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Connect your server
Use a dedicated owner-created admin integration key, stored in Vaultwarden and mounted as a protected runtime secret. It is privileged server access, so it stays on the backend.
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Choose libraries and test a player
Select the movie and TV libraries KidsWatch can manage. Review the known Jellyfin 12.3 bypass with parents: blocked titles still fetched video through known direct video links, and turning playback off did not block playback setup or direct streaming. Policy readback is not proof of secure blocking. Set the same household timezone on both services.
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Invite an existing adult identity
Choose an eligible local Jellyfin adult user and share a private, expiring parent invitation. They sign in and request access; you approve the family role. The link alone grants no access.
For the person behind the server
Your server.
A little less family admin.
Give parents the everyday controls while you keep the keys, libraries, and final say.
Jellyfin edition preview. The controls below use fictional data; no public build is available yet.
Interactive owner preview · Fictional
Your family, your server
Owner setup
Server connection
Example connected
Movie & TV libraries
Example checked
Player stop test
Still required
Rowan · New child request
Jamie’s parent access is already approved. Rowan’s restricted local user is waiting for child approval.
Waiting for owner
Trusted parents can activate future verified children. This pending request still needs approval.
The setup flow
Connect privately.
Invite deliberately.
KidsWatch runs beside Jellyfin. Parents use KidsWatch for rules; children watch in their own Jellyfin client.
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Choose the child approval policy
With trusted parents on, approved parents can activate future children after restrictions are verified. With trust off, a new child stays disabled until you approve. Changing trust does not approve old requests.
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Let parents make the rules
Parents add a child, set age and title choices, daily minutes, and watch hours. KidsWatch creates a local child user and checks restrictions before device setup.
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Keep readiness visible
Show the known server bypass separately from unavailable-server or unsupported-player warnings. Keep readiness at companion controls only: native policies and stop requests do not guarantee title security or a cutoff for any client.
An honest stopping point
A known playback gap, beyond the player.
Our isolated Jellyfin 12.3 lab found a server-side bypass. It is a known limit for every client, not just a risk on unsupported devices.
What the lab showed: Known direct video links still fetched video from blocked titles. Turning the user’s playback setting off also failed to block playback setup and direct streaming. Buffered video may continue. Native controls are a best-effort companion: no strict title security and no guaranteed cutoff for any client.
- Jellyfin Web 12.3.0: an isolated foreground H.264 direct-play test in Chromium 154 showed a visible message and a Stop that closed the player. This is one observed cooperative path; it does not close the known server bypass or guarantee a cutoff.
- Android TV: source support for stop and messages; both player engines and actual devices still need runtime tests.
- Swiftfin: source support for stop; do not promise a friendly message without testing the installed version.
- Roku: treat remote stop and messages as unsupported for this preview’s promise.
- Downloads, disconnected players, casting, and saved adult accounts can bypass the intended experience. Test and restrict those paths before family use.
The Web note is a recorded lab observation for that exact configuration. The other client notes are source expectations only. No client is certified for strict enforcement. Review recorded observations for the exact Web or device version before making a compatibility claim. Even a successful stop on a tested player would not close the known direct-link bypass. Shared TVs should not leave adult or admin accounts available for easy switching.
Planned setup · Preview
A careful start, in plain language.
The Jellyfin edition is a preview. There is no public download, release image, or installation script yet. These steps describe the planned setup, not an installer you can run today.
Back up and keep it separate
Before a future installation, back up Jellyfin and use separate KidsWatch storage. Begin with fictional children on a test server so you can check the behavior and undo changes.
Connect your server privately
The server owner will configure protected HTTPS access, choose libraries, and keep the privileged integration key on the backend. Parents will never need that key.
Choose the household settings
Match the household timezone, set the child approval policy, and verify owner notifications before inviting parents. Check each child's local user and restrictions before signing in a device.
Test the devices your family uses
Try title choices, watch hours, daily minutes, pause, reconnecting, and shared TVs. Record what actually happened on each device. An accepted stop request does not prove that viewing ended.
Companion controls, not a safety lock. Our Jellyfin 12.3 lab fetched blocked titles through known direct video links, even with playback turned off. Buffered video may continue. There is no secure title blocking or guaranteed cutoff for any client.
Keep a way back
Keep the matching backup and setup notes. Stop KidsWatch before restoring an earlier configuration, and review only the child users it created. Check device sign-in again after a restore.
Detailed installation instructions will accompany a reviewed release. This website does not connect to Jellyfin or change your server.
Good to know
Before you bring the family in
Does each child need an email address?
No. KidsWatch creates a restricted local Jellyfin user for each child. There is no external child signup or Plex share to accept.
Does a parent need the admin integration key?
No. Parents sign in with their existing Jellyfin identity, then need a KidsWatch family approval. The owner’s privileged key stays on the backend.
Is a public Jellyfin build available?
Not yet. The Jellyfin edition is a preview. This page illustrates the planned setup and controls; it does not offer a public build or download.
Does a successful health check mean limits work?
No. Our Jellyfin 12.3 lab saved the playback-off setting but still fetched direct video, including blocked titles. A connected server and saved policies do not prove secure title blocking or a cutoff. Test actual child playback, and describe the result as companion controls only.