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How to set up Meta Quest parental controls: Family Center, app approvals, time limits and passcodes

Parent-managed accounts for 10–12s, supervision for teens, app approvals, time limits, passcodes and blocking PC Link and developer mode.

✅
Verified: Last checked on Monday 5 October 2026 against the Meta Quest Help Centre (Create and manage a Meta account on Meta Horizon for your child, About supervision on Meta Horizon, Approve or block app download requests for a child's Meta account, Manage app and world access on Meta Horizon, Set time limits for Meta Horizon and schedule breaks with Supervision, Manage your passcode for Meta Quest and Set up physical Meta Quest safety and supervision for your child), the Meta Help Centre article Set up supervision, and Meta's Family Center: Parental controls for Meta Horizon and Quest page. Covers Meta Quest headsets (such as Quest 3 and Quest 3S) managed from the Meta Horizon app on your phone or Family Center on the web (familycenter.meta.com).
Note: we checked these steps against Meta's current written instructions. We haven't tested them on a headset for this edition, so menu names may be a little different after software updates. Meta's UK pages say "Family Centre"; the app and US pages say "Family Center" — they're the same thing.

⏱ Time to complete: about 30–40 minutes (plus headset set-up if it's brand new) 🔧 Difficulty: Medium. It depends on your child's age: 10–12s get a parent-managed account with supervision built in; 13–17s manage their own account and must accept your supervision invite.

The short version (for very busy parents)

  1. Install the Meta Horizon app on your phone and sign in with your own Meta account.
  2. Aged 10–12? Create a parent-managed account: Menu → Family Center → Get started → Create an account for a child. Aged 13–17? Send a supervision invite from Family Center and ask them to accept it.
  3. Keep age-rating blocks on, and approve or block apps one at a time.
  4. Set a daily time limit and scheduled breaks (Manage time limits).
  5. Put a passcode on your own headset profile, block Quest Link and developer mode, and set up a safe play boundary.

What you'll need

  • The Meta Quest headset, charged and updated to the latest software (Meta says time limits and breaks need the latest version to work).
  • Your phone with the Meta Horizon app (App Store or Google Play).
  • Your own Meta account and Meta Horizon profile — Meta says parents may need to create one before setting up a child's account.
  • Your child's age: Meta says Quest accounts are available from 10 (age may vary by region). Children 10–12 need a parent-managed account; teens 13–17 can have their own account with optional supervision. You must be 18 or over.
  • 30–40 minutes, with your child nearby (Bluetooth between your phone and the headset is needed for some passcode settings).

Step-by-step

Step 1: Pick the right type of account

Your child's age Account type How supervision works
10–12 Parent-managed Meta account Supervision is switched on automatically. Default settings can only be changed with your approval. Social features are limited.
13–17 Their own Meta account Supervision is optional. You send an invite, and it only starts once your teen accepts (or they can send you a request). Either of you can remove it.

Tip: Don't let a younger child use your account on the headset. Meta recommends you protect every adult profile on the headset with a passcode (Step 6) so they can't slip into it.

Step 2a (ages 10–12): Create a parent-managed account

  1. On your phone, open the Meta Horizon app.
  2. Tap Menu at the top of your Horizon Feed.
  3. Tap Family Center, then Get started.
  4. Tap Create an account for a child, then Continue.
  5. Follow the on-screen steps.

When you manage your child's account, Meta says you both use your email and password to sign in, then choose to continue with your child's account. Meta also says you can convert an existing Meta account into a child's account if your child is 10–12.

[Screenshot: Meta Horizon app – Menu → Family Center → Create an account for a child]

Step 2b (ages 13–17): Invite your teen to supervision

  1. Go to familycenter.meta.com/supervision (or open Family Center from the Meta Horizon app menu).
  2. Tap Get started.
  3. Select the profile you want to supervise (or share a link if you can't find it).
  4. Tap Send invite.
  5. Ask your teen to accept it. Supervision only starts once they do.

Good to know: - Invites expire after 7 days — send a new one if it runs out. - A teen can only have one supervising parent or guardian. - One Family Center invite can cover Instagram, Meta Horizon, Facebook, Messenger and Threads. - If your teen later removes supervision, Meta gives them 24 hours to change their mind, and you'll be notified.

[Screenshot: Family Center web – Get started → Send invite]

Step 3: Control apps and games

By default, Meta says children and teens can't download or buy apps rated above their age in the Meta Horizon Store. For example, a 13-year-old can't get an app rated 17+ without your permission. Every app shows an IARC age rating (the system behind PEGI ratings in the UK).

Approving requests (ages 10–12): when your child wants an app, they tap Send request on the app's page. You'll get an email:

  1. Click View request, then Review app.
  2. Click Block or Allow.
  3. If it's a paid app, click Go to Store to buy it for them.

Approving requests (teens): tap the notification on your phone (or check Notifications in the Meta Horizon app), scroll to see the app's details, then tap Allow. If you don't tap Allow, it stays blocked.

