Kindle & Amazon Fire Kids — Safety & Parental Controls
How to set up Amazon Kids+, FreeTime profiles, age filters and the parent Dashboard on Kindle e-readers and Fire Kids tablets.
Amazon's Kindle e-readers and Fire Kids tablets are popular UK children's devices. Both use Amazon Kids (previously FreeTime) — a free service that builds a separate, locked child profile on the device. With an optional Amazon Kids+ subscription, the child gets access to a curated library of age-banded books, videos, apps and audiobooks. Parents manage everything from the Parent Dashboard, accessible at parents.amazon.co.uk.
Main risks
- • Adult profile remaining unlocked, giving the child access to the wider Amazon store and Audible content
- • In-app purchases enabled on the adult profile transferring through if 1-Click is on
- • Web browser within Amazon Kids being switched on without realising the level of access it grants
- • Audible content within the same family library that may not be age-appropriate
Initial setup steps
Create a child profile via the Parent Dashboard
Go to parents.amazon.co.uk and sign in with your Amazon account. Add a child, entering their name and accurate date of birth. The Dashboard is the central place to manage everything from then on.
Configure the content library
Either subscribe to Amazon Kids+ for the full curated library, or manually 'Add Content' from your own Amazon purchases to the child profile. Review the auto-applied age filter and adjust if needed.
Decide on the web browser
In the Dashboard, decide whether to enable the Amazon Kids web browser. For under-8s, disabling it is usually the right call. For older children, restrict it to a small approved-sites whitelist.
Set a strong parent PIN on the device
On the device, go to Settings > Parental Controls and set a PIN. Use a PIN your child does not know and does not share with any other family setting (such as the screen unlock).
Parental control settings
Amazon Kids profile
Location: Device: Settings > Profiles & Family Library > Add a child profile | Web: parents.amazon.co.uk
Recommended: Separate profile per child with date of birth set accurately
The child profile shows only content the parent has approved. Setting an accurate date of birth lets Amazon apply age-appropriate filters from Amazon Kids+.
Amazon Kids web browser
Location: Parent Dashboard > Child profile > Web Browser settings
Recommended: Off, or 'Approved sites only' for older children
By default, Amazon Kids includes a web browser limited to thousands of pre-approved kid-safe sites. You can disable it entirely or restrict it to a custom whitelist.
Daily goals and time limits
Location: Parent Dashboard > Child profile > Daily Goals & Time Limits
Recommended: Educational goals before entertainment; total daily limit appropriate for age
Fire Kids tablets can require a child to hit a reading or educational goal before unlocking videos and games — a uniquely useful Amazon feature.
Parent profile lock
Location: Device: Settings > Parental Controls > PIN
Recommended: PIN enabled; not the same as any other family PIN your child knows
The PIN prevents the child switching from the kids profile to the adult profile, where they could access the full Amazon store, the standard browser, and Audible.
Age recommendations
Fire Kids tablets are well suited here — locked kid profile, no browser, daily time limit. Avoid leaving the device unattended on the adult profile.
Amazon Kids+ content is well-curated for this age. Keep the web browser off and use daily reading goals to balance video and games.
A Kindle e-reader becomes a good fit — text only, no apps, no video. Keep Audible within the child profile so audiobook content is filtered.
Children may outgrow the Fire Kids interface. A standard Kindle on the adult account is reasonable, but consider keeping the device in shared family spaces.