Microsoft Family Safety Customer Service

Microsoft Family Safety Positive Reviews

Needs to keep settings when app updatesWith each of the last updates, all my settings get lost. When you update, please create a process to port the existing settings into tge new version. It takes time to set these up. Plus for a time all settings, so all safety features, are lost until the parent realizes it updated and the settings are no longer active. This is not acceptable for a family safety app. Otherwise, the app gets better. Just don’t make this any more complicated. It’s starting to have too many layers. People may be asking for minute levels of control but not realize that it makes the set up that much more steps or involved to get it. Then every time we lose our settings we have to do all that again. Simple is best. Thankful for this app though. Makes it so we don’t have to argue. When time is up, it’s up..Another teen momVersion: 1.8.0

App doesn’t work (fixed as of 5/12)Update- seems to be fixed! I am very relieved. However, I still would prefer if Microsoft would not make it so difficult to use the website on a mobile device. The App and website do have slightly different functionality and I would like to be able to choose for myself which one I use without constantly having to confirm, that, Yes, I actually want to use the website on my phone. The app repeatedly crashes. I can no longer get it to function at all. The worst aspect of this is that whenever I try to use the family safety website instead (which works just fine) Microsoft tries to shunt me to the app. It is sooooo annoying because continually telling Microsoft that, no, I don’t want to use the app, takes a lot of time. It takes so long to give my child extra screen time (usually just to save and quit) that he often ends up dying in game, before he can get back on to save and quit. Because of my son’s ADHD/Autism it is very difficult for him to switch tasks and even when he knows that his screen time is running out, he can’t make the mental switch to saving progress and quitting. When the app worked, our house was much more peaceful- because I could give him that extra five minutes he needed to transition after the screen time ended. Just to clarify- the delay is caused by Microsoft continually try to get me to use the app whenever I sign into the family safety website on my phone..LollybraineVersion: 1.24.3

Last update broke a major featureLatest update removed the ability to log my child out of his account on moment’s notice. Which as a parent was very useful in case you had set some screen time but experienced a change of plans (as parents this is just the fluidity of life w active kids) and needed to stop screen time without having to go change the allotted preset daily screen time and figure out how much time was used already and how much you’d need to reduce to stop screen time in the next minutes or completely set it to zero which you’d have to go back and then set the proper screen time again which you spent precious time setting up for each day. This was sort of a kill switch that did not change the preset screen times. Now when I press on my kids account and their device, I do not have the option to log my kids out. A shame that updates take features away from us parents relying on them. I was so impressed with the work Microsoft did to this app that I have recommended it to many parents surprised to hear that Microsoft had made such progress in the family screen time space. I will have to warn them now of the major gap this new update created for us. Would really like to see it back to add stars back to my review..G_TRXVersion: 1.26.0

Good for screen timeThis is a good way to check how much hours my kid has been playing also to see what he spends his money on ! I’ve been able to catch him purchasing stuff without telling me so very useful if you have sneaky kids that like to spend ur money a lot! And an easy way to give them more screen time ! Like if they run out they can ask for more and I just put more! I gave it 4/5 because there are times where this app just randomly closes by its self and crashes and I have to uninstall it and download it again. Very annoying but useful app.JUSTICE FOF BREONNAVersion: 1.24.2

Works well but needs more flexibilityThank you to the developers for the quick fix after recent crashes. App is working great now. Kids are masters of negotiation and in our house the currency is screen time. Family Safety has worked consistently in terms of doing what it says it will do and cutting off access when time is up. If you have a fixed schedule and no need to change it then the app is perfect. My wish though would be to be able to make a temporary change to the limits. Right now my son can ask for more screen time and I can approve “for the next” block of time (15 minutes, 1 hour, etc). But I can’t add an hour to his total allotment for the day unless I go in and change the day’s limit, in which case I have to remember to change it back. I give my kid opportunities to earn more time and would love a system that made rewards easier. Know that only Microsoft Edge is monitored so you will need to block Google to use that feature. This was annoying during COVID when his schoolwork was all done on a Google platform and the thought of using Edge was horror to a tween. Rather than battle it out over browsers I mostly rely on Circle for filtering..HoodplustwoVersion: 1.24.3

Close but not quiteThis app does a great job of allowing restrictions on devices that are solely used for gaming (i.e. Xbox). However, many kids use the same PC for schoolwork that they do for gaming. This app needs a way for parents to group Windows apps into categories then allow them to set the limits on those categories. My use is games vs. non-games. I don’t want to limit Chrome which is used for school but I do want to limit the total time played on games in general, not each individual game. The current paradigm for Windows restrictions does not makes sense. Giving them 4 hours on each game, say for three games, is 12 hours of screen time. I want to set it for 4 hours total. Please make this update! I know a lot of parents need this feature!.Chutch15Version: 1.5.0

Screen time make this bad!!!!I love this app and how it can tell me how much much time I’m using on my laptop and other great things. But I am a teenager, whose father has the screen time safety settings on. And after the time that my father has set for it to start asking for me to send him request for more time if he sends me one for two hours, I only get one hour. If he sends me one for three hours two hours. So it is very frustrating to be in the middle of doing homework or a test online in my screen time turn off. I think about it before you start limiting your kids because it is frustrating when the kid has to send multiple requests and then get in trouble for sending six request..IzabgVersion: 1.26.1

