Microsoft has been paying a lot of attention to security recently and adding new functions for controlling a computer, not only its own, but also other computers in the family, as well as smartphones running mobile Windows and Xbox game consoles.
We are talking about the “My Family” function, which includes several useful functions for the interaction of several devices, as well as tools for implementing a parental control system. Actually, we’ll talk about all this in more detail in the article below.
Parental control
Given the fact that the Internet has recently become increasingly unpredictable and dangerous for children, many parents want to have control over the information that children draw from the World Wide Web. Many websites are equipped with viruses that can steal information from a computer or trick a user into making a purchase. Start working with windowsphone.com/family “My Family” even if your child does not visit dangerous resources, because he can spend too much time on the Web and devote his life to virtual reality. Parental control also helps in this case.
What is windowsphone.com/family?
Today, all the popular companies developing the so-called software “ecosystems” offer users to organize in groups for joint management of accounts and stores. Apple offers music sharing and control over downloaded applications in the AppStore. Google creates family subscriptions for their Play services and so on. Microsoft My Family is a specialized resource and a set of programs for joint control over children's accounts.
First of all, we are talking about the control of purchases, namely, the system that Microsoft calls intellectual. The bottom line is that some of the users in the family can transfer money from their credit cards to children's accounts. This system is different from what competitors offer, which force parents to monitor each child’s purchase. Here, the system is free and allows children to independently manage allocated "pocket" funds. There is an age limit on purchases in the Windows store, so that children will not be able to download anything prohibited.
Also, when you create a family , a shared chat in Skype will be automatically created. This is a separate group where only family members can communicate. From this group, you can easily start a general video call. You can also send the file to all family members at once with one click.
Another option available to users who have decided to configure windowsphone.com/family “My Family” is to control visited Internet resources and applications running on the computer. Thus, you can track how your child spends time on the Web or what games he plays. If necessary, some sites and games can be completely blocked.
If blocking seems too drastic, then you can simply limit the time you visit certain sites or even set a time limit on computer use. If you do not want your child to spend all his time on entertainment, then this option will be the best solution.
Create Microsoft Account
Before you start working with windowsphone.com/family “My Family”, you need to create several Microsoft accounts.
To do this, you must:
- Open the Microsoft website - microsoft.com/ru-ru/account.
- Press the “Create Account” key.
- Next, you need to enter your personal data (login, password, name, date of birth, and so on).
Before setting up windowsphone.com/family “My Family”, the same account must be created for all users whom you plan to add to the family.
Getting started with windowsphone.com/family My Family
At this stage, no problems should arise. Creating a family requires only a couple of taps. This can be done both on the website of the service itself and in the operating system itself.
In order to log in to the site, you must go to windowsphone.com/ru-ru/family and click on the “Get Started” button. This method is suitable for remote control.
On the computer, you need to open the “Settings” application, find the sub-menu item “Accounts” there, then go to the “Family and other users” submenu. Here you can enter data for local accounts.
Adding Users
You can add a child to windowsphone.com/family "My Family" both on the site and in the system settings.
On the official website of the service, you must click on the "Go" button. The site will prompt you to enter the mailing address and password of the account that you want to add to the family (you can add other administrators in the same way, that is, parents).
On the computer, you need to open the “Settings” application, find the sub-menu item “Accounts” there, then go to the “Family and other users” submenu. After, you need to click on the button "Add family member". You will have a choice whether you want to add an adult or a child. Here you enter the email address of the user to whom a message will come inviting you to join the family. Immediately after the confirmation occurs, the user will instantly become part of the family, and parents will gain control over the accounts of children.
Manage family settings
After the windowsphone.com/family “My Family” setting has been made, all information about family members who have connected to the service will be displayed on this site.
In the settings section for the administrator (parent), the main options are available, which were described above, namely:
- Tracking the latest actions - each running application on the phone or on the child’s computer will be displayed in this section.
- Web sites - here you can see a list of allowed and prohibited sites. Naturally, the section is customizable.
- Applications and games - here you can choose which applications can be downloaded. Settings come down to choosing the appropriate age ratings. Ratings from +3 years to 18+ are available.
- Computer work timer - here you can set the maximum time that can be spent with the device per day or for a certain period of time.
Instead of a conclusion
Now you know how to get started with windowsphone.com/family “My Family” and gain full control over how children use their devices. The task is quite simple, but very important at the same time, since you can not only have a favorable effect on upbringing, but also save you from unnecessary (random) costs.