Your server owner installs KidsWatch first. You use your own Jellyfin identity; KidsWatch creates a separate local account for your child.
KIDSWATCHEXAMPLE FAMILY
R
Rowan
Kids level · Fictional child
TodaySchool day
47 minof 120 min
73 min left · Ends 8:00 PM
WatchingSesame Street · Example TV
Try Pause or add time. This example does not control a player.
Try bedtime & see activity
Fictional time: 8:00 PM. A later bedtime changes watch hours, not daily minutes.
Example activity
47 minutes watched todayFictional playback history
Interactive preview · Fictional family and activity. Companion controls only. No client has a guaranteed cutoff; this demo verifies no stop.
Start here, together
Your account for you. Their account for them.
No child email address. No outside signup. Just a local child user on your family’s Jellyfin server.
First, the grown-ups
Ask your server owner
The person who runs Jellyfin prepares KidsWatch and sends you a private parent invitation.
Sign in as yourself
Use your existing Jellyfin identity, with Quick Connect or the available password fallback. Your server owner approves your parent access. An invitation alone is not approval.
Wait for access if needed
You may see “Waiting for owner approval.” If you do not have a Jellyfin adult account, ask the owner to create one first.
Then, your child
Add a child
Choose a nickname, content level, and limits. KidsWatch creates a local Jellyfin user and checks its restrictions.
Check the status
With trusted parents enabled, a verified child can activate automatically. Otherwise, the child stays disabled until the owner approves.
Help sign in the TV
Choose the verified child in KidsWatch. Start Quick Connect on their Jellyfin device and confirm “Sign this device in as [child].” If unavailable, use parent-assisted child login.
01 / Their library
You know your child. You choose the titles.
Age levels and picked titles help organize the library your child browses. They are not a safety lock: a known direct video link could still fetch a blocked title in our Jellyfin 12.3 lab.
Little kids: G movies and preschool shows
Kids: G and PG movies, shows up to TV-PG
Teens: movies up to PG-13, shows up to TV-14
R, NC-17, TV-MA, unknown, and unrated are excluded from the selection rules
Choosing a series applies to the whole series, including new episodes. Episode ratings still apply; this preview does not offer episode exceptions.
Rowan’s titlesTry it
Tap a tile to allow, block, or return to its age rule.
Kids level: 4 of 6 example titles available.
Selection rules stop at PG-13 movies and TV-14 shows. R, NC-17, TV-MA, unknown, and unrated titles are excluded. Filtering a library is not secure playback blocking.
Real title names and US ratings are examples only. Covers are original geometric designs, not official artwork. Series choices cover the whole series; episode ratings still matter. KidsWatch is not affiliated with these titles’ owners. These selections illustrate browsing rules, not secure playback blocking.
02 / Their routine
Make the rule. Leave room for life.
Daily minutes set the budget. Watch hours set when it can be used. Extra minutes do not extend bedtime; a later bedtime does not add minutes.
Usage depends on reports from the player. If the server is offline or contact is lost, the owner needs to check it.
A week that fits your familyExample
Tue · Today
3:00 PM to 8:00 PM
120 min
Wednesday
3:00 PM to 8:00 PM
120 min
Thursday
3:00 PM to 8:00 PM
120 min
Friday
3:00 PM to 8:00 PM
120 min
Saturday
8:00 AM to 8:30 PM
180 min
Sunday
8:00 AM to 8:30 PM
180 min
Monday
3:00 PM to 8:00 PM
120 min
School year: 120 min on school days, 180 min on weekends.
Fictional Tuesday-starting week · Example timezone: America/Denver. Watch hours and daily minutes are separate limits. Your server and KidsWatch need the same household timezone.
03 / Their activity
A clear picture. No guesswork dressed up as certainty.
Explore the fictional week to see how watch time, parent changes, and stop requests can appear together.
A stop request means the app asked the player to stop. KidsWatch must show an unconfirmed result honestly when it cannot verify playback.
A little context, at a glanceExample data
Today: 47 of 120 minutes. Sesame Street on the example TV.
Sunday · Outside watch hoursStop requested. Playback outcome not confirmed.
Fictional playback and parent changes, not product measurements. Select a day to explore.
On their screen
Their Jellyfin app. With a few important limits.
Their own local user. Sign their device in as the verified child, not as you or the server administrator.
A filtered library, not a safety lock. In our Jellyfin 12.3 lab, a child could still fetch video from a blocked title using a known direct video link. A title missing from the library is not securely blocked.
Playback can still continue or start. Turning playback off on the server did not block playback setup or direct streaming in the lab. Buffered video may also keep playing. This known server gap applies regardless of the client; it is not just an unsupported-device risk.
A shared TV needs care. Remove saved adult logins that a child could switch to. Previously downloaded files are not recalled by a new rule.
Companion controls, not guaranteed protection. “Watch time ended. We asked the player to stop” means a request was sent, not that viewing ended. Native controls are best effort: there is no secure title blocking or guaranteed cutoff for any client. No client is certified by this preview. Ask your owner about these known limits before family use.
Ask them to review this preview and the planned setup steps. They keep the integration key and manage installation; you handle the everyday family rules.