No longer works (update)Loved this app until a couple weeks ago when it started crashing immediately when opening. Found lots of other people with the same issue online. Getting ready to switch to another service if this isn’t fixed soon. (Update) someone finally woke up and fixed the glitch after two weeks. App is solid but could be better. We have several kids and the web interface is a bit more intuitive than the app which is reverse of how things usually are. No reason they shouldn’t be the same. Very helpful in managing screen time. But doesn’t work with chrome browser..Wakid1Version: 1.24.3

Works greatBought a Lenovo Ideapad 1 with Windows 11 for my 9 yr old son for coding camp. I have the family safety app on my iphone. It works exactly as expected. Maybe a half minute delay at most. I can set time limits on the entire account down to each application, permissions for download or app usage, age requirements and specify websites he’s allowed to visit, can see what he searched for in Edge browser and how long he spent on each app. It’s almost seems a little much but then considering how hard it’s been to get him off his new computer, wonderfully helpful..Cloudryder9Version: 1.26.1

Very useful app but key feature deletedWhy doesn’t the app give me a “quick glance” at minutes of screen time used any more? Instead it just tells me the kids aren’t sharing their location with me; which is good because I didn’t opt in for location sharing. So that information is useless to me. The “minutes used” feature was by far the best feature for checking in on my kids and now it’s buried deep in the app and I have to look their usage up individually..VAriousReportingVersion: 1.26.1

Excellent Parent App for Device ManagementI enjoy using this app. It alerts me if my teen is speeding and their screen time on all their devices (iPhone, computer, and Xbox). I wished a compatibility mode to control the data on the devices of what they can visit like computer controls but you approve or disapprove on the spot and screen pauses but it does not work on iPhone, unsure which phone this works on. However, after the fact you do get a list of sites banned, visited and history of data. Overall excellent parent app..ZalamommaVersion: 1.24.0

Need passcode protectionThis app has faster the request approval as well as the schedule update, but the problem is there’s no passcode protection, the once the kids get the chances to touch my phone then they might update the screen time schedules (it happened on my phone). Eventually I deleted this app and still use the Outlook app (passcode protection activated) to approve the kids requests, even this way is not convenient, but it is what I want — avoid the kids to change the settings. Hopefully the developers would to hear the users opinions (no strong expectations lol, you know sometimes the developers are living in their own world)..Steven@EastvaleVersion: 1.21.1

ComplexThis app is useful for families with Windows PCs. It allows parents and guardians to set time limits overall or per app, block websites, and limit screen time for non-educational activities. However, the iPhone app leaves much to be desired. Notably, it can take several taps if you want to simply give a child 15 more minutes on an app of game. Also, settings to allow a new website are buried deep and take four or more taps. Hope these issues get fixed over time..Mr. Ice TeaVersion: 1.24.3

Great App for online school studentsI can see how far my kid will go To distract themselves from their school lessons with this app and it’s easy to get them back on track remotely from anywhere I am. No more hovering over their shoulder to get them to focus on their work! I love this app. It does sometimes glitch in translation if they are allowed screen time it sometimes takes quiet a few times to give them access on their device. Other than that I love it!.Ana.K.HVersion: 1.24.0

Needs ability to group apps for windowsI like that the app makes it easy to see how my kids are using their devices, however the ability to set time limits needs improvement. Specifically, I need to be able to group apps together, instead of individually. Right now there's no way for me to limit the amount of time spent on all games. You have to set each game individually. So when the time runs up for one game, they just jump to another one. I don't want to limit total device time as a work around because they use it for school work..YellohutVersion: 1.8.0

Great app, but has been crashing consistently for the last couple weeksFor some reason a couple of weeks ago, this app just starts crashing, every time you open it it just closes on its own… I’ve been having to approve my kids request via the email and then it takes me to the website… The app is pretty much unusable at this point… And I have uninstalled and reinstalled it to no avail, and I’m on the latest iOS.TheGargVersion: 1.24.2

Works well but...This app works well for ease of adjusting the parental controls. However, the fact that anyone can open the app if they have my device without entering a pin of some sort to make the adjustments is frustrating. Especially when children are able to adjust their own time because there is no backup when the app opens. This app would receive 5 stars for being more complete. Even other devices require the account password or other pin to even open the app. I hate having to log out in order to keep my crafty kids from accessing their settings..Yenca615Version: 1.3.0

Request notifications brokenThe app worked fine until around a week ago, when it stopped receiving request notifications. I’m pretty sure it’s a problem with the app, because my wife and I both stopped receiving notifications at the same time. So now our son has to yell to us from the other room instead. 😐 UPDATE: Problem has been fixed. Notifications working again. Thanks to the support team for responding to feedback..ProginoskoVersion: 1.26.1

Almost there!Finally I don’t have login to the site every time my kids send a request for additional computer time whenever they run out of their quotas. **Suggestion**: To the team maintaining/developing this app, provide the possibility to pause access on demand and not just when the allotted time runs out. It’s a key feature of any parental controls app. e.g. at dinner time all the parent would have to do to bring them to the table is a single click on the app to pause access. Holding back a star for that feature!.Roadwarrior1010Version: 1.0.0

Not working consistentlyThe past few months (March/April 2023) the app has been very glitchy. It always asks me to refresh because there is no connection, though my connection is fine. Lately, after I open it, the app closes on its own. I’ve deleted and reinstalled several times. My phone is turned off every day while I’m at work. I’ve had to go to my account on the website to change settings instead of using the app. Up until these problems started, the app was great and I didn’t ever have a problem w it..Alkdfigvdero379,!$:@Version: 1.24.2

