat or user-generated material, while still making exceptions for specific games that they feel are appropriate.

Importantly, these parental controls are not entirely new. Similar tools have existed for both PS4 and PS5 consoles, as well as through the PlayStation website. What Sony has done now is consolidate these features into a standalone app that is easier to navigate and more practical for everyday use. In doing so, the company is likely responding to long-standing calls from parents for a simpler, more centralized management solution.

The PlayStation Family app can be downloaded directly from Google Play or the App Store.