Turn off Parental Controls

Parental controls are installed on smart phones, gaming systems, and computers, primarily to limit access to age inappropriate content and to constrain usage by setting time limits or forbidding access to certain programs or features. Read on to find out how to remove parental controls on your i-device, android phone or tablet, Xbox, Play Station, Nintendo, Mac, or Windows computers, whether you have the password or not.

Steps

iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch

  1. Be aware that on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, Parental Controls are called Restrictions. They can limit content such as movies, TV shows, and music by ratings, as well as limiting In-App purchase and access to the iTunes store, camera and FaceTime.
  2. Turn off parental controls with the passcode. Follow the same procedure for iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch:[1]
    • Tap Settings > General.
    • Tap Restrictions.
    • Tap Disable Restrictions and enter your passcode.
  3. Turn off restrictions without a passcode using iBackupBot. This will allow you to set a new passcode and retain all your data and contacts.[2]
    • Tap Settings > iCloud, and turn off Find My iPhone.
    • Now connect your phone to your computer and select your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch when it appears in iTunes under Devices.
    • Select the Summary tab and click Back Up Now.
    • On your computer, download a free trial of iBackupBot for iTunes and install it.
    • Open iBackup and select the backup of your i-device that you just made.
    • Click on System Files > Home Domain.
    • Click on Library > Preferences.
    • Find the file labeled com.apple.springboard.plist and open it with the iBot built in editor. (You will be prompted to purchase iBot. Press Cancel.)
    • Find <key>country. You should see this text ( | indicates a line break): <key>countryCode</key> | <string>us</string> | </dict>
    • On the line below </dict>, add ( | indicates a line break): <key>SBParentalControlsPIN</key> | <string>1234</string>
    • Save the file.
    • Connect your i-device and within the iBackup program, select it and then Restore from Backup. Select the backup you just made.
    • When the backup is complete, your i-device will reboot. The Restrictions passcode will have been changed to 1234. Use this code to disable Restrictions as in Step 2 above.
  4. Turn off restrictions without a passcode by restoring as a new device. If your last backup is from before the restrictions were enabled, then you can restore from backup. Otherwise, you will have to restore as a new device. WARNING: this will delete all data and content on your phone, including songs, videos, contacts, photos, and calendar information.[3]
    • Make sure you have the latest version of iTunes on your computer.
    • Connect your device to your computer and select your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch when it appears in iTunes under Devices.
    • Select the Summary tab.
    • Select the Restore option.
    • When prompted to back up your settings, do not do so, as this will only backup the restrictions you are trying to remove.
    • Select the Restore option.
    • When the process is complete, the device will restart and display the Apple logo. Keep your device connected until the “Connect to iTunes screen goes away, or you see “iPhone is activated.”

Android Phone or Tablet

  1. Turn off restrictions with the PIN on a tablet running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean or later. Android 4.3 and later allows users to create restricted profiles that can only access certain apps. With the password, you can change which apps the user has access to.[4]
    • On the lock screen, open the unrestricted user account with your PIN.
    • Go to settings and click Users, then the restricted account.
    • Toggle on the programs you wish the restricted account to have access to.
  2. Turn off Google Play in-app purchasing restrictions with the PIN on an Android tablet or phone. Start by opening the Google Play Store app.[5]
    • Press Menu and then Settings.
    • Find “Use Pin for Purchases”, “Require Authentication for Purchases”, or “Use Password to Restrict Purchases” and tap it to toggle it off. You will be prompted to enter your PIN.
  3. Turn off Google Play content restrictions with the PIN on an Android tablet or phone. Start by opening the Google Play app.
    • Select Settings, and under User Controls, select Content Filtering.
    • You will be prompted to enter your password. Do so.
    • Click all of the boxes (Everyone, Low Maturity, Medium Maturity, High Maturity) to allow any type of content.
  4. Turn off Google Play content restrictions without a PIN by clearing data. This method will clear the PIN and remove the filter.[6]
    • Go to Settings > Apps.
    • Tap on Google Play Store.
    • Tap the Clear Data button.
  5. Disable parental control apps by restarting in safe mode (works for most Jelly Bean devices). Because Android offers very few built-in parental controls, parents often install monitoring or control apps to limit access to the internet or certain apps. Restarting in safe mode is often all it takes to disable these controls.[7]
    • Hold down the physical power button on your device.
    • Long-press the “Power Off” option.
    • A dialogue box should pop up asking if you want to restart in safe mode. Tap OK. If the dialogue box does not appear, try the alternate method below.
    • When the phone restarts, you should see the words “Safe Mode” at the bottom left of the screen.
    • To exit safe mode, just restart your device normally.
  6. Disable parental control apps by restarting in safe mode (if previous method fails). Again, restarting in safe mode should disable most parental control apps.[7]
    • Turn off your phone.
    • Once it is off, turn it on by pressing the power button.
    • As your phone is booting, hold down both the volume up and volume down button at the same time, and keep them held.
    • One your phone is on, you should see the words “Safe Mode” at the bottom left of the screen.
    • To exit safe mode, just restart your device normally.

