How to set up Amazon Prime Video parental controls — including profiles, PIN locks, purchase restrictions, and content ratings — to manage what your child watches.
Prime Video is Amazon's subscription streaming service offering films, TV series and originals on demand, with profiles and parental controls.
Official age
0+
We recommend
6+
Developer
Amazon
Risks
3
Amazon Prime Video is a video streaming service included with Amazon Prime membership. It offers films, TV series, and original Amazon productions. Unlike Netflix, Prime Video also includes a marketplace for purchasing or renting additional content and add-on subscription channels. This means in-app purchases are a notable additional risk beyond content maturity. Amazon provides parental controls including profiles with viewing restrictions, purchase PINs, and a dedicated Amazon Kids+ subscription for children's content. Controls are spread across several settings areas, which can make initial setup more complex than some competitors.
Children use Prime Video to watch films and series, including children's originals. Teenagers may browse the full catalogue or watch through a shared family account. The add-on channel marketplace means children with account access can potentially sign up for or rent additional content. Alexa integration on Amazon devices can allow voice-controlled playback.
Parental Controls — Content Rating PIN
Location: Account → Parental Controls → Set a PIN for content ratings
Set to: Set a PIN for content above the appropriate maturity rating
A PIN prevents playback of content above the chosen maturity rating. Set this to the appropriate level for your child's age and ensure the PIN is not shared with children.
Purchase and Rental PIN
Location: Account → Parental Controls → Purchase Controls
Set to: Enabled — require PIN for all purchases
Requiring a PIN for purchases prevents children from renting films, buying content, or signing up to add-on channels without your knowledge. This is particularly important given Prime Video's integrated marketplace.
Amazon Kids Profile
Location: Account → Household & Family Library → Set Up Amazon Kids
Set to: Use for under-12s
Amazon Kids creates a restricted profile with age-filtered content. Amazon Kids+ (a paid add-on) provides a curated library of children's content with no adverts and parental usage controls including time limits.
Set a purchase PIN immediately to prevent accidental or deliberate in-app purchases, rental of films, or sign-ups to add-on channels
Time: 5 minutes
Set a content rating PIN and create an Amazon Kids profile for children under 12
Time: 15 minutes
Review viewing history periodically via Account → Watch History to check for content above your child's appropriate age range
Time: 10 minutes monthly
In immediate danger: call 999. For non-emergency police matters, call 101.
Concerned about a child but it's not an emergency? NSPCC helpline 0808 800 5000. Childline for young people 0800 1111.
Myth: Amazon Kids+ is a free part of my Prime subscription.
Fact: Amazon Kids+ is a separate paid subscription with its own monthly fee (a short free trial is usually offered first) — so it isn't included automatically. The free Kids profile within Prime Video itself is a more limited alternative that doesn't need a separate sign-up.
Myth: One Prime Video PIN covers both purchases and content ratings.
Fact: Purchase restrictions and content-rating restrictions are two separate settings within Parental Controls that each need configuring on their own. Your own Account PIN can also override any profile-level PIN, so it's worth keeping that one private too.
Myth: A Prime Video purchase PIN also stops Alexa buying or renting things by voice.
Fact: Alexa's voice purchasing on Echo and Fire TV devices is a separate setting in the Alexa app, where you can require a spoken confirmation code or turn voice purchasing off entirely. It isn't linked to the Prime Video purchase PIN, so both need setting up separately.
Set up a Kids profile (or Amazon Kids+ if you want a curated, advert-free library) and set a content-rating PIN before handing over a Fire tablet or the Prime Video app. Kids profiles block purchases entirely, so it's the right starting point at this age.
A Kids profile usually still fits, but check the content rating matches their actual age rather than whatever was left over from setup. Keep the purchase PIN active so rental or add-on-channel prompts still need your say-so.
A shared or teen-level profile is more likely at this age, so set the content-rating PIN to match rather than leaving the account unrestricted. Remember it's a separate setting from the purchase PIN, so both need configuring rather than assuming one covers the other.
Purchases and rentals are more tempting at this age, so keep the purchase PIN in place. If there's an Echo or Fire TV in the house, check Alexa's own voice-purchasing setting too, since it works independently of the Prime Video controls.
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