Family Settings help families organize connected devices by person, manage screentime, pause WiFi, set limits and schedules, review online activity where available, and use Parental Controls for safer browsing. Family Settings are managed in the Xfinity app.
Note: Family Settings are included with Xfinity WiFi Shield and Shield Select when the customer account and equipment are eligible. Feature availability may vary by Xfinity Gateway model, account role, and app experience.
What you can do with Family Settings
- Create people/profiles for members of your household.
- Assign connected devices to a person.
- Pause WiFi for a device or for all devices assigned to a person.
- Set screentime limits to help manage daily online time.
- Set schedule pause for bedtime, homework, dinner, or other routines.
- Review screentime details for supported apps and sites when available.
- Use Parental Controls to help reduce access to content that may be inappropriate.
Before you begin
- Download or open the Xfinity app.
- Sign in with an Xfinity ID that has access to manage WiFi settings.
- Make sure the devices you want to manage are connected to your home WiFi network.
- Primary and Manager users can manage most Family Settings. Member access may be limited.
Create or manage a person/profile
- Open the Xfinity app.
- Go to the Home tab.
- Select the + symbol in the upper-right of the screen.
- Select Family Settings.
- Select Set up Family Settings.
- On the Who do you want to manage screen time for? screen, enter a First name, then select Continue. If a profile already exists, exit back to the Home tab, then select the person/profile list under Family Settings.
- On the Choose avatar screen, pick an avatar for this person, then select Continue.
- Note: The first name must be 2 to 30 characters, cannot be blank, cannot include special characters, and cannot match a name already used by another profile. If it does, an error message appears under the First name field.
- Select which devices to assign to this person, then choose Continue. The list shows only devices on your home WiFi that are not already assigned to someone else, grouped by device type, such as Mobile and Tablets.
- On the Screentime details screen, review Device requirements, select the agreement checkbox, then select Turn on. To set this up later, select Skip for now.
- Choose Done or Add another person. A confirmation screen shows that the person has been added. Select Add another person to set up another profile, or Done to finish.
Assign devices
- Go to the Home tab.
- Select a person/profile listed under the Family Settings section.
- Scroll down to Devices, then select Assign.
- Choose the devices you want to assign.
- Select Save changes.
- To unassign a device, return to the Devices section, choose Unassign devices, unselect the device to unassign, then Save changes.
Pause or resume WiFi access
You can pause WiFi access for a single device or for all devices assigned to a person. Pausing only affects access to your home WiFi network. It does not affect cellular data, public Xfinity WiFi hotspots, other WiFi networks, or access to local devices such as printers.
- Go to the Home tab.
- Select the person/profile listed under the Family Settings section.
- Scroll to the Devices section.
- Choose the device to pause.
- Select the Pause button at the bottom of the screen.
- To resume WiFi access, follow steps 1-4, then select the Unpause device button.
To pause all devices, follow steps 1-2, then select the Pause button at the bottom of the person/profile screen. From the Home tab, under the Family Setting section, you find another Pause button in the section for each person/profile. Choose Pause here will also pause WiFi access to all devices.
Set screentime limits
Screentime limits help you set daily online time limits for a person on your home network.
- Go to the Home tab.
- Select a person/profile listed under the Family Settings section.
- Scroll to select Set screentime limits.
- Select the Set limits button.
- Adjust the bar under Weekdays and/or Weekends to set daily limits.
- Toggle on Pause WiFi to pause WiFi access for this person/profile once their time limit is reached.
- Update Notification preferences, then select Save.
Set schedule pause
Schedule pause blocks home WiFi access on assigned devices during the schedule. You can use schedule templates such as Bedtime, Homework, Dinner, or Anytime.
- Go to the Home tab.
- Select a person/profile listed under the Family Settings section.
- Scroll to select Schedule a pause.
- Select the Schedule a pause button.
- Choose a schedule type and name.
- Choose an icon for the schedule type (Anytime, Bedtime, Homework, Dinner).
- Note: You can manually change the Name for the schedule type.
- Select the days, start time, and end time.
- Select Save changes.
Schedules cannot overlap. There must be at least one minute between the end of one schedule and the start of the next.
Review screentime details
Screentime details show a more detailed view of how much time supported apps and sites are used on assigned devices while connected to the home network. It is optional and is not on by default.
- Go to the Home tab.
- Select a person/profile listed under the Family Settings section.
- Scroll to select Turn on screen time details.
- Select the agreement checkbox, then select Turn on.
- After it is turned on, activity may not be viewable right away. Activity is measured in five-minute increments and refreshed periodically.
Screentime details cannot be turned on for default Household and Guest groups. It is available only for supported devices and platforms.
Use Parental Controls for safer browsing
Parental Controls help reduce the risk of children accessing content that is generally deemed inappropriate. To apply these controls to a device, assign the device to a person first.
- Go to the Home tab.
- Select a person/profile listed under the Family Settings section.
- Under Additional settings, select Block content not suitable for kids.
- Select the Turn on button.
When enabled, Google SafeSearch is On, Bing SafeSearch is Strict, and YouTube Restricted Mode is On.
Note for customers with Apple devices: If iCloud Private Relay is turned on, Parental Controls filtering and screentime details may not work as expected. Learn more about iCloud Private Relay.
Notifications and expected experience
To receive screentime limit notices, make sure Network Activity notifications are turned on. Notification behavior may vary based on app settings, device settings, account role, and the Family Settings feature being used.
FAQs
What are Family Settings in the Xfinity app?
Family Settings help you organize connected devices by person and manage WiFi access, screentime, schedule pause, screentime limits, screentime details, and Parental Controls from the Xfinity app.