Xbox

  1. Remove parental controls on the Xbox 360 with the password. These controls limit the content you can access on the web, as well as the games you can play.[8]
    • Go to the My Account page.
    • In the upper right corner, click Sign In to sign into your Microsoft account.
    • Tap or click Security, family & forums, and then Privacy settings.
    • Tap or click one of the links under Access to content or Privacy & Online Safety, depending on which area you want to change.
    • Tap or click on the gamertag of the child account you are updating, and then change the privacy and safety settings.
  2. Remove parental controls on the Xbox 360 without the password. WARNING: This will reset all system settings to the factory defaults, so be sure to backup apps, games, saves and other data first.
    • Start by turning off your unit and removing all memory devices.
    • Restart you unit, and go to System Blade > Console Settings > System Info.
    • Press: left trigger, right trigger, x, y, left bumper, right bumper, up, left bumper, left bumper, x.
    • A menu should appear labeled Reset System Settings.
    • Select Yes to reset settings. Your screen will go blank for about two seconds.
    • Select your preferred language from the list.
    • A blade saying “Xbox 360 Storage Device” will appear with two options: Done or Continue without one. Select Continue.
    • An Initial Setup Complete screen will appear with three options: Family Settings, High Definition Settings, and Xbox Dashboard. Select Xbox Dashboard.
    • Turn the system off and insert the Memory Unit or Hard Drive.
    • Turn the system back on. Parental Control lock should be removed.
  3. Remove parental controls on the Xbox One with the password.[9]
    • Sign into your console.
    • On your controller, press the Menu button and select Settings.
    • Scroll right to Family, then select the child profile you want to modify.
    • Click Adult Defaults to remove the parental controls on the account.
  4. Remove parental controls on the Xbox One without the password by resetting system settings to the factory defaults. WARNING: This will reset all system settings to the factory defaults, so be sure to backup apps, games, saves, and other data first.[10]
    • Go to the Home screen and press the Menu button on your controller.
    • Select Settings > System.
    • Select Restore Factory Defaults. You will be warned that this will erase all accounts, apps, games, saved games, and settings. Select Yes.
    • Your Xbox will now restore itself to factory settings, with no parental controls.

