Google TV & Chromecast: the parent’s setup guide
Kids profile, bedtime schedule, Cast restrictions — everything available on modern Google TV devices.
Kids profile on Google TV
Google TV (current Chromecast with Google TV, most 2022+ Sonys, TCLs, Philips, and others) supports per-user kids profiles with schedules and app approvals.
- Settings › Accounts & sign-in › Add a kid’s account.
- Set their age; content auto-filters.
- Approve apps one-by-one.
- Set a bedtime / screen-time schedule.
- Restrict Cast to known devices only (to prevent friends casting whatever from their phones).
YouTube on the TV
The YouTube app on Google TV can be set to YouTube Kids content for young users. In kid profile › YouTube › restrict content by age. See our full YouTube guide.
Legacy Chromecast (no remote)
Older Chromecast dongles without their own OS rely on whatever device is casting. Parental control happens on the phone/laptop doing the cast — not on the Chromecast itself.
What Google TV doesn’t do
- Doesn’t filter content inside third-party apps (Netflix, Disney+) — those have their own profiles.
- Guest Mode (if enabled) lets anyone cast. Disable if you don’t use it.
Common questions
How do I set up a kids profile on Google TV?
Settings › Accounts & sign-in › Add a kid’s account. Set their age so content auto-filters, approve apps one by one, and set a bedtime or screen-time schedule. This works on current Chromecast with Google TV and most 2022-and-later Sony, TCL and Philips sets.
Can my child’s friends cast anything to our TV?
If Cast is unrestricted, yes. Restrict Cast to known devices only, and disable Guest Mode if you do not use it — otherwise any phone on the network can put content on the screen.
Does Google TV filter inside Netflix and Disney+?
No. It does not filter content inside third-party apps at all — those have their own profile systems. Google TV’s controls govern the device and its own app approvals.
We have an older Chromecast with no remote. How do I control it?
You cannot control it on the device. Legacy Chromecast dongles have no operating system of their own and simply play whatever is cast, so parental control has to happen on the phone or laptop doing the casting.