Microsoft Family Safety

Microsoft Family Safety Review: Free Limits for PCs, but No Map and No iPhone

What is still free after Drive Safety and the family map were cut

Nothing in the app costs money: neither store lists ads or in-app purchases, and the location alerts that once needed a Microsoft 365 Family subscription went away with location sharing; the June 2025 iPhone update notes confirm that Drive Safety and location tracking were removed. What remains is screen time, content filters, activity reports with a weekly email, and spending controls for Microsoft and Xbox purchases. Per-app and per-game limits work on Windows, Xbox and Android, while whole-device limits cover only Windows and Xbox. Microsoft's compatibility list names no iPhone or iPad as a child device, so on iOS the app works as a remote for other devices.

Screen time limits: a 2-hour allowance counts idle minutes too

Limits run per app or game on a day-of-week schedule: store artwork shows Minecraft capped at 3 hours 30 minutes on weekdays between 6:00 AM and 10:00 PM. The timer counts every signed-in minute, idle or not: a child with a 2-hour allowance is locked out after 2 hours even if the usage report shows as little as 1 minute. On an Xbox with several profiles signed in, the youngest child's age rules apply to games. Android phones get per-app limits only, with no whole-device timer yet. Extra time arrives as a request from the child's device, and reviewers say parents cannot add minutes before it comes in. A September 8, 2026 Windows blog post says approvals now go through faster.

Accessibility, device admin and an Edge-only web filter

On a child's Android phone it asks for accessibility, app usage and device admin permissions, with the child's consent, so it can see which app is open, close it or block it. Web filtering works only in Microsoft Edge; turning it on blocks other browsers so the filter cannot be bypassed. Play's Data safety form declares location, contact details, payment info and installed apps, with no sharing to third parties, encryption in transit and a way to request deletion. The App Store listing still declares precise location and warns about background location use, although tracking is gone. Children 13 or older in the U.S. can switch off activity reporting. We don't claim the app is safe; check Microsoft's current privacy terms first.

Family Safety vs Google Family Link and Findmykids

Of the 150 newest English Play reviews, from July 11 to September 29, 2026, 103 give one or two stars, as do 29 of the 36 posted after Microsoft's September 8 fixes. More than 20 call the app slow, and about 20 say Xbox settings now send them to the family website, though Microsoft's feature page still lists Xbox limits. For location, Google Family Link is free, shows a child's device location with arrival and departure alerts, and supervises Android phones and Chromebooks. Findmykids sells live GPS, route history and its Sound Around listening feature through a subscription after a trial, with its minutes sold separately.