Create your child’s Nintendo Account from your adult account’s Family group at accounts.nintendo.com. A child account is not created independently: it belongs to a Family group, where you can manage account settings. For console time limits and activity monitoring, use the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app; eShop purchase restrictions are managed in Nintendo Account settings.
What you need to know first
- A Nintendo child account is created through an adult Nintendo Account’s Family group, rather than as a standalone account. Nintendo says child accounts can be created for users up to age 17; age and verifiable-consent requirements vary by country or region. Nintendo’s child-account FAQ
- A Family group can contain up to eight users and has one admin. Its roles include admin, parent/guardian, general and supervised. Nintendo’s Family group guidance
- Creating an account and creating a local user on a Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 are separate steps. Create the Nintendo Account first, then link it to the child’s console user when the console setup prompts you.
Create a Nintendo Account for your child
- Go to accounts.nintendo.com and sign in to the adult Nintendo Account that administers your Family group. If you do not have an adult Nintendo Account, create one first.
- Open Family group, select Add a member, then choose Create an account for a child. Only the Family group admin sees the Add a member option. If the group already has eight members, one member must leave before another can be added. Nintendo’s child-account creation instructions
- Enter the requested details. Nintendo’s instructions specify a nickname of 10 characters or fewer. The sign-in ID must be at least six characters, use lowercase letters, not begin with a number, and contain no spaces or punctuation except dashes or underscores. The password must be at least eight characters and combine characters from two categories. Gender is optional where offered.
- Review and accept the Nintendo Account User Agreement and Privacy Policy, select Submit, and then select OK. Give your child their sign-in ID and password securely.
- Follow any consent prompt for your region. Nintendo documents different verifiable parental-consent routes: one uses an email link, while another may use a one-time $0.50 credit-card verification charge. That charge is not a universal requirement; follow the method shown for your account’s region. Nintendo’s parental-consent guidance
- If Nintendo sends an account-creation verification code by email, use it within 24 hours. Nintendo says the code expires after that period. If it expires, restart account creation to request a new one. Nintendo’s account-creation support article
Manage the Family group and supervising adults
The Family group is the account-level place to manage membership and child-account settings. After creation, the child appears in the group, where the adult can adjust settings such as the child’s password.
Nintendo allows an adult non-supervised account holder aged 18 or older to have parent/guardian status. Supervised accounts cannot change Family group settings. Only the Family group admin can transfer the admin role. Nintendo’s Family group role guidance
To add another supervising adult, assign that person parent/guardian status if eligible. The app’s shared-monitoring feature lets two parents or guardians use their own devices to view activity and set limits; each still needs an eligible Nintendo Account.
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Nintendo splits controls among the console, the mobile app and Nintendo Account settings. Use the setting location that matches what you want to manage:
| Where | Controls | Scope and requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app (iOS or Android) | Daily play-time limits, bedtime, gameplay history, suspension when time expires, age-rating restrictions, communication restrictions, selected GameChat controls on Nintendo Switch 2, and per-game overrides. | For console play and activity controls. Some functions, including play-time limits, are app-only. The app is free and requires an adult parent or guardian’s Nintendo Account. Nintendo Parental Controls app page |
| Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 system settings | Core age-rating and communication restrictions; social-media restrictions on Nintendo Switch. | Can be configured on the system without a smart device. Nintendo Parental Controls overview |
| Nintendo Account Family group settings on the website | Nintendo eShop purchase and viewing restrictions, friend suggestions, and certain information-sharing or linked-service controls. | Account-level settings, separate from the app’s play-time controls. Nintendo Parental Controls overview |
Set play-time limits and monitor activity with the app
Install the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app on an iOS or Android device and connect it to the Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2 you want to supervise. Nintendo’s app page says a parent or guardian aged 18 or older needs a Nintendo Account to use it. The app provides time limits, bedtime settings and gameplay history, along with supported content and communication controls. Some restrictions can be overridden for an individual game.
Nintendo lists app version 2.6.0, released September 14, 2026, as adding shared monitoring so two parents or guardians can each use their own device to view activity and set limits. Check Nintendo’s app download and update page for the current version and device compatibility.
Quick Recap
Troubleshoot common setup problems
- “Add a member” is missing: Check that you are signed in as the Family group admin. Nintendo says only the admin has this option.
- The group is full: A Family group supports up to eight users. A current member must leave before another can be added.
- The consent screen differs from expected: Consent steps and age thresholds vary by country or region. Use the method Nintendo presents for the account rather than assuming the credit-card verification route applies everywhere.
- The email code no longer works: Account-creation codes expire after 24 hours. Restart the account-creation process to generate a new code.
- You need a second supervising adult: Give the adult parent/guardian status if they meet Nintendo’s eligibility rules, then use shared monitoring in the app.
- The child has a console profile but no Nintendo Account: A local user profile is not the same as a Nintendo Account. Finish the online account creation, then link it to that console user as prompted.
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