How to put parental controls on roku tv?

Roku has no system-wide content filter across streaming apps — that is the part most guides get wrong. You get three separate layers, and you need all three if the TV is in a child's room:

1. PIN protection. On the Roku home screen: Settings → System → PIN or Settings → Parental controls (naming varies by model). Set a 4-digit PIN so channels can't be added and purchases can't be made without it.
2. Per-app profiles. Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, YouTube and Max each have their own kids profile and PIN — set them inside each app, because Roku cannot enforce them.
3. Roku TVs only: models with a tuner add rating limits for antenna and HDMI inputs. Streaming apps are still governed by their own settings.

What this does not do: it will not block YouTube at 9pm, will not report what was watched, and will not stop a child from installing a channel if the PIN is known.

Full disclosure: we build Ultimate Phone Spy, a parental-control app for exactly this — web history, app activity and screen time in one dashboard. Plans start at $16/month on the 12-month option, and the current plans are on our pricing page.

Practical setup order for a family TV:

• Create the Kids & Family entry point so the child profile lands in age-appropriate content by default.
• Turn on PIN for channel store and purchases, and keep the PIN off the TV.
• Inside each app, create a kids profile with its own PIN, and set the profile as the default so a reboot doesn't drop back to the adult one.
• If the TV is on Wi-Fi you control, add a router-level filter or a separate guest SSID for that device — that is the only layer that enforces across apps, and it also covers the console and tablet.
• For an older child, set a bedtime window at the router rather than arguing about the remote.

If you need to see what was actually watched rather than just block it, streaming apps hold that data and Roku itself does not expose viewing history to parents — which is why most families pair device controls with a phone-level dashboard.