Last two updates have issuesThis app deserves more stars but the last two updates have been a mess. The first update made it so the app crashed on all iOS devices that have recent OS versions. The patch to fix that made it so I can’t log in to my MS account in the app at all. It just tells me that my email or password are wrong. I can log in on the web interface just fine. The app worked perfectly before those two updates and I loved being able to use it. Hopefully these issues will be fixed soon..Al's feedbackVersion: 1.24.3

Not badWhy do I have to go back to the web to enable screen time? Come on....ThestolzVersion: 1.0.0

Finally an app! Room for improvementGlad that MS finally made an app. Overall decent but still missing some key features like changing children’s screen time by day and allotment of time. Has all the use reporting by time and app. I won’t use it much as typically use it to add or adjust time as rewards which I still have to use the web app to accomplish.WirednWiresVersion: 1.0.0

Quick add gametimeThe app is great and functions as intended but some times you are mid game and their time limit is about to expire. it would be really awesome if there was a button to quickly add time to an account. even 30min intervals would be fine and if the time added was temporary. how it is currently you have to dig down to each childs game time and move either the daily limit or time frame limit or both which you cant really do mid game sometimes. and once you do change it you have to remember to go back and put it back where it was. So if we could have a 1 button way to add game time it would be perfect..Kalvin hobonomisisVersion: 1.24.3

Quelque petit bugQuelque petit bug mais cette application pour gérer le temps d’écran pour une famille est merveilleuse.Marco-popoteVersion: 1.26.1

Easy family cybersecurity safetyOffers a great and simple way to manage family cybersecurity safety..Mykey_007Version: 2.0.0

Didn’t workMy son actually used few hours but didn’t showed it in the app , it just happened recently, I don’t know if something wrong.AshbyhuangVersion: 1.26.1

Happy ParentThe platform has created confidence in our children’s safe use of their computer. The filters and need to “ask permission” to visit sites through the edge browser fosters transparency and trust to safely navigate the internet and use the many tools available for their online learning. It was an important discovery early on to realize the system integrity relies on the sole use of Microsoft Edge as the browser. We removed Chrome as it undermined our ability to ensure a safe use of the internet..Tetris 4 lifeVersion: 1.26.1

Kudos to Microsoft for a well designed appFamily Safety is a solid little app. Updates about your kids are pretty well instantaneous. The app is easy to navigate and notifications are helpful. I don’t often find decent Microsoft apps, so whichever team built this one has my respect..Fantastic ;)Version: 1.26.1

Great app, too bad it was my #1 battery hogWas using this app for a while to keep track of my kids (and my) habits. Unfortunately just realized that it was hogging the battery and the cause of over 50%of my battery usage even with using other what I call ’active’ gps apps and music streaming at the same time. Unfortunately going to have to remove it for now. I hope that Microsoft fixes this as I liked the function of the app itself..AlbertaColinLVersion: 1.26.1

Bonne application de gestion du tempsTrès bonne application de gestion du temps et le seul bémol est que parfois c’est difficile de rajouter du temps, comme si l’application n’était pas capable d’accéder au profil de mes enfants..LordofSinVersion: 1.24.3

OverallI like the app and the features The only thing missing for a 5 star is that the allow the app … work. I allowed the app 10 time … still blocked. I had to boost the minimal alllowed age to make it work..Zorka44Version: 1.25.0

AmazingNow more than ever it’s important that children manage their time well and stay safe on the internet. This app is perfect!.Georgie MallowVersion: 1.24.3

Good app, room for improvement.Changed my rating as the crashing has been fixed. Now I’m working on my wishlist. Please make quarter hours available for time limits. Nintendo Switch you’re able to set a time limit for quarter hours..CanadianMapleBaconVersion: 1.24.3

Two apps??Why do you have two apps that do the same thing?? And I got an email report today that said my kid had no online activity in the last 7 days but when I log in and check, he had 2+ hrs of Xbox gaming a couple days ago. 🤷🏼‍♂️ UPDATE: App logs won’t help you figure out what I described..LilGamesVersion: 1.24.3

CrashingFix the app. It just crashes when you open it, ever since the last update..Dadbod 2Version: 1.24.3

Free International Money Transfer 💸Enjoy high maximum transfers into more than 20 currencies while saving up to 90% over local banks! The cheap, fast way to send money abroad. Free transfer up to 500 USD!AdvertorialVersion: 2.0.5

Microsoft Family Safety Negative Reviews

DONT USE, it willThanks guys, a great app. I’m a 25 year old man that has suddenly had every game he plays marked as inappropriate and that I need to have an adult sign in. I’m using the same account I have since I was a child so I said, “weird but okay I’ll jump through your hoops Microsoft” I have been trying for days to regain access to any game rated above E, first I was told I had to log into the new family safety app, I did it. And then I found no content restrictions listed, I called the help line who was unable to help. The best they gave me was to make a new account and log into the family safety through that and change the restrictions by proxy. Which I did, the content restriction was set to unrestricted, I still switched it to another one and back. I was told it would take 24 hours to take effect, so I waited and lo and behold no change to the games I can play, my Xbox subscription just reupped- meaning I’ve ostensibly just poured 20$ down the drain, ever since they launched this I have had nothing but issues with my account which has been increasingly frustrating. If you’re going to put content restrictions on your kids accounts just do the right thing and pay attention or learn about their interests so you don’t have to pretend to care about their safety via spying on them or blocking them from playing a game fully. I mean honestly if a content rating system puts the F word and gore into the same category you should find new ways to rate game context..Charles LynfordVersion: 1.26.1

