A Look at Disney+’s New Parental Controls and Ratings

On Wednesday, March 16, 2022, Disney+ subscribers in the United States have a new setting on their subscription. There are now parental controls and this is being done to keep Disney+ sustainable for audiences of all ages and to keep parents in control of what their children watch.

Disney+

Disney+

While Disney+ was very family friendly when it was first launched there will now be more adult content added to the streaming platform. These include Marvel live action series added to Disney+ for mature audiences such as:

  • “Daredevil”
  • “Jessica Jones”
  • “Luke Cage”
  • “Iron Fist”
  • “The Defenders”
  • “The Punisher”
  • “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”

As a result, starting today, Disney+ users in the United States will be prompted to adjust their settings. When subscribers visit Disney+ for the first time since the update, they’ll be asked whether they’d like to make changes to their profile.

Those we do want to make changes will need to confirm their password before proceeding. Alternatively, users can hit “Not now” and proceed with the standard (non-mature) settings. However, changes can be made later on by editing your profile. Also of note, while subscribers may expect to find these options under Account Settings, a note on that page advises that users will need to head to “Edit Profiles” instead.

How To Change Your Parental Control Settings:

  • Open Disney+.
  • Select your profile icon and choose “edit profile.”
  • Choose the profile you wish to edit.
  • Under “parental controls” select the “content rating” option.
  • Enter your account password.
  • Choose the content rating you'd like to have set.
  • Hit save.

Other Details:

  • Subscribers can make multiple changes including adding a new PIN to their account to make it harder for children to access a different profile and find mature content.
  • TV-MA is different from R, with the former being the highest rating option.
  • If your profile settings are below TV-MA, content rated above your setting will not even be displayed.
  • Families can keep their previous setting by hitting “not now” when promoted with the new screen.
  • Each profile on Disney+ will have its own parental control settings.
  • Every time these settings are changed you will receive an email.

Michael Paull, President of Disney streaming shared to the press in early March: “Disney+ has served as the home for some of the most beloved brands in the industry, and the addition of these live-action shows brings more from the Marvel brand together, all in one place. We have experienced great success with an expanded content offering on Disney+ across our global markets and are excited to continue that here in the U.S. as well by offering our consumers not only great content with the new Marvel additions, but also a set of features that help ensure a viewing experience most suitable for them and their family."

Sign up for Disney+ or the Disney Streaming Bundle (Disney+, ESPN+, and ad-supported Hulu) now

Tricia Kennedy
As a huge Disney fan Tricia enjoys having Walt Disney World basically in her backyard. When she's not at the theme parks she is either playing drums or with her dog Yoda. She is a lifelong Star Wars fan and has ridden Star Tours over 270 times.