How to Restrict Web Browser Access on PS4 and PS5

To restrict web browser access on PS4 and PS5, change the web-browsing parental control on the child’s PlayStation account. On PS4, set Use of Internet Browser to Not Allowed. On PS5, open the child’s controls and set Web Browsing to Restrict. These controls apply to the selected child account; they do not turn off the console’s internet connection for games and other permitted services.

The PS5 control is easy to miss if you follow older instructions that point to communication settings. Sony lists Web Browsing as its own parental-control setting on both generations. Communication and user-generated content is a separate control for messaging and player-created content.

At a glance: PS4 and PS5 browser restrictions

Menu wording can vary slightly with system language or software version. If you do not see the setting, confirm that you selected a child family member and are signed in as the family manager or an appointed parent or guardian.

Before you start

PlayStation browser limits are configured for child family members. If your child does not yet have a child account in your family, set up the family first. A child should use their own account rather than a shared adult profile; adult accounts do not receive that child’s restrictions.

• Sign in to the family manager account, or an adult account appointed as a parent or guardian.
• Make sure the child account is added to the family, verified, and used to sign in on the console.
• Decide whether you only want to restrict browsing. Game connectivity, communication, spending, playtime, and access to linked services are controlled separately.

How to block the internet browser on PS4

1. Sign in as the family manager, then open Settings > Parental Controls/Family Management > Family Management. Re-enter the account password if the console asks.
2. Select the child account you want to manage, then open Parental Controls.
3. Scroll to Use of Internet Browser and select it.
4. Choose Not Allowed. Return to the child’s profile and check that the restriction is saved.

This is the PS4 setting specifically meant to stop that family member from using the console’s Internet Browser. If several children use the same PS4, review each child account individually. A rule set for one account does not automatically make every other profile a child account.

How to restrict web browsing on PS5

1. Sign in as the family manager or parent/guardian and go to Settings > Family and Parental Controls > Family Management.
2. Select the child family member whose access you want to change.
3. Open Web Browsing in that child’s parental controls.
4. Set the control to Restrict, then return to Family Management to confirm the selected child and setting.

Do not substitute Communication and User-Generated Content for this option. That control handles communication and player-created content; the browser restriction is separately labeled Web Browsing. Sony also notes that account parental-control settings carry across PS4 and PS5, so review the same child account if the family uses both consoles.

Change the setting from a phone or web browser

You can also manage child controls remotely. In the PlayStation Family app, select the child at the top of the home screen, tap the settings icon beside the child’s name, then choose Parental Controls. Under content restrictions, open Web Browsing and apply the restriction. The available controls can vary by region and app version.

For web account management, sign in to PlayStation Account Management, open Family Management, select the child, and choose Edit beside parental controls. Select the web-browsing setting there if it is available. Sony’s current instructions also list PS4 and PS5 console paths, so use the console menu if the app or website presents different labels.

Keep the restriction from being bypassed

A browser rule only works for the account it is attached to. Strengthen the setup so a child cannot simply switch to a less restricted profile:

• Set a console restriction passcode. On PS4, open Settings > Parental Controls/Family Management > PS4 System Restrictions and change the passcode. On PS5, open Settings > Family and Parental Controls > PS5 Console Restrictions and change the console restriction passcode. Sony says the default is 0000 if it has never been changed, so replace it with a private code.
• Protect the adult profile with a login passcode. On PS4, use Settings > Login Settings > Login Passcode Management. On PS5, use Settings > Users and Accounts > Login Settings > Set a PS5 Login Passcode. The login passcode and console restriction passcode serve different purposes.
• Disable guest login and new user creation. PS4: Settings > Parental Controls/Family Management > PS4 System Restrictions > New User Creation and Guest Login > Not Allowed. PS5: Settings > Family and Parental Controls > PS5 Console Restrictions > User Creation and Guest Login > Not Allowed.

Keep the passcodes somewhere secure. Sony warns that forgetting a console restriction passcode can require resetting or initializing the console, depending on the model. Do not rely on an easy-to-guess code or share it with the child whose settings you are managing.

Check the result and fix common problems

• The browser still opens: Check that you selected the child’s account, not an adult or guest profile, and confirm the setting says Not Allowed on PS4 or Restrict on PS5.
• The change has not taken effect: Sony advises having the child sign out and back in if parental controls are changed while they are playing. Then review the setting again under Family Management.
• You cannot find the browser option: Verify that you are signed in as the family manager or a parent/guardian and that the selected account is a child family member. On PS4, look under Use of Internet Browser; on PS5, look for Web Browsing.
• Games still connect online: That is expected. A web-browsing restriction is not a system-wide internet block. Use the separate controls for communication, linked services, games, or playtime if you need to manage those activities too.

Official PlayStation references

• PlayStation parental controls for PS5 and PS4
• How to prevent a child from changing parental controls
• PlayStation Family app guide
• PlayStation’s PS4 guide to restricting the Internet Browser