Set up BBC iPlayer and ITVX parental controls on shared devices

For a shared household, the key decision is which access boundary you need on each screen. On ITVX, a kids profile gives children a separate homepage and Continue Watching list; a PIN protects access to the main profile and content labelled G. In BBC iPlayer, the guidance lock restricts programmes carrying Guidance labels, while the mobile Profile switching lock requires a PIN to move from a child profile to an adult one. Those controls work on different surfaces, so make a short list of the TVs, mobile apps and browsers children actually use before you configure anything.

Then match each surface to its control. ITVX profiles are available on a defined device list, and a browser can use an existing profile but cannot create or manage one. BBC TV-app controls apply only to the device where you set them; the web PG Lock applies only to one browser on one device. This means a living-room setting will not automatically cover a tablet or computer. For a neutral introduction to watching television over an internet connection, see this overview of internet television.

Choose what to protect on each shared screen

Start with the child’s viewing experience you want. If you want a separate ITVX space, use the kids profile: it has a child-oriented homepage and a separate Continue Watching list containing children’s programmes rather than the main profile’s programmes. If children also need to be kept out of the main profile, enable its Parental Controls PIN. ITVX says that PIN protects the main profile and all content it labels G. Some children’s programmes can carry Guidance labels for other reasons, including flashing images, so the PIN is not a general age filter. ITVX profiles and PIN coverage [help.itv.com]

BBC Guidance labels identify age-inappropriate content or other warnings, such as flashing images. The BBC guidance lock restricts programmes carrying those labels. On mobile and tablet, Profile switching lock addresses a separate boundary: switching from a child profile to an adult profile requires the PIN. You can choose the guidance-content lock, the profile-switching lock, or both. Decide by asking whether the concern is labelled programmes, access to an adult profile, or both. BBC Guidance labels [bbc.co.uk] BBC profile switching lock [bbc.co.uk]

Do not assume that choosing a child profile replaces a content lock. ITVX’s kids profile separates its homepage and viewing list; its PIN protects main-profile access and G-labelled content. BBC iPlayer’s children’s account presents a homepage with programmes and images suitable for the child using it, while the guidance lock and profile-switching lock address labelled programmes and movement between profiles. Choose the child-facing homepage where it fits, then decide separately whether a lock is needed. BBC children’s account experience [bbc.co.uk]

For ITVX, profiles are listed on Sky Q/Glass, Fire TV, Samsung, Freeview Play, Roku, NOW, browsers, iOS phones and tablets running version 14 and above, and Android phones and tablets running OS 7 and above. A PIN created on one of ITVX’s listed profile-supporting devices works on the other listed devices. Check the exact platform and, for mobile devices, the operating-system version before relying on a profile there. ITVX profile device list [help.itv.com]

Shared-device example: the living room and the tablet

Imagine children watch ITVX and BBC iPlayer on a shared living-room television, then use a tablet. First identify the ITVX platform on the television and check it against the profile device list. If it is listed, create the kids profile in a supported app and decide whether main-profile access also needs a PIN. For the tablet, check its system version against the listed iOS 14-and-above or Android OS 7-and-above requirements.

Next identify how the children use BBC iPlayer on each device. Set the TV-app controls on the living-room television. On the tablet, use the mobile-app choices if they watch in the app; use PG Lock if they watch in a browser. This produces a concrete setup list: one ITVX profile decision for each relevant ITVX device, a BBC TV setting for the TV app, and the applicable mobile or web setting for the tablet. The BBC settings have their own device or browser scope, so do not count one as coverage for another.

Create the ITVX profile and set its PIN

ITVX offers one main profile and one kids profile per account on selected devices. Profile creation and profile management need a supported app. If ITVX first offers profiles, choose Create profile; otherwise choose the profile icon, then + Kids profile. Name the profile. PIN protection is optional at creation, so you can set up the kids profile first and add the main-profile PIN later. A browser can use an existing profile but cannot create one. Create an ITVX kids profile [help.itv.com]

Before creating the kids profile, consider whether you have an older ITVX PIN that was used only to restrict G-rated content. That older PIN no longer works on the listed profile devices. Set a new PIN when creating a kids profile; do not rely on the older PIN for the current profile controls. This is a useful point to resolve before the children start using the new profile, because the older PIN does not provide the listed-device protection you are setting up. ITVX device and PIN guidance [help.itv.com]

To add the PIN, open the ITVX sidebar profile icon, choose Who’s watching, then Edit profiles. Select the main profile, turn Parental Controls ON and create a PIN. The PIN protects main-profile access and all G-rated content. It works on the other listed profile-supporting devices too, so you do not need to create a separate ITVX profile PIN for each of those devices. Manage ITVX profiles and PIN controls [help.itv.com]

For later profile changes, use the profile icon, Who’s watching, then Edit profiles on a device that supports profile management. ITVX browsers cannot manage profiles. The management options include renaming or deleting the kids profile and managing the main-profile PIN controls. Before confirming Delete profile, consider the consequence: deleting the kids profile permanently removes its Continue Watching list. Delete only when that loss is intended; profile deletion is not a way to reset a forgotten PIN. ITVX profile management options [help.itv.com]