PlayStation

  1. Turn off Parental Controls on PS4 with a password. NOTE: The default password is 0000. To remove all controls, you will have to disable controls in nine separate areas.
    • Log into the Sub Account you are changing.
    • From the Home Screen, press up on the d-pad to get to the Function area.
    • Go to Settings > Parental Controls > Restrict Use of PS4 Features > Application.
    • Select Allow to remove all restrictions.
    • Next, go to Settings > Parental Controls > Restrict Use of PS4 Features > Blu-Ray Disc and select Allow.
    • Go to Settings > Parental Controls > Restrict Use of PS4 Features > DVD and select Allow.
    • Go to Settings > Parental Controls > Restrict Use of PS4 Features > Internet Browser and select Allow.
    • Go to Settings > Parental Controls > Restrict Use of PS4 Features > Select New User and Log in to PS4 and select Allow.
    • Go to Settings > Parental Controls > Sub Account Management, select the Sub Account you want to change and press the X button. Choose Parental Controls and under Chat/Message choose Allow.
    • Go to Settings > Parental Controls > Sub Account Management, select the Sub Account you want to change and press the X button. Choose Parental Controls and under User-Generated Media choose Allow.
    • Go to Settings > Parental Controls > Sub Account Management, select the Sub Account you want to change and press the X button. Choose Parental Controls and under Content Restriction choose Allow.
    • Go to Settings > Parental Controls > Sub Account Management, select the Sub Account you want to change and press the X button. Choose Parental Controls and under Monthly Spending Limit choose Unlimited.
  2. Turn off Parental Controls on a PS4 without the password by resetting the system to factory settings.[11]
    • First, restart your system in safe mode. Turn off the PS4. Once it is off, press and hold the power button. Release it after you hear two beeps – one when you first press it, and another 7 seconds later.
    • Connect the DualShock 4 controller with the USB cable and press the PS button on the controller. You are now in safe mode.
    • Select Restore Default Settings to restore your PS4 to the factory default settings.
    • Once your PS4 restarts, you can now remove parental controls as indicated above. The password will be 0000.
  3. Disable Parental Controls on PS3 with a password. NOTE: you will have to disable three separate sets of controls to gain access to all content and to the web.[12]
    • Go to the Settings tab and select Security Settings.
    • Go to Parental Control and enter your four digit password (the default is 0000).
    • Set parental controls to Off and click through the next screen by clicking OK.
    • Next, go to BD Parental Control. Enter your four digits password.
    • Click Do Not Restrict.
    • Finally, go to Internet Browser Start Control and enter your password.
    • Click Off.
  4. Disable parental controls on PS3 without a password by resetting the system to default settings.[13]
    • Go to the Settings tab and select System Settings.
    • Select Restore Default Settings and when prompted select Yes.
    • You can now remove parental controls as in the instructions above. The default password will be 0000.

Nintendo System

  1. Turn off parental controls on you Nintendo Wii using the password. Nintendo makes it convenient by allowing you to remove all controls at once with the only a few taps.[14]
    • Go into the Parental Controls channel on the Wii U menu.
    • Enter your PIN.
    • On the Parental Control Settings menu, hit Delete All Settings. After the warning tap Delete to turn off all parental controls.
  2. Turn off parental controls on your Nintendo Wii without the password. The key here is the inquiry number generated when you indicate you don’t remember your password. You can use this number to generate a reset code that will allow you to change the password as follows.[15]
    • Click Wii Settings (the wrench icon) on the main menu.
    • Click Parental Controls and then Yes to change them.
    • When prompted for your password, tap I Forgot. Also tap I Forgot on the next page.
    • You will be given an eight digit inquiry number.
    • On your computer, go to this website.
    • Make sure the Current Date in Your Timezone entry matches the date on your Wii.
    • Enter your inquiry number in the space next to Confirmation Number and click Get Reset Code. You will be provided a 5-digit Reset Code.
    • On your Wii, click OK, and then enter the Reset Code and click OK.
    • Click Delete All Settings to remove the parental controls.
  3. Turn off parental controls on your Nintendo 3DS or DSi using the password. Nintendo makes it convenient by allowing you to remove all controls at once with the only a few taps.[16]
    • Tap Systems Settings (the wrench icon) on the touch screen menu.
    • Tap Parental Controls > Change.
    • Enter your password and tap OK.
    • Tap Clear Settings on the Parental Controls main menu to delete all parental control settings. Tap Delete when prompted.
  4. Turn off parental controls on your Nintendo 3DS without the password. The key here is the inquiry number generated when you indicate you don’t remember your password. You can use this number to generate a reset code that will allow you to change the password as follows.[17]
    • On your computer, go to homebrew-connection.org and download the 3DS Parental Tool.
    • On your 3DS, tap System Settings > Parental Controls.
    • Tap Forgot PIN and then I Forgot on the next page. You will be provided an inquiry number.
    • On your computer, open 3DS Parental Tool and enter the inquiry number.
    • Make sure the date matches the date on your 3DS and hit Get Key. You will be given a master key.
    • On your 3DS, tap OK. Enter the master key and tap OK again.
    • Tap Clear Settings and then Delete to delete all parental controls.
  5. Turn off parental controls on your Nintendo DSi without the password. The key here is the inquiry number generated when you indicate you don’t remember your password. You can use this number to generate a reset code that will allow you to change the password as follows.[18]
    • Tap System Settings (the wrench icon) on the touch screen menu.
    • Tap Parental Controls > Change.
    • When prompted for your password, tap I Forgot. Also tap I Forgot on the next page.
    • You will be given an eight digit inquiry number.
    • On your computer, go to this website.
    • Make sure the Current Date in Your Timezone entry matches the date on your 3DS or DSi.
    • Enter your inquiry number in the space next to Confirmation Number and click Get Reset Code. You will be provided a 5-digit Reset Code.
    • On your 3DS or DSi, tap OK, and then enter the Reset Code.
    • Tap Clear Settings to remove the parental controls.