Blocking an app — even one they already have:

  1. In the Meta Horizon app: Menu → Family Center → your child's account → Apps.
  2. Search for the app (or tap one they already have), then tap Block.

On Family Center on the web, open your child's account → Safety settings → make sure Block apps based on age rating is on, then use Manage individual apps.

⚠️ Watch this one: Meta says any mature apps your teen downloaded before supervision started aren't blocked automatically. Go through their Apps list and block anything you're not happy with.

[Screenshot: Family Center – child's Apps list with Block button]

Step 4: Set daily time limits and scheduled breaks

  1. In Family Center (web or app), select your child's account.
  2. Select Manage time limits.
  3. Set a daily time limit. You can use different limits for different days of the week.
  4. Add scheduled breaks — blocks of time when the headset can't be used (for example, school nights after 8pm).

When the limit is reached, Meta says your child gets a notification and the headset restarts; they can't use the headset or the Meta Horizon app for the rest of the day. The limit covers Meta Quest and Horizon Worlds across devices, including phones.

[Screenshot: Family Center – Manage time limits with daily limit and breaks]

Step 5: Lock down social features, PC Link and developer mode

In Family Center → your child → Safety settings (in the app: Supervision settings):

Setting What it does DeviceDaddy starting point
Social features (Horizon chats, calling, voice chat in Worlds) Blocks or allows Meta's own social features Block for under-13s; review for teens
Meta Quest Link / Air Link Stops the headset connecting to a PC, where it could run apps from outside the Meta store Block (your child will need to ask you)
Developer mode Stops "sideloading" apps that aren't in the Meta Horizon Store Block
Worlds voice channel & personal boundary See, change or lock these settings Lock to the most restrictive option

For 10–12s, Meta adds: you approve each contact your child can chat with, call and invite; Communities are blocked; the web browser's content filters are on automatically; and you approve any purchase that needs a card, including Meta Credits.

Important: Meta says blocking social features doesn't stop social features inside other companies' apps (for example, a multiplayer game's own voice chat). Check each game's settings — or block the game.

Step 6: Put a passcode on your profile (and lock apps)

Do this on your profile on the headset so your child can't use it.

On the headset:

  1. Press the Meta button on the right controller to open the Navigator.
  2. Select Quick controls → Settings → Passcode and security.
  3. Select Create next to Passcode and enter 4–16 digits twice.
  4. Turn on Unlock headset. You can also use the passcode for saved passwords and Locked apps.

From your phone: Meta Horizon app → Menu → Devices → select the headset → Headset settings → Passcode → Create passcode (the headset must be nearby and connected by Bluetooth).

⚠️ Don't forget it. Meta says forgotten passcodes can't be recovered — you'd have to factory reset the headset. Your passcode is also separate from your store PIN for purchases.

[Screenshot: Quest Settings → Passcode and security]

Step 7: Physical safety — boundary and casting

  • Boundary: help your child set up a boundary in a clear, obstacle-free space. It appears in the headset when they get close to the edge. If they play in a different room, the boundary needs setting up again.
  • Casting: you can watch what your child sees by casting the headset to the Meta Horizon app on your phone or to a computer. Great for the first few weeks.
  • Breaks: Meta's health and safety guidance advises breaks every 30 minutes when starting out, and whenever there's any discomfort. Start with apps rated Comfortable on Meta's comfort scale.

Step 8: Test it (5 minutes)

  1. Put the headset on in your child's account and try to download an app above their age rating — it should ask for a request.
  2. Try switching to your profile — it should ask for your passcode.
  3. Set a short time limit on a test day and check it ends the session.
  4. Try Quest Link with a PC (if you have one) — it should need your permission.

Keep it working

  • Review the Apps list monthly — especially for teens with older downloads from before supervision.
  • Turn on notifications in the Meta Horizon app. Meta says the web version of Family Center doesn't support notifications.
  • Birthdays matter. At 13 your child can manage their own account (Meta says this may vary by region). Supervision ends automatically at 18.
  • What you can't see: Meta says supervising parents can't read private messages, change your teen's avatar or username, or reset their password.
  • Shared headset? Every adult profile on it needs a passcode, or your child can simply use that profile.
  • Factory reset wipes the passcode — set it again afterwards.
  • Report problems in the headset using Meta's block, mute and report tools. If you're worried about contact from an adult, report it to CEOP (ceop.police.uk).

Related guides (links to follow)

  • 📸 Instagram supervision — [link to add]
  • 🎮 Roblox parental controls — [link to add]
  • 🎮 Fortnite parental controls — [link to add]
  • 🌐 Router-level filtering with OpenDNS (any broadband provider) — [link to add]

Spotted a change? Tell us

Meta updates Horizon OS and Family Center often. If something doesn't match, [report a change: add DeviceDaddy contact form or email link here]. Tell us your headset model, whether your child is 10–12 or 13–17, and what's different. The ✅ stamp shows when we last checked.

Sources (checked 5 October 2026)

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