Nintendo updates parental controls app

Nintendo updates the Switch Parental Controls app with version 2.2.0, adding Play Activity improvements and Switch 2 support.

Nintendo Updates Parental Controls App for Switch and Switch 2

Nintendo released version 2.2.0 of the Switch Parental Controls app, continuing the company’s effort to expand family tools after a major May patch added Switch 2 support. The newest update focuses on the Play Activity display and adds a Parental Controls Tips section within alerts, aiming to make supervision clearer for parents.

The patch description shows broader changes that let parents link up to eight Switch systems, extend daily play-time limits, and set play-time limits for linked devices. It also notes ongoing design tweaks and small improvements to overall usability, underscoring Nintendo’s push to integrate family settings more deeply into its hardware ecosystem.

This move fits Nintendo’s broader strategy of presenting its hardware as a safe, family-friendly platform. By improving visibility into children’s activity and expanding control across multiple devices, the company positions the parental controls suite as a central feature rather than a add-on. At the same time, widening data access through Play Activity across several devices raises questions about how data is collected and used, even as GameChat settings offer parents clearer governance over who their child can chat with. The balance between supervision and privacy will shape how parents view these tools in real life and could influence trust in Nintendo’s family-oriented branding.

Highlights

As Nintendo leans into family tools, the real test is how transparent and useful these controls feel in everyday life.