Smart TV Parental Controls Setup Guide

Smart TVs present unique challenges for parental controls because each manufacturer has different (and usually limited) built-in controls. This guide covers the major brands and how SafeFamily helps fill the gaps.

Overview

Smart TV parental controls are generally limited to:

• PIN codes for content ratings
• App-specific restrictions
• Purchase PINs

SafeFamily provides: DNS filtering for content across all apps, and smart plug control for viewing time limits.

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Samsung Smart TV

Built-in Controls:

Enable Program Rating Lock:

1. Press Home on remote
2. Go to Settings > General > System Manager
3. Select Parental Controls or Program Rating Lock
4. Enter/create a 4-digit PIN
5. Enable Program Rating Lock Settings
6. Select allowed rating levels:
   • TV-Y (All Children)
   • TV-Y7 (7+)
   • TV-G (General Audience)
   • TV-PG (Parental Guidance)
   • TV-14 (14+)
   • TV-MA (Mature Audience)

Lock Specific Apps:

1. Go to Apps panel
2. Select the app you want to lock
3. Press and hold the Select button
4. Choose Lock
5. Enter your PIN

Lock Settings Menu:

1. Go to Settings > General > System Manager
2. Select Change PIN
3. Set a PIN different from the default (0000)

DNS Setup on Samsung:

1. Settings > General > Network > Network Status
2. Select IP Settings
3. Choose DNS Setting > Enter Manually
4. Enter your NextDNS IP addresses
5. Select OK and test connection

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LG Smart TV (webOS)

Built-in Controls:

Safety Settings:

1. Press Settings on remote
2. Go to Safety
3. Enter/create a PIN (default is often 0000)
4. Configure:
   • TV Program Lock: Block by rating
   • Channel Lock: Block specific channels
   • Application Lock: Lock specific apps
   • Input Lock: Lock HDMI inputs

Program Ratings:

1. In Safety menu
2. Select TV Program Lock
3. Choose rating thresholds

Lock Apps:

1. Go to Home > Apps
2. Highlight the app
3. Press and hold OK button
4. Select Lock

DNS Setup on LG:

1. Settings > Network > Wi-Fi Connection
2. Select Advanced Wi-Fi Settings
3. Edit DNS Server addresses
4. Enter NextDNS IPs

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Sony Android TV / Google TV

Built-in Controls:

Google Family Link Integration:

Sony Android TVs support limited Family Link integration:

1. Go to Settings > Device Preferences > Apps
2. Sign in with your child's Google account
3. Family Link restrictions will partially apply

Restricted Profile:

1. Settings > Device Preferences > Security & Restrictions
2. Select Restricted Profile
3. Create a PIN
4. Choose which apps are allowed in restricted mode

App Restrictions:

1. Settings > Apps
2. Select an app
3. Choose Lock (requires PIN to open)

DNS Setup:

1. Settings > Network & Internet > Your Network
2. Select IP Settings > Static
3. Enter DNS1 and DNS2 with NextDNS IPs

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Roku TV

Built-in Controls:

Enable PIN:

1. Go to Settings > Parental Controls
2. Select Parental Controls to enable
3. Create a 4-digit PIN

Movie/TV Show Ratings:

1. In Parental Controls menu
2. Set maximum allowed ratings for:
   • Movies (G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17)
   • TV Shows (TV-Y through TV-MA)

Channel Store PIN:

1. Go to roku.com and sign in
2. Select PIN Preferences
3. Enable "Require a PIN to make purchases"

Limitation:

Roku has NO app-level time limits and NO DNS configuration option. Use smart plug for time control.

Workaround for DNS:

Configure DNS at router level since Roku doesn't allow DNS changes.

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Amazon Fire TV

Built-in Controls:

Parental Controls:

1. Settings > Preferences > Parental Controls
2. Create a PIN
3. Enable:
   • Require PIN for Purchases
   • Require PIN for Prime Video
   • Require PIN for App Launch
   • Block Unrated Content

Amazon Kids:

For younger children, use Amazon Kids profiles:

1. Settings > Profiles & Family Library
2. Select Add Child Profile
3. Configure age-appropriate content

DNS Setup:

Fire TV allows DNS configuration:

1. Settings > Network
2. Select your network > Advanced
3. Change DNS to NextDNS

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Apple TV

Built-in Controls:

Apple TV has excellent parental controls:

Restrictions:

1. Settings > General > Restrictions
2. Enable Restrictions with a PIN
3. Configure:
   • iTunes Store (allow/restrict purchases)
   • Music and Podcasts (allow/block explicit)
   • Movies (rating limits)
   • TV Shows (rating limits)
   • Apps (age rating limits)
   • Siri (restrict explicit language)

Screen Time (if signed in):

If signed into a child's Apple ID, Screen Time settings from iOS will partially apply.

DNS Setup:

1. Settings > Network > Wi-Fi > Your Network
2. Select Configure DNS > Manual
3. Enter NextDNS IP

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Universal Solutions: SafeFamily Smart Controls

Since Smart TV controls are limited, SafeFamily provides these universal solutions:

1. Router-Level DNS Filtering

Set DNS at your router to filter all TV traffic:

1. Log into your router admin panel
2. Find DNS settings (usually in WAN or Internet settings)
3. Set Primary DNS to your NextDNS profile IP
4. Set Secondary DNS to 45.90.30.0
5. Save and reboot router

Benefits:

• Works on ALL TVs and devices
• Cannot be changed on individual devices
• Filters content in apps like YouTube, Netflix browsers

2. Smart Plug Time Control

Control TV viewing time with physical power control:

1. Plug TV power cable into Kasa smart plug
2. Connect plug via Kasa app
3. In SafeFamily, assign plug to TV device
4. Set allowed viewing hours

Recommended Schedule:

3. HDMI-CEC Power Control

Some TVs support automatic power control via HDMI-CEC:

1. Connect a Raspberry Pi or compatible device to HDMI
2. Use CEC commands to send power off signal
3. SafeFamily can trigger this on schedule

Note: This is more advanced and requires additional setup.

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App-Specific Controls

YouTube on TV:

1. Open YouTube app
2. Go to Settings > Restricted Mode
3. Enable Restricted Mode
4. Lock with your Google account

Netflix:

1. Sign into Netflix.com
2. Go to Account > Profile & Parental Controls
3. Select child's profile
4. Set maturity rating
5. Require PIN to watch restricted content

Disney+:

1. Go to Profile > Edit Profiles
2. Select child's profile
3. Enable Kids Profile toggle
4. Set content rating

Amazon Prime Video:

1. Go to Settings > Parental Controls
2. Set PIN
3. Configure viewing restrictions

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Best Practices

1. Always Set a PIN - Every TV has PIN settings, use them
2. DNS at Router - Set DNS filtering at router for complete coverage
3. Smart Plug for Bedtime - Physical control is the only reliable time limit
4. Regular Audits - Check TV settings monthly (kids are clever)
5. Educate Kids - Explain why rules exist

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Quick Reference

*Configure at router level

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Last updated: January 2026