Screen time limits · Windows
FamilyTimeGuard — screen time limits for children on Windows
“I know time's up, but I'm in the middle of a round!”
For years, that sentence started another round of bargaining in our house (“we had a deal!”) and ended in an argument and me pulling the plug. Now a short spoken message plays in the background. It does not interrupt the game or ask for a click. In our house, the computer shuts itself down when time is up. My children get up without a word of protest.
Install it on the computer your child uses. Set the limits in the parent panel, either on that computer or from your own computer over your home network.
No sign-up, no cloud, no subscription. The program sends no information about your child over the internet.
What changed?
One rule, two outcomes
“One more minute, I'm in a match!”
Bargaining every day. Shouting and blame. The parent cast as the one who takes the fun away.
Child: “I HAVE to finish this match or I'll get banned!”
Parent: “That's not what we agreed.”
One angry press of the power button ruins the evening.
“OK, I haven't got time for another match anyway.”
A spoken warning plays with ten minutes, five minutes and one minute left. Then the computer does what was agreed in advance.
The rules do not change with anyone's mood or get renegotiated in the middle of a game.
You cannot argue with a machine. It keeps track of time, not the parent.
Why it works?
Because there is nobody to argue with
The parent stops being the enemy
Time is up because of a rule set earlier, not a decision a tired parent makes on the spot. The computer follows that rule. It does not argue or give in to protests.
The voice does not interrupt the game
A short spoken message plays in the background. It does not cover the game or ask for a click. The warning gives your child time to get ready to stop and wind down.
Talk at the right time
There is no “ask for more time” button. You set the limits beforehand, after a calm conversation. Knowing when play will end makes it easier to stop without a battle over extra minutes.
How it works
Three parts, one firm rule
You set the rules in advance. When time runs out, the program carries out the action you chose.
The program starts with the computer
Install it on your child's computer from an administrator account. During installation, choose which children's Windows accounts to limit. Each has its own counter. Restarting or using safe mode does not stop supervision.
The counter measures time and warns out loud
It tracks time spent using your child's account. A short voice prompt plays when ten, five, and one minute remain, and again when time is up. There is nothing to click, and you can choose the voice. When time runs out, the program signs your child out, shuts down the computer or closes selected programs, depending on your settings.
You set the rules in the parent panel
Open the panel on your child's computer or connect from your own computer over your home network. Set a limit for each day, the hours when the computer can be used, and what happens when time runs out. You can also adjust a single day's limit, for example by adding 30 minutes today. Changing the rules requires parent access.
Allowed hours
Not only how much, but when
You decide how long your child can use the computer and at what times. For example, from 1 p.m. on school days and 8 a.m. at weekends. Your child can only use their daily allowance during those hours.
- An example week of allowed hours: Mon, 13:00–19:00, allowed.
- An example week of allowed hours: Tue, 13:00–19:00, allowed.
- An example week of allowed hours: Wed, 13:00–19:00, allowed.
- An example week of allowed hours: Thu, 13:00–19:00, allowed.
- An example week of allowed hours: Fri, 13:00–20:00, allowed.
- An example week of allowed hours: Sat, 8:00–20:00, allowed.
- An example week of allowed hours: Sun, 8:00–19:00, allowed.
Limitations
What this program does not do
A tool that promises too much will disappoint you. I would rather explain the limits here than let you discover them after installing it.
- It does not filter content. No site blocking, no record of which games your child plays, no reading messages. It watches the clock and nothing else.
- It does not run on phones or tablets. It requires a PC running 64-bit Windows 10 or 11.
- The computer needs to be set up first. Your child must not have access to an administrator account. Another operating system started on the same computer is outside the program's control. The computer setup guide explains how to create separate accounts and protect access to settings.
- It does not take screenshots or keep browsing history. Not even on your child's computer. It records time used and keeps a log of its own operation.
- It won't replace a conversation.It ended our daily arguments about time on the computer, but it doesn't raise my child for me. It worked for us. I cannot promise the same for your family.
Privacy
Nothing leaves your home
The program does not connect to the internet or send information about your child over it. Records of time used stay on the computer your child uses. You can also view them from your own computer through the parent panel on your home network.
This website has no analytics, cookies or third-party scripts.
What does it cost?
Nothing. Ever.
There is no paid edition, no feature that costs extra, and no limit on the number of children or computers. I do not plan to add any of those.
The program runs on your child's computer. It needs no sign-up or internet connection, so you can keep using it even when this website is unavailable.
If you want to say thank you
I wrote this for my children, and it remains free. I want to digitally sign the installer so Windows can identify its publisher. That is my only recurring cost: starting at around US$120 a year, paid out of my own pocket.
If this program has helped you and you want to support my work, you can chip in. If you would rather not, or cannot, keep using it for free.
Support FamilyTimeGuard with Stripe
Questions
Questions before installation
Won't a clever child just kill it in Task Manager?
No. The program enforcing the limit runs with system privileges. A child using a standard Windows account cannot stop or delete it. They can only close the small program that shows an icon next to the clock and plays spoken warnings. It restarts shortly afterwards, while the counter keeps running throughout. This depends on your child having no access to an administrator account. The computer setup guide explains how to set this up.
What if they change the Windows clock?
A standard account cannot change the clock, only the time zone. In any case, moving the clock back or changing the time zone does not help. Time used is counted independently of the clock settings. Moving the date forward is recorded in the log.
What about safe mode?
The service starts in safe mode too, before anyone signs in, and counts time just as it does in normal mode.
What happens if the computer loses its internet connection?
Nothing. The program never uses it. It keeps counting just the same.
Do I have to install anything on my phone?
There is no phone app and I do not plan one. The parent's panel is a Windows program. If you have several computers to supervise at home, the panel can manage them over your home network from your computer.
Why can't the child ask for more time in the program?
Because that is the one thing that made all of this work in my house. Any “ask for fifteen minutes” button brings the bargaining back every day. You grant extra time yourself, in the panel, after a calm conversation—not under pressure in the middle of a round.
Why does Windows warn that this file is suspicious?
Windows checks a downloaded file's digital signature and reputation. A signature identifies the publisher, but does not guarantee there will be no warnings. I will make the official installer available once it is signed.
About the author
I am a programmer and a father of four. I wrote this program for my two younger sons because the existing options did not enforce time limits the way we needed. I also wanted to avoid subscriptions and sending my children's data to outside servers.
The first version dates from 2024. The rule was the same from the start: the parent sets the limit beforehand, and the program enforces it without negotiations during play. That worked for us through two years of daily use at home. I rewrote the current version from scratch, but kept that rule.
Contact
Write to the author
Questions, bug reports and ideas for changes:contact@familytimeguard.com.
Report security vulnerabilities privately:security@familytimeguard.com.
Download and installation
Install FamilyTimeGuard
Download the installer. The instructions show you step by step how to install the program, set up the parent and child accounts in Windows, choose the limits and check that everything works.