Still getting hung up in install. EDITED RESPONSEAfter downloading to both iPad and iPhone app gets hung up in preferences/permissions it asks for. (This after repeated delays in asking and granting permissions when previously using for a few years). After asking to send notifications it goes to location permissions request with a “next” button. Button responds to tap, but will not advance or go back from that point. Skipping previous notification option does not help. Website access through 365 has multiple “it’s not you it’s us” as another person reported. Customer service said “It’s not a Microsoft problem”. Why not? It’s a Microsoft app in their office suite? You need to have people available when you issue an app that people are using for safety. If it was a game or something strictly pleasure related I’d understand the lack of response. But if you’re going to choose to offer to help parents keep their kids safe you need to follow up and get things fixed. Can’t send logs because I can’t get past setup. I have sent multiple notices to developer over last several days. Beyond aggravating. Maybe AI should be used to fix these things since it’s always available. *****I don’t have access to your proposed solution because THE APP IS FROZEN DESPITE NUMBER OF INSTALLS AND THE PATHWAY YOU SUGGEST DOES NOT APPEAR ANYWHERE FOR ME TO ACCESS. Work the problem with the info I gave you or get someone to actually interact with me directly to fix it..Nothanks0000000Version: 1.24.1

Used to be greatI’ve loved this app for a long time. I use it to monitor screen time and content on my children’s Windows 11 gaming PC’s. However for quite a while now when one of my children sends me a request for more screen time I get the notification fine, but when I tap the notification and open the app, almost every time the app will fail to load the request. It will take me to the notifications screen and spend a while loading until finally displaying an image of a dropped ice cream cone saying “It’s not you, it’s us.” and giving me an option to refresh. Doesn’t seem to matter whether I’m on mobile data or wifi, the only this that is consistent is its inconsistency. Usually after refreshing several times it will finally work. Very rarely does tapping the notification the first time work. I usually opt to use the website at this point (which works fine, by the way), but the constant pop ups on the website trying to get me to use the app instead (I would love to if it worked) are so intrusive and obnoxious that it makes it a terrible experience. If this gets corrected this is an easy 5 star app, it isn’t fancy or flashy, but it has always been easy to use and did what it was designed for. Hope it gets fixed soon..GarrettnicholsVersion: 1.24.3

Has potential, too many bugs and glitchesThe family safety app had been working pretty good with keeping track of how much my son played and adhering to the time limits I set. A couple times the app was not showing how much time he had played and how much time he had left but it corrected itself. However now for this whole week it keeps saying no video games have been played at all for the past few days even though my son has played for at least 4 hours each day! There has been a few nights when he has been able to play past the bedtime limit as well even though it was set. It is very frustrating that it’s so inconsistent because it has a lot of potential and intuitive settings. Another time he was able to purchase and download a mature rated game even though his age and game rating limit is at 13. I checked the settings and it was all still in place. Then when he went to play it it said you need permission from parent. Other times it asked me for permission before he bought and downloaded it and asked if I wanted it as an exception to his age limit, which makes way more sense. Over all a lot of potential but too many bugs they need to fix and stay on top of..SHONM7Version: 1.26.1

Buggy & InvasiveI uninstalled the app because it refused to close a demand to turn on location for my children so I could control their driving with, "Drive safety." Umm, they're under 12! The "demand" wouldn't go away, no way to dismiss it. The app has outdated notices that can not be dismissed.. for example, password reminders that are almost 2 years old. Their passwords were changed the same day they expired, but still the error notice remains with no way to dismiss. My child sent a game purchase request so I bought it for her yet the request STILL sits in the family dashboard with no way to dismiss it. Reinstalled the app and can't get past the, "your family cares about you, turn on location tracking" (using my family as an excuse to track me and sell targeted local ads to me, cute). It says I can turn off location tracking at any time but it won't allow me past it... Can't dismiss or reject it, my only option is to agree and enable. An error notification for one child to be reverified on a game console continues to be annoying with no way to dismiss even though they were verified on that console months ago. Half baked and invasive..RockinPaigeVersion: 1.21.1

Microsoft is Intrusive and AnnoyingThis app is garbage. The only reason I downloaded it is because Microsoft sent me an email saying they set my family safety settings for me by default because “you haven't updated your Family Safety settings.” Yeah, I didn’t set them because I don’t want to and it’s my account. The email attaches a link, “Click here to change what we defaulted for you.” I click the link. Login. Sorry, you need the app to change these settings. Download the app. Change the settings. Leave this review. Delete the app. Microsoft wants to be apart of everything you do and it’s extremely irritating and intrusive. Here’s an idea Microsoft: make a tool (app, software, OS, whatever) and let the user use the tool on their own. Stop handholding, stop trying to collect our information (location data, hardware data, browsing data, personal data, etc.), stop being so darn annoying and intrusive. Sell your product. Make sure it works. Then back off and leave us alone. We aren’t paying for you to tell us what to do in our personal affairs..Deeji12Version: 1.26.0

Absolute worst appFor the last couple weeks I have been having issues even getting the app to load any of the pages. You click to go to your child, wait, and then it says oops its is not you. Finally it loads and you try to get into screen time and the same thing happens. It takes forever to even get in to do anything or it just doesn’t work. With the update a few days ago I can’t even use the app now. Every time I open it and try to go anywhere within the app it crashes. I thought deleting it and reinstalling it would help and now I can’t even get past location notifications on the set up screen. You push the next button and nothing! I’ve closed it out a million times and re opened it and still nothing. What’s even better is you cant manage any of the stuff on the app on the website. So now I’m just screwed as far as getting into my child’s screen time settings …. Or anything else for that matter..LricheleVersion: 1.24.2

