Nintendo Switch 2 Parental Controls & Safety Guide
How to set up parental controls on the Nintendo Switch 2, including the new GameChat voice and video chat, spending limits, and play-time limits.
The Nintendo Switch 2, launched in June 2025, keeps the family-friendly game library the original Switch is known for, but adds one significant new safety surface: GameChat, a built-in voice and video chat that lets players talk to — and, with the optional camera accessory, see — other players while gaming. The same Nintendo Switch Parental Controls smartphone app used for the original console works with the Switch 2 and remains the main tool for managing it, covering play-time limits, PEGI age-rating restrictions, communication features, and GameChat itself. Because children under 16 need a parent's approval to use GameChat, setting up the app before your child starts playing is the single most important step.
Main risks
- • online-strangers
- • gaming-safety
- • cyberbullying
- • in-app-purchases
- • screen-time
Initial setup steps
Set up the console with your own Nintendo Account first
During first-time setup, sign in with your own Nintendo Account as the main user, then create a separate profile for your child linked to a child account in your Nintendo Account family group. This keeps your payment details and their play separate from the start.
Link the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app
Download the free Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app on your phone, then on the console go to System Settings > Parental Controls and follow the prompts to link the two. The same app works for both the original Switch and the Switch 2.
Choose a restriction level for games and content
In the app, pick the pre-set restriction level that matches your child's age, or customise the PEGI rating ceiling yourself. This controls which games can be played and downloaded, including original Switch titles running on the new console.
Decide your GameChat policy before your child asks
Review the GameChat and communication settings in the app and decide up front whether your child may use voice and video chat at all. Under-16s need your approval through the app, so the default is effectively 'off' until you say otherwise — for primary-age children, leave it that way.
Set play-time limits and spending controls
In the app, set a daily play-time limit and choose 'Suspend software' if you want the console to enforce it. Separately, in your Nintendo Account settings online, require a password for eShop purchases or turn spending off for your child's account.
Parental control settings
GameChat (voice and video chat)
Location: In the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app, under the communication and GameChat settings
Recommended: Blocked for younger children; for teens, approve it deliberately and review who they chat with
GameChat is the headline new feature of the Switch 2: live voice chat, screen sharing, and — with a camera — video chat with other players. It is designed to work with people on your child's friends list, but a 'friend' on a games console is often someone your child has only ever met online. Children under 16 cannot switch it on without approval through the Parental Controls app, so the decision genuinely sits with you: leave it blocked until you are confident your child understands who they are talking to.
Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app
Location: Download from the App Store or Google Play, then link it to the console via System Settings > Parental Controls
Recommended: Installed, linked to the console, and protected with a PIN
This free app is the main control tool for the Switch 2, just as it was for the original Switch. It lets you set play-time limits, restrict games by PEGI rating, control communication features, approve or block GameChat, and see daily summaries of what your child has been playing.
Software rating restrictions (PEGI)
Location: In the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app, under console restriction settings
Recommended: Choose the pre-set restriction level matching your child's age, or set a custom PEGI ceiling
The eShop carries everything from PEGI 3 family games to PEGI 18 titles, and the Switch 2 also plays most original Switch games. Setting a rating ceiling stops your child launching or downloading games rated above their age, including titles with online multiplayer aimed at adults.
eShop spending controls
Location: In your Nintendo Account settings on the Nintendo website, using a family group with your child's account
Recommended: Purchases require your password; consider disabling spending entirely for younger children
With a child account in your Nintendo Account family group, you can require approval for eShop purchases and stop a stored card being used without you knowing. This matters more on the Switch 2 as digital purchases, downloadable extras, and in-game currency remain common across popular games.
Play Time Limit
Location: In the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app, under Play Time Limit
Recommended: A daily limit with 'Suspend software' mode for younger children
Sets a daily play-time allowance for the console. In 'Alarm only' mode the console shows a notification when time is up; in 'Suspend software' mode the game pauses and the console locks. Because the Switch 2 is portable and easily used in bedrooms, an enforced limit works better than a verbal one for younger children.
Age recommendations
Fine with the full set of controls in place: PEGI 7 or 12 ceiling, GameChat blocked, spending off, and an enforced daily play-time limit. Online multiplayer in family-friendly games is reasonable under supervision, but keep all voice and video chat off.
Raise the PEGI ceiling gradually and consider allowing GameChat with a small, named list of real-life friends only. Approve it through the app rather than handing over the PIN, and check in on who is on their friends list.
GameChat with friends is usually workable at this age, but your approval is still required under 16 — use that conversation to agree ground rules about the camera, late-night sessions, and what to do if a chat turns nasty. Keep spending controls on.
Formal restrictions matter less than habits now. An older teen can manage their own settings, but it is still worth agreeing expectations about spending on a shared card and keeping an eye on gaming displacing sleep.