Windows Computers

  1. Turn the controls off temporarily with the admin password. It is not recommended you delete the parental controls on the computer completely, as you’ll lose all the settings for the account. Only turning them off temporarily will also give you the option of turning the controls back on, if necessary.[19]
    • Log into the administrator account.
    • Scroll down to the My Extras section and click Manage in the Parental Controls section.
    • Slide the button to OFF to turn the Parental Controls off. To turn them back on, slide the button to ON.
    • It may take up to 10 minutes for the new settings to be applied.
  2. Turn off parental controls without the admin password through startup repair. WARNING: This will change the administrator password.[20]
    • Restart your computer. As soon as it begins restarting (you see Starting Windows), abruptly shut it off by pulling the plug.
    • Restart your computer again. You should now be given the option to Launch Startup Repair. Select it.
    • When it asks if you want to restore your system, click Cancel. NOTE: the startup repair program will now run for five to ten minutes.
    • When the repair program is finished, it will give you two options – Send Information About this Problem or Don’t Send. Ignore them, and instead click the arrow next to View problem details.
    • Scroll down to the last link: X:\windows\system32\en-US\erofflps.txt. Click it to open a text file.
    • Now go to File > Open within the text file. Click on Computer and select the Local Disk.
    • Click on Windows. Under “Files of Type” change to All Files.
    • Open the System32 folder and look for the file labeled sethc.
    • Right click and select rename. Add a 0 to the end of the name, and then click away to save.
    • Find the file labeled cmd. Right click and copy it. Scroll all the way down and paste it to create a copy (cmd – Copy).
    • Right click on the new file and rename it to sethc. Click away to save.
    • Close the open file box and the text file.
    • Click Don’t Send at the startup repair prompt. Then click Finish. Your computer will now restart.
    • At the login screen, press the shift key five times. The command prompt will appear.
    • Type: net user (your parent’s username) *. Don’t forget to leave the space before the asterisk. Press enter. NOTE: If there is a space in the user name, replace the space with an underscore. I.e. User Name would become User_Name.
    • You can now change the password, or press enter twice to leave no password.
    • Now login and follow the instructions in step one to turn off parental controls.