Do I need to assign a device to a person before using Family Settings?
Yes. To apply schedule pause, screentime limits, screentime details, or Parental Controls to a device, assign the device to a person first. Settings apply to the devices assigned to that person while they are connected to your home WiFi network.
Can I use Family Settings for Household or Guest devices?
You can use Household and Guest groups to help organize devices. Screentime details cannot be turned on for the default Household and Guest groups.
What happens when I pause WiFi for a person or device?
- Pausing WiFi blocks the selected device, or all devices assigned to the selected person, from accessing the internet through your home WiFi network. It does not block cellular data, public Xfinity WiFi hotspots, other WiFi networks, or access to local network devices such as printers.
- In-progress activity may not stop immediately.
What is schedule pause?
- Schedule pause blocks home WiFi access on assigned devices during the days and times you choose. You can use schedule pause for routines such as bedtime, homework, dinner, or another custom schedule.
- If a device tries to access a website, app, or service during schedule pause, the device may show its default message that the website cannot be reached or that the device is not connected to the internet.
Can I set schedule pause for one device?
Schedule pauses are set for a person. To schedule pause for one device, assign only that device to a person, then create schedule pause for that person.
Why are some devices still paused after a limit or schedule ended?
A device may still be paused because of another pause setting, an active schedule pause, or another pause rule. Check the person and device settings in the Xfinity app and resume or wake up the device when appropriate.
What is a screentime limit?
- A screentime limit lets you set a daily online time limit for a person on your home network. You can choose separate limits for weekdays and weekends.
- If automatic pause is turned on, the person’s assigned devices pause for the rest of the day when the limit is reached.
What counts as screentime?
- Screentime can include online activity such as streaming, browsing, shopping, gaming, downloads, and app activity that uses the internet while the device is connected to your home WiFi network.
- Background activity, such as app updates, may count as active time. Cellular data, public Xfinity WiFi hotspots, and other WiFi networks do not count toward screentime limits.
What happens when a screentime limit is reached?
- If automatic pause is on, the devices assigned to that person pause until the next day. The Primary user may receive a text message, email, or push notification when the person is close to reaching the limit, depending on notification settings.
- To receive screentime limit notices, make sure Network Activity notifications are turned on.
Can I unpause devices after a screentime limit is reached?
Yes. You can resume access by selecting the person in the Xfinity app and choosing the option to unpause all devices.
What are screentime details?
Screentime details provide a more detailed view of how much time supported apps and sites are used on assigned devices while connected to your home network. Screentime details are optional and are not turned on by default.
How do I turn on screentime details?
From a person’s Settings page in the Xfinity app, select screentime details, review and accept the consent prompt, and select Turn On. Screentime details cannot be turned on for the default Household and Guest groups.
How soon will screentime details appear?
Activity may not appear right away. Activity is measured in five-minute increments and refreshed periodically.
Which apps and websites show in screentime details?
- Screentime details report supported apps, websites, and categories where available. Comcast works with a third-party vendor that maps websites and applications to categories and updates the mapping regularly.
- For the current app list, use the related article, "Supported screentime details applications in the Xfinity app."
Why do I see an app or company name I do not recognize?
Some app activity may be reported by company name instead of app name. You may also see activity from background app updates or embedded content inside another app or website.
Why does detailed screentime not match the total daily time?
Activity can happen on more than one device, app, or site at the same time. Total daily time and detailed category time may not add up exactly when activity overlaps.
Will screentime details work in a private browser tab or with a VPN?
Screentime details may still report activity for supported websites used in a private browser tab. Activity cannot be tracked and reported for devices using a VPN to access the internet.
What happens when screentime details are turned off?
When screentime details are turned off, details are not captured while the feature is off and app/category details may no longer be accessible. If screentime details are turned back on, recently captured details may be available only for a limited time.
How is screentime details data used?
Screentime details are designed to help you manage screentime. The reported data is not used for other purposes, is not shared with third parties, and is stored only for a limited period before being deleted.
What are Parental Controls?
Parental Controls are part of Family Settings. They help reduce the risk of children accessing content that may be inappropriate while assigned devices are connected to your home WiFi network.
What happens when Parental Controls block access?
When Parental Controls are on, attempts to access blocked content may redirect to a block page. For secure websites or mobile apps, a block page may not appear, but access may still be prevented.
Do Parental Controls work on cellular data, public Xfinity WiFi hotspots, or other WiFi networks?
No. Parental Controls apply only to assigned devices while they are connected to your home WiFi network.
Can I add or remove specific websites from Parental Controls?
Not at this time. To allow access to blocked content, turn off Parental Controls for that person.
Do Parental Controls block all inappropriate content?
No. Parental Controls are intended to help reduce access to content that may be inappropriate, but they do not guarantee that every site, app, or piece of content will be blocked.
What search and video settings are enabled with Parental Controls?
When Parental Controls are on for a person, Google SafeSearch is On, Bing SafeSearch is Strict, and YouTube Restricted Mode is On for assigned devices connected to your home WiFi network.
| Service | Setting |
| Google SafeSearch | On |
| Bing SafeSearch | Strict |
| YouTube Restricted Mode | On |
Can iCloud Private Relay affect Family Settings?
Yes. If iCloud Private Relay is turned on, Parental Controls filtering and screentime details may not work as expected.
Additional information
Visit our Online Support Center to find common solutions.
The easiest way to activate, manage, and troubleshoot your Xfinity experience is with the Xfinity app! Get 24/7 real-time support, pay your bill, view plan details, get outage updates, and more. Download the free Xfinity app, or scan the QR code with your smartphone.
Need additional support? Ask Xfinity Assistant.
