How to Set Up Parental Controls on a Xiaomi Phone: A Quick Guide
A smartphone in a child’s hands is a powerful educational tool, but also a source of many risks – from uncontrolled screen time and inappropriate content to accidental in-game purchases. If your child uses a Xiaomi smartphone (whether it runs on the older MIUI interface or the latest HyperOS system), you have advanced protection mechanisms at your disposal. From this practical guide, you will learn how to implement full parental controls step by step by optimizing system settings and the official external Google Family Link application. Secure your child’s digital world in less than 15 minutes.
Why are parental controls on Xiaomi devices crucial?
Xiaomi phones have gained huge popularity as devices for children and teenagers thanks to their excellent value for money. However, the nature of the proprietary operating system (MIUI overlay and modern HyperOS) means that the default factory settings focus on maximum openness and personalization. For a young user, this means a lack of any safety filters.
Introducing locks and restrictions should not be a form of punishment or an expression of distrust, but a technical safeguard. Statistics show that children without supervision can spend even several hours a day on smartphones, which directly translates into concentration problems, worse learning results and sleep disorders. Parental controls in Xiaomi allow you to precisely balance time between entertainment and real life.
Method 1: Official Google Family Link app (Recommended)
Because Xiaomi phones are based on the Android operating system, the best and most reliable way to manage a child’s device is the Google Family Link platform. It allows remote control of a Xiaomi smartphone from the parent’s phone level (which can even be an iPhone).
Step 1: Preparing Google accounts
For the system to work properly, you need two separate Google accounts: one for yourself and one dedicated to your child. If the child does not have an account yet, create it during the configuration process.
Important note: Never configure your child’s phone using your own Google account. This will not only mix contacts, photos and passwords, but also prevent filters and time limits from being applied correctly.
Step 2: Installation and configuration on the child’s phone
1. Open Settings on your child’s Xiaomi smartphone.
2. Scroll down and select the Digital Wellbeing and parental controls section.
3. Tap Set up parental controls at the very bottom of the screen.
4. Select Child or teenager and follow the instructions displayed on the screen.
5. Select the child’s Google account, then log in with your parent credentials to approve the device pairing.
Step 3: Managing the app from the parent’s phone
Install the Google Family Link app from Google Play (or the App Store) on your own phone. After logging in to your account, you will see your child’s profile and a control panel from which you can perform the following actions:
• Daily time limits: You can set the phone to automatically lock, for example, after 2 hours of use on weekdays and after 3 hours on weekends.
• Bedtime: A schedule that locks the device during night hours (e.g. from 9:00 PM to 7:00 AM), preventing secret internet browsing in bed.
• App approval: Every attempt to download a new game or app from the Google Play store requires remote parental approval (you will receive a push notification).
• Live location: Tracking the child’s current location and movement history using the GPS module in the Xiaomi phone.
Method 2: Xiaomi built-in features (System settings)
If you do not want to use external apps or you want to supplement Family Link protection with native Xiaomi overlay locks, the system gives you several powerful built-in options.
a) Locking apps with a password or fingerprint
Do you want to block your child’s access to a specific system app (e.g. Chrome browser, phone settings or photo gallery)? Use the App Lock feature.
1. Go to Settings -> Apps -> App Lock.
2. Enable the feature and set a separate pattern, PIN code or password (different from the screen unlock code!).
3. Select the apps that should require this code each time they are launched.
b) Second Space – an alternative profile on one phone
If you and your child use the same Xiaomi phone, the ideal solution is Second Space. It works like separate user accounts on a Windows computer. Your profile is protected with your password, while the child’s profile has a completely separate desktop, set of apps and restrictions, with no access to your private data. You can activate this feature in the menu: Settings -> Additional settings -> Second Space.
Advanced content blocking: Censoring websites and YouTube
Limiting screen time alone is not enough. The key is to cut the young user off from pornography, violence and gambling websites.
a) Filtering in Google Chrome browser and search engine
In the Family Link panel on the parent’s phone, go to: Account settings -> Content restrictions -> Google Chrome. Select Try to block explicit sites. You can also create a strict whitelist (the child will only access websites that you manually enter there) or a blacklist (blocking specific websites). Additionally, enable SafeSearch in Google Search to filter out graphic images and videos in search results.
b) Safe YouTube for the youngest users
For children under 13, it is recommended to completely block the standard YouTube app and replace it with YouTube Kids. If the child is older, enable the so-called Restricted Mode in the standard YouTube app (available in YouTube account settings), which hides content potentially intended only for adults based on user reports and artificial intelligence algorithms.
Safe DNS configuration – network-level blocking
An extremely effective and difficult-to-bypass method for older children to block inappropriate websites is changing the private DNS server directly in Xiaomi system network settings.
The Android system on Xiaomi devices allows you to define a permanent DNS profile. We can use free, global solutions from Cloudflare (Family DNS) or AdGuard, which automatically block requests to websites with pornography, malware and scams.
1. Go to Settings -> Connection and sharing.
2. Tap Private DNS.
3. Change the mode from automatic to Private DNS provider hostname.
4. Enter the following host address: family.cloudflare-dns.com or dns-family.adguard.com.
5. Tap Save.
From now on, every attempt to access a dangerous website, regardless of the browser used, will end with a host loading error.
Settings summary and checklist for parents
To make sure the configuration process was successful, review the summary table below and make sure you have implemented all key layers of digital protection.
| Protection area | Tool used | Main benefit |
| Screen time | Google Family Link (Daily limit and Bedtime) | The child does not use the phone at night and has limited time during the day. |
| Game installation and micro-payments | Google Play verification (Parent approval) | No unexpected credit card bills for in-game add-ons. |
| Adult content and malware | Cloudflare Private DNS + Chrome SafeSearch | Automatic and system-wide blocking of pornographic websites and viruses. |
| System and settings protection | Native Xiaomi App Lock (PIN password) | The child cannot independently change network settings or disable blocks. |
| Physical safety | GPS geolocation in Family Link | Constant map view of where the child returning from school is located. |
Remember that technology is only half the success. The best parental control is an open conversation with your child about the rules of the internet, the risks related to contacting strangers and the need for balance between the real and virtual world. Regularly check the security status on your child’s Xiaomi phone, because operating systems undergo frequent updates that may occasionally require parental permissions to be approved again.
