Configure Kodi So That Minors Can Use It Safely

Keep in mind that from Kodi we can play all kinds of video content. And that’s not to mention the international television channels that we can view from the software itself. And it is that when we use Kodi we enter a platform that offers us almost infinite content. As you can imagine, these can be of the most diverse nature, including those for adults.

This can sometimes become a problem, especially if our PC is used by the little ones in the house. This is because some of the complements or add-ons that we can install can give access to content for the elderly . All this that we comment on can make it difficult for parents to protect their children when using this program. However, we always have the possibility of correctly configuring the software we are talking about, and choosing suitable accessories for its installation.

This is precisely what we want to talk about in these lines so that minors can use the program in complete safety. For all this we are going to talk about a series of configurations and parameters that Kodi proposes to us and thus make it more secure against certain content.

Set up parental controls on Kodi

Thus, the first thing we are going to do is make use of a useful functionality that the program offers us for these tasks that we are commenting on. It is something that we can use in a multitude of applications, including the Windows 10 operating system. Specifically, we mean that Kodi comes with a basic parental control function that includes a content blocking feature.

This option, although somewhat hidden, allows us to control which parts of the Kodi software can be freely accessed. It also allows us to configure the program so that when trying to access other sections of it, a master password is required. All we have to do here is choose a lock code and specify select the items we want to restrict access to. As you can imagine this, what allows us is to limit the entry to certain sections of the software those that do not have the password.

To activate this section we will tell you, the first thing we do is open Kodi. Next we go to its main menu through the gear-shaped icon that we see in the upper left part of the main interface.

Once in the new window that appears on the screen, we click on the button that says Interface and click on the small gear at the bottom until it says Expert. So in the left panel we already find an option called Master lock , which is what interests us in this case.

Now we will have the possibility, from the first of the options available here, to establish an access code . We can achieve this by simply clicking on Code and configuration of the master lock. At that moment a new window will open in which we can select the type of password that we are going to use in Kodi. We just have to write a password and re-enter it to verify the code that we have included.

At the same time and from this same window, we can select the functions that we want to block. Here we find elements of the application such as the music, videos, or programs window. We will also have the possibility of restricting access to the settings window, the add-ons manager, or even the file explorer.

To finish with all this configuration process, we only have to save the changes and return to the main menu . From now on, every time we try to access an item that we have blocked, Kodi will ask us for the password before granting access.

Prevent access to unwanted add-ons

It is worth mentioning that most of the Kodi add-ons are included in a number of repositories. These double as huge collections of files that make plugins easier to find and install. We can obtain d plugins independently or through the aforementioned repositories.

To give us an idea, the program itself offers us a repository that is made available to us when we install the application. In it we find a series of accessories that can be useful in a multitude of uses and behaviors. As you can imagine, all of these are completely legal and reliable. But at the same time users can install third-party add-ons that call all kinds of content, including those that we do not want for the little ones in the house.

We tell you all this because we have the ability to limit access and installation for those unwanted add-ons. We achieve this by simply activating a function that is already integrated into the software we are talking about. To do this, we run the multimedia center again, and again we access its configuration window as we saw before. In the new screen that appears, click on the System section.

In the left panel we see that there is a section called Add-ons, where we are located. It will be then that on the right we will see a Kodi function that says Unknown origins.

Now we will no longer have to deactivate the selector next to the option if it is activated. As we mentioned before, this will not allow potentially malicious add-ons to be installed because they lead to unwanted sources. At the same time, we can always use the add-ons that the multimedia center itself makes available to us to install the ones we need.

Create new profiles with controls and lock

Another decision that we can make in this multimedia center is to create profiles for those users that we want to control. In this case, they will help us to manage access to certain content that the smallest of the house will have, for example. And we must know that Kodi allows us to create several users in addition to the administrator, which is the main one.

At the same time for those secondary users, we can establish a series of password locks as we saw before. Moreover, for each of them we can establish a series of rules and blocks . For this that we comment you again we have to go to the cogwheel of the main interface of the program to access its configuration.

In the case that concerns us now, we will have to click on the profiles section, so in the window that appears we will be able to create new ones next to the main one. In addition to assigning a name to each of the profiles that we create, we can specify a disk location for them and establish a content lock as we saw previously.

The difference in this case is that we can establish locks for certain types of content independently for each user profile.