Family Safety Not Reporting Screentime - help?

Parents Fletcher 20 Reputation points
2026-01-10T17:05:33.92+00:00

Hi,

I wonder whether there is someone who can resolve why family link does not report my son's screen time on his Windows machine?

I have asked this question as was given assistance by Jeric & Harold:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5599688/why-is-family-safety-not-reporting-usage

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5601117/family-safety-not-reporting-screen-time

However, neither have been able to resolve the problem.

The latest development is that I added my son (using same login details) to my laptop. His activity on the laptop is recorded and reported back to me in the weekly email that Family Safety sends out.

However, this isn't much use as his real activity is on his own windows machine. His web page visits seem to be reported - but his screen time always appears as zero, which quite patently is not correct.

This issue has been going on for some time now and I really do need a resolution as I really do need to be able to monitor my son's PC activity.

Any help in this regard gratefully received!

Thanks.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Family and online safety

1 answer

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest

  1. AI answer

    2026-01-10T17:05:44.3766667+00:00

    It sounds like you're experiencing issues with the Family Safety feature not accurately reporting screen time for your son's Windows machine. Here are a few things to consider that might help resolve the issue:

    1. Activity Reporting Setting: Ensure that the activity reporting setting is turned on for your son's account. This is necessary for screen time and other activity to be tracked correctly. The family organizer can enable this setting in the Family Safety portal.
    2. Account Sign-In: Make sure that your son is signed in to Windows with his Microsoft account. The screen time tracking works best when the child is logged in with their own Microsoft account rather than a shared or guest account.
    3. Device Compatibility: Verify that the device your son is using is compatible with Family Safety features. Sometimes, specific versions of Windows may have limitations or require updates to function properly.
    4. Web Filtering and Activity Reporting: If web filtering or activity reporting is turned on, it may affect how other features work. Ensure that these settings are configured correctly and not interfering with screen time reporting.
    5. Check for Updates: Make sure that both Windows and the Family Safety app are updated to the latest versions. Updates can fix bugs and improve functionality.

    If these steps do not resolve the issue, you may want to reach out to Microsoft support for further assistance.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

    Was this answer helpful?

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.