How to Lock Down the Nintendo eShop on Switch or Switch 2 for Kids

Introduction

We recently got all of our team members a Switch 2 as a thank-you for another great year at NimblePros. We have the most amazing team! We plan on using the game consoles for some team-building sessions, and of course everyone is free to use their devices however they want beyond that.

Many of our teammates have small children in the house, and although most Nintendo games like Mario Kart World are quite kid-friendly, some parents may be surprised by some of the content that’s available by default in the store. For example, here are some (potentially NSFW) “puzzle” games.

Here’s a quick overview of how to lock down a Switch or Switch 2 so that there are no unwanted surprises when younger family members are using the device. We’ll walk through how to keep adult-rated (nudity, violence, etc.) games out of sight in the Nintendo eShop and ensuring kids can’t bypass restrictions.

1. Use Nintendo’s Parental Controls App (Required for eShop Filtering)

The Nintendo Switch Parental Controls mobile app (iOS/Android) is the key to filtering eShop content. While the console itself offers some options, the app gives the most complete set of controls—including blocking adult content.

Steps

1. Install the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app on your phone.
   • Nintendo Switch Parental Controls App on Android
   • Nintendo Switch Parental Controls App on iOS
2. Sign in with your parent/guardian Nintendo Account.
3. Pair the app with the console by following the on-screen steps.
4. In the app, navigate to the device you want to manage and go to Parental Controls.
5. Open Restricted Features.
6. Change the Restriction Level to Preteen (or whatever you prefer). Higher-age-rated titles will be blocked in the store.
7. Don’t forget to Save!
8. You’ll also want to set a PIN - see below.

Once these restrictions are active, the eShop will automatically hide any content above the allowed rating across the entire device. It doesn’t matter which profile a user chooses, they won’t be able to work around the restriction unless they can disable parental controls (see below).

NOTE: These restrictions only filter results shown in the eShop. They do not impact which installed games a profile can play!

2. Are Nintendo eShop Content Restrictions Per Device or Per User or Profile?

Nintendo handles restrictions like this:

Nintendo eShop Content Visibility

Restricted per device.

After parental controls are enabled, the whole Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 console is restricted. Kids cannot bypass this by switching to another user profile.

Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 Gameplay Restrictions

These can be applied per user or device-wide depending on how you configure the parental control level, but this does not affect how content is filtered within the eShop.

For the purpose of blocking adult games in the eShop, the device-wide model is exactly what you want.

3. Prevent Kids From Logging Into an Adult Account

Even though eShop filtering is device-wide, you should still secure your adult profile so kids can’t:

• Launch adult-rated games you already purchased
• Change settings
• Remove parental controls
• Access your Nintendo Account

Recommended protections

A. Set a strong Parental Controls PIN

In the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls mobile app:

• Choose a 4–8 digit PIN when setting up parental controls
• This PIN will be required on the Switch console itself to:
  • Change parental control settings
  • Launch restricted content
  • Access the eShop settings

B. Lock down the adult Nintendo Account

On the Nintendo Switch console (not the mobile app):

• Go to System Settings → Users → [Your Adult Profile]
• Ensure your Nintendo Account has a strong password (set this online at account.nintendo.com)
• Under User Settings, disable Skip Password Entry to prevent auto-sign-in
• Optionally: hide or remove the adult profile from the home screen and create a dedicated “parent-only” profile used only when needed

C. Create individual profiles for kids

This avoids mixing save data and prevents accidental switching to the adult profile.

4. Bonus: Lock Purchases Completely

On your Nintendo Account website (my.nintendo.com):

1. Sign in on a computer or phone browser at my.nintendo.com
2. Go to Shop Menu → Nintendo eShop Restrictions
3. Set one of the following:
   • Require a PIN for purchases, or
   • Disable purchases for all child accounts

This eliminates accidental purchases, even if a product page is somehow accessed.

References

• Nintendo Support: Parental Controls Overview
• Nintendo Support: Setting Parental Controls on Nintendo Switch
• Nintendo Support: About the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls App
• Nintendo Support: How to Use Parental Controls Restriction Levels
• Nintendo Support: Nintendo Account Family Group & Child Account Settings
• Nintendo Support: Restricting Nintendo eShop Purchases
• Nintendo Support: How to Manage User Settings on Nintendo Switch
• Nintendo Account: My Nintendo Account Settings