Sony has thankfully rolled out a new tool for parents who want more control over their kids’ gaming. The PlayStation Family app, available now on iOS and Android, brings parental controls from the console to a phone or tablet. Instead of digging through menus on a PS5 or PS4, parents can now manage everything in real time from a mobile device.
The app walks parents through child account setup with a guided onboarding process, making it easier to configure restrictions without much hassle. Once running, it sends real-time notifications about what games are being played and allows parents to approve or deny requests for extra playtime or access to restricted content.
PlayStation Family also introduces activity reports that give daily and weekly breakdowns of a child’s gaming habits. Parents can set flexible playtime limits for each day, while kids can request more time from the console. Those requests can be quickly approved or declined from a phone.
Money matters are covered too. Parents can manage spending by adding funds, checking balances, and setting monthly limits for PlayStation Store purchases. Content filtering is also part of the package, with presets for different age groups and the option to fine-tune every setting. Social interactions can be adjusted as well, controlling how children connect and play online.
Sony says this is just the start for the PlayStation Family app, hinting at more features to come. It’s available to download now from the App Store and Google Play in most markets.
