Amazon Echo Kids / Alexa Kids Parental Controls & Safety Guide
How to set up Amazon Kids on Echo devices, including the Echo Dot Kids edition, with explicit filters, voice-data review and the Parent Dashboard.
Amazon Echo devices, including the Echo Dot Kids edition, can be switched into Amazon Kids mode — the replacement for the older FreeTime service. Amazon Kids changes how Alexa speaks to a child, filters explicit songs, blocks unsuitable skills, requires approval for purchases and exposes a Parent Dashboard where you can review what your child has asked, set time limits and delete voice recordings. The voice-data Amazon stores can be set to auto-delete on a rolling schedule and you should review this before handing the device to a child.
Main risks
- • Alexa returning explicit songs, podcasts or web answers without filters in place
- • Voice recordings of children being retained by Amazon longer than needed
- • Third-party skills with content that has not been reviewed for child safety
- • Accidental or intentional purchases through voice ordering
Initial setup steps
Add the child's profile to your Amazon Household
Open the Alexa app, go to More > Settings > Account Settings > Amazon Household and add your child as a household member with their correct date of birth.
Turn on Amazon Kids on the Echo device
In the Alexa app, choose the Echo device, then Settings > Amazon Kids. Switch it on and pick the child's profile. Set a PIN to leave Kids mode.
Configure explicit filtering and voice purchasing
Go to Settings > Music & Podcasts and turn on Explicit Filter. Then go to Settings > Account Settings > Voice Purchasing and either turn it off entirely or set a voice purchasing PIN known only to adults.
Set voice-data retention and review the Parent Dashboard
Open Settings > Alexa Privacy > Manage Your Alexa Data. Choose 'Don't save recordings' or set auto-delete to three months. Then visit parents.amazon.co.uk to set bedtimes, daily limits and review what your child has been asking.
Parental control settings
Amazon Kids on Alexa
Location: Alexa app > More > Settings > Amazon Kids
Recommended: Enabled for the child's profile on the Echo device
Switches Alexa into a kid-friendly mode with explicit filtering, child-appropriate responses and a curated skills library. The child cannot exit without the PIN.
Explicit Filter and Voice Purchasing
Location: Alexa app > Settings > Music & Podcasts / Account Settings > Voice Purchasing
Recommended: Explicit filter on; voice purchasing off or PIN protected
Stops Alexa from playing explicit tracks or completing purchases when a child speaks.
Voice Recording Auto-Delete
Location: Alexa app > Settings > Alexa Privacy > Manage Your Alexa Data
Recommended: Auto-delete after 3 months (or 'Do not save recordings')
Limits how long Amazon retains recordings of your child's voice. You can also disable recording entirely and Alexa will continue to work, with some personalisation lost.
Parent Dashboard
Location: parents.amazon.co.uk
Recommended: Reviewed weekly; time limits and bedtimes set
Shows what your child has asked, sets daily limits, schedules bedtimes and lets you remove skills or content you do not want them to access.
Age recommendations
Use Amazon Kids mode only, in a shared room. Stories, music and routines suit this age well. Keep voice purchasing off.
Amazon Kids mode with the Parent Dashboard reviewed weekly. Discuss what is and is not appropriate to ask Alexa.
Children may want to leave Kids mode. If you allow that, keep explicit filtering and voice purchasing PIN on, and check the privacy dashboard.