Microsoft has shared an update for the Xbox Family Settings app on the iPhone and iPad, and it delivers improved features for controls and limits.
Xbox Family Settings Update on iPhone, iPad
The Xbox Family Settings app for iPhone and iPad has been updated with a new set of features that expand its existingparental control capabilities. The update centers on a new feature called App Blocks and Limits, which gives parents granular control over individual apps and games on their child's Xbox.
The feature is live now and available through the latest version of the Xbox Family Settings app on the App Store.
The update adds new app and game-level controls that parents can manage directly from their phones, removing the need to access the console itself to make changes. For families with Xbox in the living room, the update makes remote management considerably more practical.
Microsoft has not made a formal announcement about the update beyond the in-app changelog, but the additions are straightforward and fill in gaps that parents had been working around previously.
Here Are The New Parental Controls
The App Blocks and Limits feature brings four distinct capabilities to the Xbox Family Settings app. Parents can set time limits for individual apps and games, choosing how long a specific title is allowed to run per day.
They can also block access to selected titles entirely, pulling specific games or apps off the accessible list without removing them from the console. If a child wants more time on a blocked or limited title, they can now send a request directly through the app, which the parent receives and can approve or deny from their iPhone or iPad.
The scheduling options have also been meaningfully expanded. In addition to the previous options, parents can now set custom schedules using three new formats:
- Weekly: for recurring limits that apply consistently across every day
- Weekend: to set different rules for Saturday and Sunday compared to the weekdays
- Custom: for parents who need a more specific schedule that does not fit a standard weekly pattern.
Monitor, Set Limits to Xbox Gaming
The App Blocks and Limits additions build on the Xbox Family Settings app's existing toolkit, which already included screen time controls, content filters, multiplayer and communication settings, and spending limits.
The new per-game and per-app controls give parents the ability to be far more specific about what their child can access and when, without needing to sit down at the console to adjust settings.
The timing of the update is notable given that Apple is also overhauling its own Screen Time parental controls with iOS 27, bringing similar levels of scheduling granularity to iPhone and iPad access for children.
Both updates point to growing demand from parents for remote, app-based tools that make it easier to manage screen time without turning it into a confrontation at the device level.