Not customizable. Device use times can only be set on the hour/half hour.Users are only able to set a device to start or stop on the hour or half hour. Life does not work that way. For example, if I want to let my child use the computer from 5:40pm to 6:10pm, I cannot do it. I would have to set it to turn on at 5:30pm and off at 6:30pm and set it to allow 30 minutes of use. That also means I can’t have another window of time later that day, say 7:10-7:40pm, because I’ve limited the total use to 30 minutes. The only way to truly customize device use down to the minute with Family Safety is to allow zero time, then have the child send a request for more time. I can then permit a range of minutes from 5m to 8h59m. But this can only be done in real time —- I can’t do it in advance, which I would like to do. And I’m not always immediately available to set the controls. This defeats the purpose of setting daily/weekly controls. This is a simple fix! All it would take is a number wheel or number pad to allow entry of specific times. Please, please let parents control the start/stop time of our children’s devices. (Who does Microsoft think we are, Apple users who need functionality to be dumbed down?!? And even Apple’s Screen Time allows for fine-tuning parental controls down to the minute!) Very dissatisfied with this, Microsoft..TemporaryLettuceVersion: 1.26.1

Need to fix 1.24 update!!I used to love this app. Within the past few weeks, however, the app stopped letting me give additional screen time and started showing the ice cream cone and “it’s not you, it’s us”. Since the last update a few days ago, this app won’t even stay open longer than 4 seconds; it just crashes. I’ve tried restarting my phone and deleting and reinstalling the app. After reading through other reviews, it’s pretty clear to me that when the 1.24 update was installed a few weeks ago, the app started going downhill for many users. It’s also obvious that since the 1.24.2 update was installed, the app started crashing for many users. Developers, if you respond to tell me to send an error report in the app, that’s impossible because the app won’t stay open long enough for me to do anything. I think it’s pretty clear that the 1.24 update is garbage and needs to be fixed asap..JFO9903Version: 1.24.2

Does not work with Windows 11While the app is useful for protecting my child on the Xbox, it does not work to protect our child on our Windows 11 PC. When I set up his account on a Win11 PC the device would not show up as a connected device in the Family Safety app. I followed the instructions in the Family Safety app. Googled the problem and discovered others have the same problem of getting the Family Safety service recognize the child account on a Windows 11 machine. Review Update: After rebooting the new Windows 11 PC the device started appearing in the Family Safety app. No mention in instructions that a reboot may be needed for Windows 11 PC to appear in the Family Safety service/App. I think instructions should be amended, that the device being added may a reboot be necessary if the device doesn’t automatically appear in the app/service..Millville NJVersion: 1.26.1

This stupid app block every single browser except for edge! 👎😤So my parents decided I was looking at way to much “bad stuff” on my windows 10 computer even though I’m literally 18 years old and ever since they installed this garbage, I can’t use Google chrome, Opera, or even Pale Moon! Every time I open any of these apps it says, “this app is blocked because of your family safety settings, but it doesn’t hurt to ask”. I have my SCHOOL HOMEWORK login saved on these browsers and because of this stupid app I am getting D’s C’s and F’s in school now because I can’t log on to Google classroom because of this software. I HATE you Microsoft for creating this stupid software, and if you’re a parent reading this, find another way to keep your children out of harms way. Not only will I have to repeat the 11th grade because of this app, but my parents won’t unblock any of the apps I need for school which has ruined my school career..JellyJelleyVersion: 1.26.1

Garbage ArchitectureSeriously, whoever decided to interlink all Microsoft products in the way should be fired. I can NEVER get my kids’ accounts to work properly. Take this app. There is a link in it regarding “how to connect” a device. But when you click that link it takes you to the app, which is completely unhelpful about actually connecting the device. And then of course on my kid’s iPad, the app continuously crashes. So here I am again, losing an hour of my life trying to configure a Microsoft product unsuccessfully. Oh, and in the app, it shows allowed and blocked apps. But it doesn’t show how to actually allow an app. Microsoft, if you are listening, put an “Allow” button here so I can click on it and allow something. Why should I have to go to somewhere else to do this. I still don’t know how to allow something. Goodness this is garbage architecture and interface design..JDeereRocksVersion: 1.24.2

Useless App and useless supportThe App has a Drive Safety feature which I am unable to turn it ON for members. Reinstalled the app, changed the members to organizers, reinstalled the app and still does not work. Called, emailed and Chatted with MS support and they all could not help and told me to check their website or publish my query in a forum. This is after you pay to have upgraded version of this app. I can understand if it was a free app and they ask you to publish queries in a user forum but with a paid subscription you would expect more. Also before a MS developer reads this and decides to ask me to send them the log from the app, I have also done that multiple times. I suggest you fix the issue in your app rather than wasting money and time for subscribers. My only comment for new users would be to use the free version and don’t hope for any help from MS support team..Hopeless MicrosoftVersion: 1.24.1

DisappointingVery disappointing app. As profitable as Microsoft is as a company, this app, to help parents regulate their kid’s addition to computers and gaming, is woefully inadequate. I’ve tried dozens of times to add a device to my child’s account and am getting nowhere. I googled the Microsoft support number and it routes me to an automated message telling me to go online. Of course, the online portal only provides answers to several basic questions - none of which pertain to my issue. Then, I called the same Microsoft support number back and it told me to go online to get help with the Family Safety app. So they recorded my number and issue and automatically recognized it. This is a terrible product without any support to parents that are trying to do the right thing, for a company that makes billions of dollars a quarter. I’ll be using Apple products going forward..Gaspar5411Version: 1.26.1

