Here is a step-by-step How-To Guide for enabling and using Parental Controls in ChatGPT.
What Parental Controls in ChatGPT Do
Before we jump into steps, here’s a quick overview of what parental controls let you do:
- Link a teen’s ChatGPT account to a parent’s account, so the parent can adjust settings.
- Enable content protections (e.g. reducing sensitive content) for the teen.
- Control or disable features like image generation, voice mode, memory, or model training.
- Set “quiet hours” during which ChatGPT usage by the teen is blocked.
- Receive safety notifications if the system detects potential serious risks in the teen’s usage (parents do not see the teen’s conversations except in exceptional safety cases).
Prerequisites & Notes
- You (the parent) must have a ChatGPT account (free or paid).
- The teen should also have their own ChatGPT account.
- The accounts must be “linked” via an invitation process.
- Teens can unlink their account at any time; parents will be notified if the link is broken.
Step-by-Step: How to Enable Parental Controls
Below is a suggested flow for a parent to enable and manage parental controls.
| Step | Action | What You’ll See / Tips |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Log in to your ChatGPT account | Use your usual credentials. |
| 2 | Go to Settings → Parental Controls | In the ChatGPT settings menu, there is a “Parental Controls” section. |
| 3 | Invite your teen to connect | You can invite them via their email or via SMS/text. |
| 4 | Teen accepts the invitation | The teen must accept the link on their side so that the accounts become paired. |
| 5 | Begin managing settings from the parent’s account | Once linked, you’ll see toggles and options for features. |
| 6 | Customize features / safeguards | Options include: • Reduce Sensitive Content – activate guardian filters on the teen’s end. • Disable Model Training – so transcripts/files aren’t used to improve models. • Disable Memory – ChatGPT won’t save or use memories in future responses. • Disable Voice Mode – remove voice input/output option. • Disable Image Generation – remove the option to create or edit images. • Quiet Hours – set times during which ChatGPT use is blocked for the teen |
| 7 | Set up safety notifications | Choose how you want to be alerted (email, SMS, push notification) if the system sees signs of serious risk. |
| 8 | Monitor and adjust over time | As your teen uses ChatGPT, revisit these settings and adjust as needed. |