Configure BBC iPlayer on the app or browser children use

In the BBC iPlayer TV app, open Settings, Parental controls, then Parental Controls. Create a PIN or password, choose OK and confirm. The control applies to that TV device and is not linked to the BBC account, mobile or tablet app, or website. Repeat the setup on each TV app device children use. Set up BBC iPlayer TV parental controls [bbc.co.uk]

On a Sky Q box, first identify the service the child is watching. The BBC iPlayer app on Sky Q uses the BBC iPlayer TV-app instructions. Sky’s own on-demand catch-up service uses Sky’s parental controls; for a problem with that lock, contact Sky support. YouView has its own parental controls across its services, including BBC iPlayer; contact YouView support if you have an issue with those controls. These distinctions tell you which provider’s setting to configure and who to contact if that particular lock causes trouble. BBC iPlayer controls on TV platforms [bbc.co.uk]

On a phone or tablet, begin in an adult profile. In iPlayer Settings, open Parental Controls, then Enable parental controls. Create a four-digit PIN and a secret question and answer, then choose Activate. On the next screen, choose the guidance-content lock, Profile switching lock, or both. The former restricts Guidance-labelled programmes; the latter requires the PIN when switching from a child profile to an adult profile. Either lock can be used independently. Set up BBC iPlayer mobile controls [bbc.co.uk] BBC iPlayer profile switching lock [bbc.co.uk]

If children watch downloaded programmes in the iPlayer mobile app, its guidance lock also applies to downloads, and the app shows guidance information for programmes. Use the mobile lock for that app activity; the TV-app and website controls are separate settings. BBC mobile controls and downloads [bbc.co.uk]

For iPlayer in a web browser, cookies need to be enabled so the website can remember parental settings. Choose Turn On PG Lock when prompted by a Guidance-labelled programme, or set up the lock from the Parental Controls page. PG Lock affects only that browser on that device. Set it up separately in each browser and on each device children use for iPlayer on the web. Set up the BBC iPlayer website PG Lock [bbc.co.uk] BBC website lock scope [bbc.co.uk]

Use the recovery route for the PIN you forgot

Before resetting anything, identify whether the prompt is from ITVX, the BBC TV app, the BBC mobile or tablet app, or the BBC website. Their recovery routes differ. For BBC mobile or tablet, try the secret-answer route first; clear app data or reinstall only if both the PIN and the secret answer are lost. If downloads matter, pause before that reset because those steps delete in-app downloads.

At an ITVX PIN prompt, choose Forgot your PIN?, enter the account password and set a replacement PIN. If you have forgotten the account password as well, follow ITV’s password-reset link. This is the documented PIN replacement route; deleting the kids profile is unnecessary for this step and would permanently remove its Continue Watching list. Recover an ITVX PIN [help.itv.com]

For a forgotten BBC iPlayer mobile PIN, open Settings, Parental Controls, choose Forgot PIN?, answer the secret question, make the changes you need and choose Save. If both the PIN and secret answer are forgotten, Android or Amazon Fire mobile and tablet users can open Settings, Apps, BBC iPlayer, Storage, then Clear Data or Clear Storage. This resets the controls and deletes downloads. On iOS, remove and reinstall iPlayer to reset the controls; this also deletes downloaded programmes. Use those steps only after deciding that losing all in-app downloads is acceptable. BBC mobile PIN recovery [bbc.co.uk]

For a forgotten BBC iPlayer TV-app PIN or password, open Settings, Parental Controls. With the lock on, press Right four times, then Up four times. The lock clears, so set parental controls up again on that device. This remote-button recovery is for the TV app. BBC TV-app PIN recovery [bbc.co.uk]

For a forgotten BBC iPlayer website PIN, clear the browser history. If you know the PIN but want to change it, delete the browser cookies and set up a new lock from the Parental Controls page. Keep cookies enabled for the website to remember the new settings. These are browser steps, not the mobile or TV-app recovery route. BBC website PIN recovery [bbc.co.uk]

Frequently asked questions

How can I switch off ITVX Parental Controls?

On a device that supports profile management, open the ITVX sidebar profile icon, choose Who’s watching, then Edit profiles. Select the main profile, enter the PIN, turn Parental Controls OFF and select Done.

Can I rename an ITVX kids profile in a browser?

No. ITVX browsers can use existing profiles but cannot manage them. On a device that supports profile management, open the profile icon, choose Who’s watching, then Edit profiles and use the rename option for the kids profile.

Can I delete the ITVX main profile?

No. The main profile cannot be deleted. You can delete the kids profile in Edit profiles, but doing so permanently removes its Continue Watching list.

Does the ITVX PIN stop every programme with a Guidance label?

The PIN protects the main profile and content ITVX labels G. Some children’s programmes have Guidance labels for other reasons, such as flashing images, so the PIN is not a general filter for every Guidance label.

What happens if I delete the ITVX kids profile?

Its Continue Watching list is permanently removed. Confirm Delete profile only when you intend to lose that list.