Website is still betterI was hoping to see and respond to requests from my kids quickly and easily using an iOS app. Unfortunately it’s not helpful yet. The problem is that when you get a request you can only unblock the app completely. On the website, you get an option to give access for a specific number of minutes or hours. If I’m goi to unblock all the apps, why bother using Family Security at all? Also an issue is that when the notification pops up and you tap on it, it opens the app but doesn’t show the newest request. Once again, it’s clear Microsoft doesn’t use the products they make. I discovered this issue the first time I used the app. I used to be a big Microsoft fan, but they have gone downhill in the last couple of years. I’ve slowly started moving to all Apple products, but my kids need these machines for schooling..ShawnZzzzzzzzVersion: 1.3.0

App displays 0 time used but still kicks my kids outta apps??I have time limits set for my kids and it all seemed to be working fine for a while.. now the app doesn’t register any use for me to track either of my kids, hasn’t recognized my adjusted time limits, but still shuts down apps on their pc’s.. they request more time, I grant it, but the app seems to not be connected to actually grant that time to them. When in the app under each child, it says 0 time used across the board.. but as they reach the initial time limit I set per app (which is too short so I adjusted) it kicks them out and prompts them to request more time.. the app itself doesn’t register any of that time. How do I fix this? I’d like to track their usage but am close to just deleting the app unless this bug is addressed..IPad2Addict1985Version: 1.26.1

Absolute trashAvoid if possible. Sorry Microsoft, generally love your apps but this is terrible. I initially installed this to help manage my daughter’s account and didn’t find out after that I really needed to log into my Xbox Live account to do what I want. Now that I spent an hour reading, installing, connecting, and troubleshooting all I want to do is delete this app from all devices. But I don’t seem to have permission to do so. I can’t even remove her account from the family group. I get errors saying I’m not the one who added her which is definitely not correct. Differing UX/CX between web/iphone/ipad platforms makes it difficult to navigate. It also seems like there’s a lack of integration between accounts Live/Microsoft for anything that needs to be done. Absolutely ridiculous and useless for me..Average iPhone GuyVersion: 1.25.0

Great in theory…This app should be great in theory. You would expect that Microsoft would provide great tools - I mean they have them to administer large networks and organizations, right? Unfortunately this app is plagued by odd unexplainable behaviors - websites appear in the white list even though you removed them the day before. The app limits seem to reset each day… sometimes. Setting a time limit for an app seems to be over ridden by also adding a schedule. The overall devise schedule oddly resets. Blocked apps are still accessible - this is well documented online. It is completely unpredictable. Just do a web search regarding these and other types of problems. If I can’t really on the settings being persistent how can I trust that my parental controls are in place? Come on Microsoft you are better than this!.SpecialJeffersonVersion: 1.9.0

Repeated crashes make this app unusable right nowCmon Microsoft fix this already! Update: the crashing is fixed. But I still 75% of the time get the frustrating “uh oh it’s us not you” error message when I try to grant my kids additional screen time. Do you guys know how many times a day parents have to deal with these screen time requests from multiple kids and multiple platform devices? The amount of time and taps it requires to take action should be streamlined AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. Like a single tap would be SO appreciated. But in this case I have to tap refresh multiple times bc of connection errors, and it’s a 2 minute interruption process each time just to grant an extra 30 min of time. Please fix this! I’m begging..Jphelp32Version: 1.24.3

BrokenThis app used to work pretty good to limit time on my kids computers. In the last two weeks any time my kids request time and I pull up the notification in the app I get the ice cream error. Over and over and over. The main screen per child says “can’t load a screen time information”. UPDATE - Microsoft family web site is completely broken too with multiple errors and trace ids. Garbage. I figured there was some glitch with the app so deleted and reinstalled. Bad idea. Now I can’t even get past the setup screens. I enter my email/pwd then click next and see the “Give your location get shared piece of mind” page with a single blue Ok button. I click the button and nothing happens. There is no option to skip. Stuck on this step with this piece of junk now..ICruxVersion: 1.21.1

Could be greatI’ve used this app for around two years now. Aside from LOTS of crashing whenever there is an update to ios or to the app. It works as i guess it was intended. There just so much more that could be done. The main issue is that this is the ONLY way to manage the apps and screentime numbers. The web interface thats required to setup the system redirects you to the app to manage the settings. Currently its 100% unuseable as it crashes after 1-2 seconds of being in the app. I cant even grant more time for my kid at this point. Hes locked into the setting we had for school. At least he cant surf the web for things i dont want him to see….but now i cant even see what hes trying to access or what games he was playing on his windows laptop. Please fix this app!.WheresmyfootVersion: 1.24.2

One Schedule removedA recent update to Microsoft’s Family Safety services removed One Schedule. One Schedule allowed you to set a total screen time limit that multiple devices could pull from. In our family, we used this feature to teach our kids to make choices and accept tradeoffs. Time spent on one device was time that could not be spent on another. But now Microsoft has removed that feature, which is a major downgrade. Furthermore, you will probably see an automated response under this from Microsoft support asking me to send logs from the app as if this were a technical issue rather than a complaint about design choices and the loss of features. Does Microsoft even have a real person reading these reviews?.SpellgageVersion: 1.26.0

