Xbox gives parents a remote pause button engadget.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from engadget.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Microsoft s Pause Screen Time feature cuts your kids access to Xbox and Windows
Is dinner on the table? Chores not done? Microsoft said a new ability for parents to pause screen time for Xbox and Windows has been the most requested feature.
Take it from this parent there are times when you just want your kids to pause their gaming, put down their controllers, and do something else. A new Pause Screen Time feature in the Xbox Family Settings app for Windows and Xbox allows you to do just that.
Pause Screen Time allows a parent to say, “That’s enough!” and revoke access instantaneously. The new feature is part of the Xbox Family Settings app for Android and iOS essentially an app-based version of the Family Settings management tool that’s already baked into Windows.
Today, Microsoft announced a couple of new features for its Xbox Family Settings app. You can now pause screen time for your kids, and your kids can also make requests to purchase things.
Microsoft will let parents block kids from playing Xbox until their homework is done
More controls for screen time and purchases
Share this story
Image: Microsoft
Microsoft is adding new screen time and game purchasing controls to its Xbox Family Settings app in anticipation of a gaming-filled holiday at home. Microsoft originally launched the app in preview during the summer, and it released the final version in September. But the company is now adding in more features so parents can better manage their children s playtime on the go.
Alongside the current ability to set and manage the amount of time kids are able to play on their Xbox, parents can now also use Pause Screen Time to temporarily block an account as motivation to finish homework or hang out with family members. The block can be removed any time via the app or automatically turned off at the end of the day. If the blocked account tries to play anything while the block is on, they’ll be shown a notification informi