iTunes: Using Parental Controls
Summary
iTunes has parental controls in iTunes Preferences that allow you to set content restrictions.
Products Affected
iTunes, iTunes 11 for Mac, iTunes 11 for Windows, iTunes Store
For example, you can restrict explicit content from displaying in the iTunes Store. You can also disable podcasts, radio content, the iTunes Store, and shared music so that these items don't appear on the left side of the iTunes window.
Setting Parental Controls
To set parental controls on your computer, follow these steps:
- In iTunes, open iTunes preferences. Mac users: From the iTunes menu, choose Preferences. Windows users: On the Edit menu, click Preferences.
- Click the Parental tab.
- Select the checkbox next to any item you wish to disable or restrict.
- To change a rating level of TV Shows, Movies, and Games choose a rating level from the pop-up menu.
- Click the lock icon to prevent users from making changes.
- Type your administrator password in the resulting dialog, then click OK (You'll need to know the administrator's account name and password).
- Click OK to close iTunes preferences and have your changes take effect.
If you want to make changes to your restrictions, open iTunes preferences, click the Parental tab, click the lock icon, and enter your administrator password in the resulting dialog to unlock the parental controls. You can then make any desired changes.
iTunes 11 Parental Controls

iTunes 10 Parental Controls

Additional Information
- For more information on explicit content and parental advisories on the iTunes Store, see About iTunes Store Parental Advisories.
- For information about preventing access to specific features on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, see: iOS: Understanding Restrictions (Parental Controls).
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