Nobody likes worrying about what someone might watch or buy on a shared Fire TV. You can set up parental controls right on the device. Go to Settings > Preferences > Parental Controls, enter your PIN, and pick the options you want to protect. Amazon shows the steps here.
What Are Fire TV Parental Controls?
Fire TV parental controls let you limit access to videos, purchases, and certain content. Depending on what you turn on, someone may need a PIN before watching a video in a restricted category, buying content, or opening an app. It’s a handy pause when you share your Fire TV. Source: Amazon Fire TV Help
The settings can cover:
- Videos in restricted categories
- Content purchases
- Opening apps
PIN protection options depend on your device, so work with the options you see. Source: Amazon Fire TV Help
Prerequisites
Make sure you have:
- The Amazon Fire TV device you want to set up
- Access to its Settings menu
- Your PIN for Parental Controls
Amazon says you manage these settings on the Fire TV device itself. Source: Amazon Help
Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Open Settings
From your Fire TV menu, go to Settings.
Expected result: You’re in Settings, where you can select Preferences. Source: Amazon Fire TV Help
Step 2: Select Preferences
In Settings, select Preferences.
Expected result: You’re in Preferences. Parental Controls is next in Amazon’s steps.
Step 3: Open Parental Controls
Select Parental Controls.
Expected result: You’ve reached the setting for turning parental controls on or off. Source: Amazon Fire TV Help
Step 4: Activate Parental Controls
Select the Parental Controls option and enter your PIN to turn it on. Watch which state you select: the same option can also turn parental controls off.
Expected result: Parental controls are on, and you can pick which available options need a PIN. Source: Amazon Fire TV Help
Step 5: Choose Your PIN Protections
Select the options you want to protect with a PIN. Check the available choices for restricted videos, purchases, and apps. You can turn each available PIN protection on or off.
Expected result: Depending on what you chose, a PIN may be needed before someone watches a restricted video, buys content, or opens an app. Source: Amazon Fire TV Help
Configuration
You can go back to Settings > Preferences > Parental Controls to review your choices. Pick the actions that need a PIN in your home.
- Restricted videos: Turn on an available video option to require a PIN before watching videos in restricted categories.
- Purchases: Turn on an available purchase option to require a PIN before buying content.
- Apps: Turn on an available app option to require a PIN before opening apps.
Your Fire TV’s available options decide which protections you can set. Source: Amazon Fire TV Help
Tips and Troubleshooting
Problem: You can’t find a setting named in this guide.
- Check the path on your Fire TV: Settings > Preferences > Parental Controls.
- Still can’t find it? Check Amazon’s Fire TV parental controls steps. Available PIN options depend on your device.
Problem: An action doesn’t ask for a PIN.
- Go back to Settings > Preferences > Parental Controls.
- Check that parental controls are on and that you chose a PIN option for that action. PIN prompts depend on the options you turn on. Source: Amazon Fire TV Help
Wrapping Up
I’d start with the PIN options that matter most in your home. If an action doesn’t ask for a PIN, check whether you turned on its protection (it’s an easy setting to miss).