Nintendo Support

How to Download or Update the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls Smart Device App

Instructions on downloading the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app to your smart device.

Additional Information:

The Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app is compatible with smart devices which use the iOS and Android operating systems.
Parental controls are set for the whole console, not for each individual player.

Complete these steps:

From your smart device, visit either the App Store (iOS) or the Google Play Store (Android) and search for "Switch Parental Controls."
From the search results select the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app, and then select the appropriate option to download/install the application

Latest update: Ver. 2.5.0 (Released 16 June, 2026)

iOS only:
- Small improvements have been made.

Ver. 2.5.0 [Released 16/06/26]
- iOS only:
  Small improvements have been made.
Ver. 2.4.0 [Released 24/03/26
- If the Parental Controls PIN is successfully entered on a console, you can now check this information under "Play Activity" in this app. Additionally, if you enable PIN entry notifications in the notification settings, you'll receive a push notification when the PIN is entered on the console.
- Other small feature improvements and bug fixes have also been made.
Ver. 2.3.0 [Released 10/12/25]
- The app now supports dark mode. The app will automatically change to dark mode based on your smart device's settings.
- "1hr" can now be selected under "Extend the Play Time Limit for the Day".
- It's now possible to set individual play start times for each day of the week under "Detailed Bedtime Settings".
- It's now possible to change the display order in the list of supervised consoles.
- Other small improvements have also been made.
Ver. 2.2.2 [Released 18/11/25]
- Small improvements have been made.
- Additionally, the supported iOS versions have changed. iOS version 16.0 or higher is now required to use this app.
Ver. 2.0.0 [Released 29/05/25]
Nintendo Switch 2 systems can now be linked
- GameChat permissions have been added. If your child uses GameChat, you can manage who they chat with and when they can use video.
More settings and features
- Extend the daily play-time limit.
- Set play-time limits for linked systems.
- View more details under Play Activity.
- Get alerts about your child's gameplay.
- Link up to eight Nintendo Switch 2 or Nintendo Switch systems.
Other improvements have also been made.
Ver. 1.22.0 [Released 03/12/24]
- Changed minimum OS version.
  - iOS version 15.0 or later is required to use this application.
  - Android OS version 8.0 or later is required to use this application.
Ver. 1.19.0 [Released 14/09/23]
- Small improvements have been made.
- Additionally, the supported iOS versions have changed. iOS version 14.0 or higher is now required to use this app.
Ver. 1.17.0 [Released 18/09/18]
- If you've set up Parental Controls on a Nintendo Switch console, articles that appear in that console's news feed will observe the Restricted Software settings.
  - Settings are located in the application's Settings > Restriction Level > Restricted Software
- Establishing a new Internet connection on a Nintendo Switch console with Parental Controls enabled no longer requires a PIN. When Notification Settings for the app are turned on, a push notification will be sent to your smartphone when a new connection is established.
- Feature improvements and bug fixes have been implemented.
Ver. 1.15.0 [Released 11/03/18]
- A new whitelist feature has been added. This feature allows you to add specific software titles to a whitelist in order to exclude them from the Parental Controls Restricted Software setting on the Nintendo Switch console.
- You can now choose to lock this app. If you do, authentication via Touch ID or Face ID will be required to use the app.
- The time range for the bedtime alarm has been extended to between 4:00 p.m. and 11:45 p.m.. When a bedtime alarm is set, play will be restricted from the set time until 6:00 a.m. the following day.
- Settings made using this app will now be synced to the Nintendo Switch console even when it is in sleep mode.
- Implemented feature improvements.
- In order to use some of these features, you will need to update the Nintendo Switch system version to 5.0.0 or later.
Ver. 1.1 [Released 19/07/17]
- In order to use these features, you will need to update the Nintendo Switch system version to 3.0.0 or later.
  - User play time can now be viewed in more detail.
    - You can now view information about time and software played separately for each Nintendo Switch user, as well as time not spent playing games such as using the HOME Menu. ( Games that don’t have the user selection sequence will be displayed as “No user selected”.)
    - You can view the times when Parental Controls were temporarily disabled.
    - You can check what software was downloaded, and you will receive a push notification on your smart device when new software is downloaded on the console.
    - Monthly summaries now have more detailed information.
      - You can view information such as the number of days and amount of time played for each user.
      - In addition to viewing how many days the console was used in a month, you can now check the amount of time as well.
      - ”Versus last month” has been added so you can compare the time played this month with the previous month.
      - ”Share” button was added for you to share monthly summaries among family members.
    - "Disable Alarms for Today” has been added in the settings.
      - This feature disables all alarms on the console for the rest of the day and can be used when you want to let your child play for longer than normal on special occasions such as their birthday or on a holiday. (Enabling this will show the active time in “Time Played”.)

Nintendo Support

How to Download or Update the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls Smart Device App

Latest update: Ver. 2.5.0 (Released 16 June, 2026)

For previous updates, click here

About Nintendo

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Parents

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For previous updates, click here

About Nintendo

Support

Parents

Community