What is Parental Control?

Most Freeview approved products offer a Parental Control feature to help you ensure only appropriate broadcast and recorded content is available for children in the home.

How it works.

Parents and guardians can use Parental Controls to set a maximum rating - if a programme on air has an audience rating above your chosen level, a password is needed to view that show. This password is set by the parent or guardian.

Most pre-2021 devices use ratings of G, PGR & AO as available settings for Parental Controls. Under BSA's new classification system, introduced in 2020, AO is split into M, 16 & 18; while G remains unchanged and PGR is updated to PG.

You can still use the available settings on your TV/box to set up Parental Controls and help protect children under your care from inappropriate content.

For example, if you set the maximum rating to G, then a password would need to be entered in order to view any programme rated PG, M, 16 or 18.  Similarly, if you set a maximum rating of PG, then a password must be entered before any programme rated M, 16 or 18 can be viewed.

How to set it.

You can usually find Parental Controls, Child Locks or Parental Locks features in the MENU, SETTINGS or ADVANCED SETTINGS of most devices.

If you're asked for a passcode, try the default code.  This varies across devices but is typically one of the following: '0000', '1234', '8888' or '9999'.

Instructions for your TV or box.

As menus and settings vary across device brands and models, it's always best to refer to your Device Manual for detailed instructions on how to set or change Parental Controls on your TV, set-top box or recorder.

If you need more help to set or use Parental Controls on your TV, set-top box or recorder, it's best to contact manufacturer support.