Doesn’t sync with the Family Safety WebsiteI’ve been using both the app and the website. The website typically works well, however when I get requests from my kids the requests go to both the website and app. I’ve tried approving extra time from the app and it never actually goes through with providing more time even though the app shows otherwise. I also get weekly emails for my kids usage and it is clearly wrong when it shows my kids were on a game for 4 to 5 minutes when I know they were on for 30 minutes. The website shows the correct information, which tells me the app and the website are not “talking” or syncing correctly with each other..Gold flyVersion: 1.26.1

App locks up when approving spendingI paid $10 to put into my child’s account to buy Robux. When he wants to spend the money - I get promoted by this app to approve. When I enter the app, click on the approval, I’m prompted to log in again (even though I was already logged in) to approve. When I click on the email field to login the app freezes. *infuriating* that my money has been already taken but I can’t actually get the product I paid for. Update: followed Microsoft’s advice and submitted feedback outside of Apple Store through their own app. Also could have been due to Black Friday load on e-commerce systems but still needs to be improved to not take money if it isn’t going to sell me stuff..BinaryspiralVersion: 1.23.0

Doesn’t do what it’s supposed toIt doesn’t keep track of time on the computer. My child has been on the computer for a couple of hours and on my phone app it says that 0 minutes have been used out of 60 minutes. But when the time frame is up, it works…until she asks for more time on the computer and I try to approve it from my phone. I approve for any set amount of time and it doesn’t even register. My phone says approved. But she still can’t log on. I have to physically do it from her computer and click on “parent is here” to approve more time. And still, it shows 0 minutes have been used..Tiru117Version: 1.17.0

App is useless - it doesn’t even do its basic jobMicrosoft should be ashamed putting this type of garbage out. It never works right… even when you accept a request it still doesn’t work. Then you add the website to always approved list and it still won’t let you access! Their “tech support” gives the same canned answer every time… delete the app all the accounts and set it up all over again lol… that’s not a fix!! How about you actually fix the app instead of asking people to constantly delete and redo?? I even saw a text on Microsoft own forum state - it’s a glitchy app, it’s free… you might want to buy one that actually works… embarrassing.BDiz1977Version: 1.24.3

Competing logins make for a difficult setupWhen first opening the app after a recent update it kept trying to authenticate via a work account. The login screen for organizations is different than personal ones so it would t let me switch. I can’t even log out of the work one as the links kept auto logging back in. Be sheer luck when I went to report an issue the login there (same look as the organization one) finally let me use personal credentials and the app began to work. This feels like dumb luck though, no clue how a person would normally work through this issue..WyrockVersion: 1.26.0

Almost unusableBeen using this for the past year. First 6 months were great, really useful and helpful. However the past few months have been constant with either the server being offline (“Something went wrong on our end…”) or the server not tracking my son’s screen time at all for weeks at a time with no changes on our end. I have looked up what can be done about the server not tracking use and it’s a known problem with no known fix. Changing to one star: days and days of server being unavailable. For a product that’s for child safety, it’s totally unacceptable. I need to find another solution. Classic Microsoft.._p2_Version: 1.26.1

This app simply doesn’t workI’m really not impressed. I was quite happy when I installed it, expecting it to do all the things they said it would do. But we have been continuously disappointed. I put time limits on so my kids wouldn’t be on their computers late…. They don’t work at all. Also, when my kids run out of time and request more, frequently the request doesn’t come through to me at all. Or it comes through, I approve the request, and their time never gets updated. Or it takes an hour. At this point, the app is so non-functional, I’m ready to delete it and find something else that actually does what it says it does..Libbsey83Version: 1.26.1

Keeps crashingNot sure what’s going on. Keeps crashing on my 14 pro.Peter820725Version: 1.24.2

Unusable nowWas in the app then it cashed after about 5 mins. Now crashes and closes as soon as you open it up. Completely unusable..🐈🐕🐬🦄😍Version: 1.24.2

Unusable - keeps crashingLiterally one second after this app loads it crashes. Completely useless when my son asks for more screen time and I can’t get in..Anonymous Human in CanadaVersion: 1.24.1

Pretty FrustratingThe integration between the Xbox app and family safety is super confusing. I’m trying to approve friends for my kids on Minecraft, and Xbox tells me to login online, which redirects me to family safety where there are exactly 0 XBox settings..CraighawcoVersion: 1.21.1

Crashed one second right after app openedUsed to work fine. But the latest 1.24.2 version keeps crashing with iOS 16.4. It crashes one second after I opened the app. Don’t even get chance to navigate to the help and support to send feedback..ITUser101Version: 1.24.2

Vital options missingThat’s a very stupid app. I set one of my children as organizer and there’s no action that I can do to change that, unbelievable!.BabalilatianiVersion: 1.21.1

Not requiredNo one asked for this to be made and now it’s just annoying the only reason someone would have this is because they can’t control their children.AfgbsdgjjbcdVersion: 1.21.0

Can’t add devicesI can’t add my child’s devices which makes this app useless and frustrating!.PamelaPWVersion: 2.0.0

It works some of the time but not always..This app has gotten worse over the years. A lot of time my son will request for more time and the app will tell me it’s been granted, but nothing happens on our PC. I have a routine then of flicking back and forth between screens in the app, checking the notification section, force closing the app and doing a dance to see if that gets it through to the pc. What I have seen work most often recently is changing the allowed time to something different. This seems to more often than not.. grant my son his time. Super frustrating and such a critical app for parenting. Send a feedback report with diagnostics.. cmon MS this has been going on for ages.. please improve reliability of this..KhornelordofskullsVersion: 1.26.1

Can’t get past “send optional data” screenTitle says it.DarianPeelzVersion: 1.26.1

