In keeping with its image as a family friendly gaming company, Nintendo has updated its Parental Controls app for the Switch 2, which is scheduled to launch on June 5. This will allow parents to restrict their kids’ usage of the Nintendo Switch 2, so long as their kids are under 16 years old. The Parental Controls app is available on iPhone and Android.
The big new addition is that GameChat, which is a new Switch 2 app for voice and video chat, can now be restricted using the Parental Controls app. Nintendo says that for kids under 16, GameChat can only be used if their account is managed by a parent using the Parental Controls app. Note that GameChat is free until March 31, 2026, and after that, you’ll need to pay for a Nintendo Switch Online membership to use the service.
Every time your child tries to initiate a video call with GameChat, you’ll receive a request for approval on your smartphone. Nintendo says the video call will only begin once you’ve approved the request. Additionally, you’ll need to pre-approve who they can chat with, as Nintendo says “It’s only possible for players under 16 to use GameChat with friends who have been approved by their parent or guardian.”
The company also encourages parents to regularly check their kid’s GameChat history, and add notes next to the people their kid plays with to indicate who they are. This is to help parents know who’s in touch with their kids while the children are gaming on the Nintendo Switch 2. Parents will be able to see who their children are chatting with, how long they’ve played with different people, and the field of view settings for the connected camera in video chats.
As with the Switch 1, you can also use the Parental Controls app to restrict play time for your kids. The app will let you set different play time limits for different days, which means that you could allow them to play for longer over the weekend, as an example. There are preset age restrictions built in to the app, which will automatically restrict certain types of content for your kids, but you can also use custom settings. This will let you choose an age rating for the games your kids are downloading, decide if they should be allowed to post game content on social media, or if they’re allowed to use GameChat at all.
Parents can also whitelist certain games and the console will ignore the age rating for these. Additionally, the Parental Controls app will also let you view Switch 2 play time for various members of your family, generate a monthly play time report, and even send you alerts whenever a game is downloaded. Don’t forget that you can also set a screen lock PIN on the Switch 2, which is also a fairly effective way to restrict usage of the console.