Family safety: Feedback on recent changes to multi-device management

Anonymous
2015-04-22T12:54:35+00:00

Put simply, it's unacceptable.

For my child, why would I want to have to manage completely different sets of limits, curfew, blocked/allowed games, allowed ratings, etc for every device to which they log in?

This needs to go back to the old way where the child's account spanned all devices to which they've logged in.

Furthermore, when attempting to manage this new format, here's what I see in my Family Safety area:

How is this helpful at all? Nowhere on this screen do I know the device for which I'm altering the settings. If I click another instance of my child's name, I have no idea which device that is going to either.

I also have a sneaking suspicion this recent change is what is causing so many parents to have settings not taking effect, etc. They're probably altering the settings for the wrong device (because they have no clue where they're at in the system and I don't blame them) or the backend is simply doing things wrong.

Please fix this.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Security and privacy

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-07-28T18:17:25+00:00

    >> Here's the thing - the time limits haven't ever been aggregated, so that behavior isn't any different than before.

    Really? FS never aggregated time use in the first place? For a service touted from the beginning for its ability to apply the same settings across multiple devices, this sounds less like a clarification than an admission of both deceptive communication and clueless design. What is the point of a feature that limits time use if the child can simply hop to another device and the clock resets? How dumb is that? It's no wonder we all assumed time use was aggregated -- the whole feature would be absurd without it!

    I hope you folks manage to get all this straightened out with Windows 10. I've never seen such an unmitigated disaster of an "upgrade." Sorry to be so blunt, but you need to know how it feels on the customer side.

    --Bob

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-07-28T21:31:20+00:00

    My cousin was in town last week working a MS event and I missed my chance to go complain at real people... he's in Redmond right now doing an event, I was going to send him my list. 

    It is a complete disaster - it is useless and right now I really would like the option to block the ability o download things. 

    UGH. 

    My special needs kiddo does not need to be able to install apps from the app store - she really doesn't.

    Tracey

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-07-28T21:39:07+00:00

    Make sure your wife is really setup as admin. Is she a Microsoft account or local? Don't know if that would make a difference... I know when my son runs out of time either one of us can extend it.

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  4. Anonymous
    2015-07-29T00:42:17+00:00

    Russ, I've replied to your other threads, just FYI.

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  5. Anonymous
    2015-07-29T00:49:45+00:00

    AlwaysDriving,

    1. Please make sure you're changing settings in the right profile on the account.microsoft.com/family page.  If it's not Windows 10 or a Windows Phone, you must look for your child's name and the device name.
    2. The settings on each profile have tabs on the left - make sure you're navigating through them, for every device your child has access to.
    3. Make sure that EVERY device that your child has access is showing on the website.  If one doesn't, you need to establish the connection to the service from PC Settings/Account/Other users

    Once again, Family safety features DO work.

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