JANUARY 2021 PCWorld 15Microsoft’s Pause Screen Time
feature cuts your kids’ access to
Xbox and Windows
Chores not done? Microsoft said a new ability for parents to pause screen time for Xbox
and Windows has been the most requested feature. BY MARK HACHMANT
ake it from this parent—there are
times when you just want your kids
to pause their gaming, put down
their controllers, and do something
else. A new Pause Screen Time feature in the
Xbox Family Settings app for Windows and
Xbox allows you to do just that.
Pause Screen Time allows a parent to say,
“That’s enough!” and revoke accessinstantaneously. The new feature is part of the
Xbox Family Settings app (go.pcworld.com/
xbfm) for Android and iOS—essentially an
app-based version of the Family Settings
management tool that’s already baked into
Windows (go.pcworld.com/fstl).
The new feature adds a Pause Now button
to the app, which tracks the amount of time
your child has been accessing Windows andIMAGE: MICROSOFT