Help your children stay safe online with Xbox Family Hub
Xbox is helping children have fun and stay safe online this Christmas by launching a family hub.
With the Xbox One S outselling rival consoles in September and October, and Black Friday deals proving popular with shoppers, Microsoft is helping parents make sure their children are having fun in a secure environment.
An Ofcom report released earlier this month revealed that the internet has overtaken television as the top media pastime for UK children. Youngsters aged 5-15 spend around 15 hours each week online, while those aged 3-4 spend eight hours and 18 minutes a week online.
Xbox’s new hub, which has been launched in time for Christmas, features a step-by-step video guide on how to set up your console, alongside guidance on how to use family settings. This includes:
- How to change privacy and online safety settings – This ensures youngsters only see content parents want them to. Children and teenagers are restricted from changing Xbox privacy and online safety settings on their accounts. Only the parent or other adult in the family can view or change these settings for a child account, either on a console or online.
- How to use web filtering – Web filtering enables parents to control what kinds of websites their child can access on Xbox One.
- How to prevent unauthorised purchases on Xbox One – Control what kind of content each child may download from the Xbox Store and other applications.
The video will help families set up their Xbox console ahead of Christmas, so when the big day arrives they can plug in and play as soon as they open the box.
Amanda Farr, Head of Content and Services at Xbox UK, said: “The Family Hub showcases some great games for all the family to enjoy this Christmas, from Minecraft to Forza Horizon 3 and FIFA 17. It also provides parents with simple steps on how set up your console, so that it’s ready in advance of Christmas Day, as well as guidance on using family settings to ensure that your kids stay safe online.
“The Hub gives families peace of mind this Christmas, while allowing them to enjoy all the great things their new Xbox has to offer.”
The Xbox One S was released in August and is 40% smaller than the previous console. The top of the line model comes with a terabyte of storage and supports 4K Ultra HD for Blu-ray films and content streamed from services such as Netflix. It also comes with a new wireless controller that you can use with certain PCs and tablets.
Microsoft has released several Xbox One S bundles so far, including:
- Minecraft Favourites Bundle – includes more than 230 character skins and additional content packs alongside Minecraft for Xbox One and Windows 10. Transfer your existing Xbox 360 worlds over to the Xbox One Edition, and enjoy building new ones that are up to 16 times bigger
- FIFA 17 Bundle – features a full-game download of FIFA 17, three Ultimate Team Loan Legends, one month of EA Access and either a 500GB or 1TB hard drive (1TB version also includes an Ultimate Team Rare Player Pack)
For more information on Xbox bundles and great games for families to play this Christmas, visit the Microsoft Store.