Crashes constantly to the point of being unusableMy kids work hard to earn a purchase and then it can’t be approved because the app crashes every time I try. The app is a great way to monitor screen time but the constant crashing needs to be fixed otherwise it’s just another useless app taking up space on my phone..Grape livVersion: 1.26.1

Good idea. Awful execution.Pretty much every time my son requests access to a specific website and I grant permission, his edge browser just sits there at the “you need to ask to use this site” prompt indefinitely. So the only way he can go to sites is for me to turn the safety off entirely. Which defeats the entire purpose of the Family Safety app. Hence, 1 star..Greenbush GapperVersion: 1.26.1

Latest version broke app push notificationsThe latest version (as of 1 Sept 2024) has broken the Apple push notifications. They are showing on Apple settings, and if you manually go into the app they are listed in the alerts, just not doing what it had until this point. Microsoft please fix asap.Guy RogersVersion: 1.26.1

No control from Apple Watch…Get notification on watch but no control available.Aleksei DavidVersion: 1.26.1

Not greatI had hopes for this app. It doesn’t come close to being reliable. I lock the computer over and over and so. Is still playing away. Screen is still on. It doesn’t lock when allotted time runs out either. Basically useless. Google parent link 100% better..RitterappVersion: 1.26.1

Can’t get past initial setupInstalled it on my second phone. I can’t get past the Share location initial setup. The Next button does nothing..YeriipelVersion: 1.26.1

Damn youBecuase of this app, I cant enjoy my childhood.IdjfiuehefuhdsugdfsheufhuyfshfVersion: 1.26.1

Poor logic poor productJust poor，if there is option to not give any star，I will do that for sure..天云小水Version: 1.26.1

Time zone issueThe time zone in the Microsoft family account seems to default to Greenwich time. I’m unable to change in the family Saftey app. I can’t change it in the Microsoft account either, it only lets me pick my country..Anya237Version: 1.26.1

HateThis silly app ruins my laptop.Gunguncc8851Version: 1.26.1

Fonction verrouiller l’appareilVotre dernière version est censée avoir remis le verrouillage de l’appareil mais je constate qu’il n’est pas de retour. C’était vraiment une fonction essentielle. Remettez le !.Athis athisVersion: 1.26.1

CrashingAfter the update all it does is crash I can’t even open it can you guys please fix it.Rani_jemalVersion: 1.26.1

Reinstate the lock profile featureMicrosoft took off probably one of the most useful features when they removed our ability to lock our child’s devices remotely… now I have to chase my child down and take the device and deal with all the unnecessary conflict that creates!!! When they were asked to come and did not, I locked the device very little arguing occurred bc they knew - but now they are mad bc I’m the villain taking their device or physically turning it off. I think you people need to talk to parents when arbitrarily cutting features!!!.AaasbbbbbcccccVersion: 1.26.0

Since latest 'function update' app is almost uselessWhen the Xbox family and family safety app were integrated things worked relatively well, since this update, you can no longer revoke previously added 'top ups' to time and can no longer pause or resume computer access easily without changing the end time range. Reduced functionality with no clear advantage shows Microsoft are indifferent when parents are trying to protect their children. It's clear no parents were consulted when this update was being approved..DrewH2024Version: 1.26.0

New version broke key featureLatest version of the app has broken a key feature to allow me to lock a PC for my child’s account. I can still lock from the family safety website, but the app no longer has this feature. Before this feature was striped, it was perfect! I could monitor usage and lock the computer account if necessary. Without this ability in the app, it is now useless to me..JnBHeadVersion: 1.26.0

Features removedI can no longer lock devices and it no long combines screen time across devices. 🤷‍♂️.Jasper604Version: 1.26.0

Updated version missing featuresLock out features were removed with the latest update. Update is significantly slower..K4terVersion: 1.26.0

Do not set this up on new PC installOpted to enable this on setup for child's PC, but defaults to lockout, does not acknowledge request for more time and will not allow guardian login..ThisisanannoyinguiVersion: 1.25.0

About as good as you’d expectIf there’s one thing you’d expect a multi-billion dollar software company to get right, it would be accepting payment. Nope. Try adding money to you kid’s account with a credit card with this app. It just freezes, over and over. Try doing it through the web site. After logging in literally three times in a row and entering my cc info, I just get a meaningless hex error code. You cannot give your money to this company. The time limit function works most of the time. It’s not a great user experience, but you can make it work with only occasional errors. Just don’t try to actually purchase anything..Dan82047Version: 1.24.3

Screen time reminder problemThe 15mins reminder is annoying, it interrupts my gaming or work by blocking my screen, can you change it?.TonyzzzzlyVersion: 1.24.3

Can’t even start on iPhone 13Used to work reasonably well on my OL old iPhone XS. Can’t even get past the location sharing settings in the setup sequence after installing on my iPhone 13..Delta_RifferVersion: 1.24.3

CrashesI can no longer give my child screen time as it crashes as soon as I open the app. Ridiculous!!.GlenYYZVersion: 1.24.3

Very unstableThis is a good app for monitoring and scheduling our son's screen time but is constantly crashing on all our Apple phones and tablets. Very frustrating. Have tried deleting and reinstalling the app numerous times with the same result. Perhaps an update of some kind is warranted..Jehan_42Version: 1.24.3

Keeps crashingDownloaded and started to use, looked promising but now crashes every time I try to use?.SceetorVersion: 1.24.3

App BrokenApp closes after 2 seconds since last update. Not possible to use currently..ChanklinVersion: 1.24.2

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