Macs

  1. Turn off the parental controls with the admin password. To do this on a Mac, log into the admin account and follow these steps:[21]
    • Open System Preferences from the Apple Menu. Then, click on Parental Controls.
    • Click the Lock icon and provide your username and password. This allows for changes to be made to the restrictions.
    • Select the user account you want to disable the Parental Controls for.
    • Click the gear icon near the bottom of the preference panel and choose “Turn off Parental Controls for ‘Username'”.
    • Exit out of System Preferences.
  2. Turn off the parental controls without the admin password. The only way to adjust the parental controls without an admin password is to change the admin password first. To do this:[22]
    • Turn your computer completely off, then turn it on using the power button while holding COMMAND+R until you here the startup sound. This will put you in recovery mode.
    • In the menu bar, go to Utilities > Terminal.
    • Type resetpassword no spaces and no caps and press enter. The password reset box should then appear.
    • Choose the Mac HD or hard drive icon, then select the user account that you want to reset the password for.
    • Type and retype a password (no restrictions), and then save.
    • Restart your computer and login using the new password. You will see a prompt titled: The system was unable to unlock your login keychain. Select the middle option: Create New Keychain.
    • Log in with the new admin password and adjust the parental control settings.

Asking for Permission to Turn off Parental Controls

  1. Talk to your parents or the administrator of the account about adjusting the controls. This is perhaps the easiest and safest way to adjust the parental controls, as the person who imposed the parental controls has your best interests at heart and may be more willing to adjust them if you discuss the reasons why you think the controls should be lifted.
    • Start by asking your parents or the administrator why they have imposed Parental Controls on your account. Are you using social media like Facebook too much or playing certain inappropriate games too often? Are you neglecting your health, social circle or studies as the result of too much time online?
    • After understanding main reasons for the parental controls, try to initiate a change in your behavior or at least show your parents you are trying to change your approach to online activities. This might make them reconsider their actions and agree to an adjustment of the parental controls.
  2. Ask for access to the administrator account. If your parents or the administrator feel satisfied that you are responsible enough to manage your own online activities, they may provide you with the password to the administrator account.
  3. Agree to certain monitoring rules around the account. Some parents may not feel comfortable handing over complete access to the administrator account and leaving you unsupervised. So, if they request some restrictions or guidelines around your online use, try to be flexible and agree to them. It may take time for your parents to feel assured you can navigate content online without their supervision.
  4. Keep in mind no filtering or blocking program is 100 percent effective. While it may be tempting as a parent to install every block, limit, and filter on your child’s computer or on the shared home computer, be aware that new sites are added to the Internet every day so it is simply not possible for parental control software to catch every suspicious site.[23]
    • In fact, some parental control software can also block useful information like access to personal health issues and topics your child may need to be aware of.
    • Parental control software is not a substitute for active parent interaction with your children and conversations around their Internet use.



Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204396
  2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyENHRniaE8
  3. ↑ https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4550807
  4. ↑ http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/how-to/google-android/3461359/parental-control-on-android/
  5. ↑ https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/1626831?hl=en
  6. ↑ http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/59236/how-can-i-reset-the-play-store-content-filter-pin
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 http://www.talkandroid.com/guides/beginner/how-to-boot-your-android-phone-or-tablet-into-safe-mode-for-troubleshooting/
  8. ↑ http://support.xbox.com/en-US/my-account/security/xbox-360-online-safety
  9. ↑ http://support.xbox.com/en-US/my-account/security/xbox-one-manage-privacy-and-online-safety#a200f562f99b4310b2e8aec6a287f945
  10. ↑ http://support.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-one/system/reset-console-to-factory-defaults
  11. ↑ https://support.us.playstation.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5044/~/ps4%3A-safe-mode
  12. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN7wEjtDBvU
  13. ↑ https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100601110132AA03d3U
  14. ↑ http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/33872/wii-u-how-to-setup-and-remove-parental-controls/
  15. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKklIT4vH3o
  16. ↑ http://ds.about.com/od/nintendods101/ht/How-To-Turn-Off-Parental-Controls-On-Your-Nintendo-3ds.htm
  17. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhFRitTRQ_E
  18. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uvW3LZcW84
  19. ↑ http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/46768/~/bt-parental-controls---'how-to...'-guide#turnoffperm
  20. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXFV1w-8jww
  21. ↑ http://osxdaily.com/2014/09/14/disable-parental-controls-mac-os-x/
  22. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJ6AZMk2cy0
  23. ↑ http://www.ala.org/aasl/parents/filter

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