Leave a Review Microsoft Family Safety
App is totally unreliable
App is not working at random times. “Something went wrong on our end.” seem to be the repeat message I get when I need to unpause my kids or pause them. I need to go on my desktop computer, open the app, log in, and do it there. As of 10:56 PM EST today on January 9, 2023, the app has been down now for about an hour. I took screenshots if developers need them. I use the app all the time. I am on the fastest wifi connection. It’s really embarrassing that Microsoft giant is having all this technical issue. This is the biggest and highest downtime app I have and I have A LOT of apps.
OksanaShow lessOksanaCrazyRusski
Waste of time
This app is driving me and my child mad, won’t let me buy v bucks without first adding money to his account, added money to his account with great difficultly (due to numerous random errors), finally got back to the request to add v bucks and STILL can’t add them because it now says I need to update the app…but when I follow the link to the App Store no update is available…so I’m 10 quid down with no v bucks and no way of using the balance. I’ve been trying to sort this all day. Would love it if Microsoft family would solve this as I’ve no way of explaining to my autistic child why he can’t use his vbucks to play with his friends. I feel like I should have just set him up as an adult. Absolute joke!!Show lessEmma1985
Developer Response
Thank you for using Family Safety! We are sorry to hear you're experiencing this issue. If you could send us more details and logs from the app by tapping on the App Menu/Home > Help and Feedback > Send feedback > I Don’t Like Something > Attach/Include Logs/Diagnostics, we’ll take a look. Thank you!Great, but one feature to add
Overall, I have been very pleased with this app. I primarily use it to control the websites that my children can access. I appreciate the weekly reports where I can view their activity, and flagged search terms.
One feature, I think would be very good to have is the ability to block websites, whose address contains a key word that is able to be specified by the parent. for example, blocking any websites, whose web address includes the word “shooter“.Show lessHappyUser0912
App locks up when approving spending
I paid $10 to put into my child’s account to buy Robux. When he wants to spend the money - I get promoted by this app to approve. When I enter the app, click on the approval, I’m prompted to log in again (even though I was already logged in) to approve. When I click on the email field to login the app freezes. *infuriating* that my money has been already taken but I can’t actually get the product I paid for.
Update: followed Microsoft’s advice and submitted feedback outside of Apple Store through their own app.
Also could have been due to Black Friday load on e-commerce systems but still needs to be improved to not take money if it isn’t going to sell me stuff.Show lessBinaryspiral
Works great
It works great, but it could be a little more user intuitive. Some of it could be user setup, but jumping between Xbox and PC Isn't very fluid. Some weird glitches happen with the kids who can use IE, Chrome, and Edge with the allowed apps, the permitted time, and monitoring. It's also hard to track app usage when then they keep multiple things opensShow lessZ mosher
HORRIBLE WOULD NOT RECOMMEND
If you are looking to by a computer for your children by from another company. Microsoft does not work well for families.
1) I added my 7 year old and my 10 year old.
2) Bought 2 new surface go 2’s for them
3) spent 3 hours setting them up.
4) spent another 3 hours in Microsoft support chat
5) had to delete all the accounts and permissions
6) reinstalled and set back up. Still didn’t work
7) s support can’t even get it to work.
8) now I have no permissions set no children accounts link to me and I still can’t get signed on to there account without giving them permissions
8) once I sign in as them it re connects them to my account and I can download any apps for them.
The only way they can use the new computers is under my account.
9) I have screen shared with support and they can’t get it to work properly.
Really disappointed with Microsoft and wish I had not bought these computers. Such a shame. I might donate and move to a new company.Show lessG SD
Approvals sometimes don’t go through
We use this a lot and this has been helpful not of the time. But there are times the approvals just don’t go through for some reason. I have an explosive child and that creates a lot of stress for us. On our end, I have granted him time and his laptop is not able to receive it and keeps asking him to request more time. I hope the problem can be resolved soon!!!Show less小小龙漫步人生路
Works but needs more flexibility
I like that I can set limits for games but I would like the ability to set time limits for groups of applications.
For example, I want to group all games and set a time limit for this activity type, regardless what game is played.
This gives the child freedom to play whatever games are allowed in the allotted game time. Right now this setup is impossible in the current app.Show lessDobix
Glitch
Used to work perfectly but now, even with updates & most current version running, every time I open the app when I receive a request from my child to use a program, screen won’t advance past telling me benefits of using location. I hit “ok” repeatedly and won’t advance to the options to choose time limits and permissions. Very frustrating because then I have to wait for the email and pop up the permission via web-based and “do you know there’s an app?” prompts … yes, I know and it’s not working.Show lessPattygun
Pretty Frustrating
The integration between the Xbox app and family safety is super confusing. I’m trying to approve friends for my kids on Minecraft, and Xbox tells me to login online, which redirects me to family safety where there are exactly 0 XBox settings.craighawco
Developer Response
Thank you for sending Microsoft feedback. Your input is valuable to us and helps improve our products. We want to better understand your review. Please share more details by tapping on the app Home/Menu > Help and feedback > Send feedback., we’ll take a look. Thank you!
