NOW Safety Settings

NOW brings subscription television, films and live channels to connected screens. Families can choose entertainment, cinema or sport according to their membership. Children may recognise favourite characters, while teenagers may follow a series or watch sport with friends and family. However, live channels and the wider catalogue can include adult material. NOW safety settings help parents make more deliberate viewing choices.

Explore these controls with your child, so they understand how a profile, a rating limit and a private PIN work together. Also agree when viewing fits around sleep, school and time away from screens. Settings can reduce access to unsuitable content and unexpected spending. Nevertheless, they cannot judge every programme for your child or replace supportive conversation.

Age Rating and Child Safety Warning

A Kids profile sits within the household account. It does not give a child independent responsibility for a subscription or payment card. Similarly, a Teen profile remains a viewing profile. Keep the account, recovery email and billing decisions under adult control.

NOW safety settings use different choices for Kids, Teen and Adult profiles. A new Kids profile starts at Family content rated 12, while a Teen profile starts at 15 and an Adult profile at 18. Therefore, creating a Kids profile alone may leave a higher limit than you expect. Read each title’s rating and consider frightening themes, violence and your child’s needs.

Review NOW safety settings whenever your child’s needs change. Also check the actual title rather than treating a rating as a personal recommendation.

Parental Controls and Content Restrictions

Use parental controls to create a suitable NOW profile

Profiles keep each viewer’s recommendations and viewing choices together. NOW supports up to six profiles, including the main profile.

• First, open Profiles in NOW and choose (+) New Profile.
• Next, choose an avatar, enter a name and select the appropriate Kids or Teen option when asked.
• Then open the pencil icon for that profile and review its maturity rating. An adult profile is needed to create or edit profiles.

Why it matters: A named profile helps your child recognise their space. However, the main profile cannot become a Kids profile, so protect it separately.

Choose a NOW maturity rating

The current Irish rating controls limit playback. In a Kids profile, they also narrow browsing and search.

• Open Profiles and select the profile’s pencil icon.
• From this screen, choose Change beside the maturity rating, then enter the account password.
• For Kids, choose Little Kids for U and unrated children’s content, Older Kids for PG and 8+, or Family for 12. For Teen profiles, choose Family or Teen content rated 15. Adult profiles offer 12, 15 or 18.
• Finally, choose Save Rating and test a permitted and a restricted title on each device.

Why it matters: The lowest suitable choice can reduce exposure. A live channel may be blocked entirely if it carries higher rated content at any time. NOW limits rating changes to five in 30 minutes, followed by a 30 minute wait.

Use parental controls to protect NOW profiles

A profile PIN controls entry to that profile. It serves a different purpose from the Payment PIN.

• Open Profiles, choose the pencil icon and turn on the Profile PIN toggle.
• Enter the account password, create and confirm a four digit PIN, then choose Save PIN.
• To change it, use Change PIN. If forgotten, use Reset beside the PIN setting, enter the password and save a new PIN.
• Repeat for every adult or less restricted profile. Then ask your child to try switching profiles without giving them the code.

Why it matters: A child can bypass a rating limit by entering an unprotected adult profile. Furthermore, anyone who knows the account password may reset the PIN. Keep recovery access private.

Turn off NOW autoplay

Automatic episode playback can make stopping harder. The current profile editor includes an autoplay toggle.

• Open Profiles, select the pencil icon and turn the autoplay toggle off.
• Then repeat for the other profiles your child can use, and check the change during ordinary viewing.

Why it matters: A pause between episodes creates a decision point. However, autoplay is not a daily time allowance or a bedtime lock.

NOW Safety Settings and Why They Matter

Review the NOW Payment PIN

The Payment PIN helps control purchases made with the payment method stored on NOW. It does not filter programmes.

• First, sign in to My Account through the NOW website and open Settings. TV apps cannot reset this PIN.
• For an existing PIN, select Change beside Payment PIN. If necessary, choose Forgotten PIN?, then Send one-time passcode.
• Retrieve the code through the adult’s email, enter it on the account page, choose a new Payment PIN and select Save.
• For an account without a Payment PIN, use NOW’s current setup help and verify the setup controls shown. Then test whether a purchase requests the PIN without completing a purchase.

Why it matters: Content and payment protections are separate. Initial setup labels still need an Irish account check, and purchases billed through another provider need that provider’s controls too.

Secure the account and unfamiliar devices

A private password and email protect the routes used to change parental settings.

• Next, use a unique password and secure the associated email account. Also review genuine new device sign in alerts.
• In My Account, open Devices and check device names and recent use.
• If access is unfamiliar, choose Reset password in My Account. After changing it, return to Devices and select Sign out all.
• Finally, sign back in only on household devices. NOW says the device you use for this action remains signed in.

Why it matters: NOW cannot manually remove one device from this list. A PIN cannot stop someone who already has the password from recovering account access.

Review NOW privacy settings

NOW’s Irish privacy notice covers viewing activity, device identifiers and household advertising profiles. These need a separate review from ratings.

• First, open the account’s Data & Communications page using the link in NOW’s Irish privacy notice.
• Review direct marketing and tailored advertising choices, including AdSmart. If the necessary choice is missing, use NOW’s live chat to request the relevant opt out.
• Next, use Privacy options in the website footer to revisit optional cookie choices. Repeat the review on other browsers or devices.
• For access, correction, erasure or other personal information requests in Ireland, contact NOW through live chat. Do not assume its UK request form applies.

Why it matters: Opting out of tailoring does not remove all adverts or erase watch history. The exact account switches for recommendations and analytics still need verification.

Check Watchlist and downloaded viewing

Saved titles and downloads can remain visible on a shared device.

• To save a title, select + Watchlist on its information page. Select the control again to remove it.
• Before handing over a phone or tablet, review the local downloads. Select only programmes suitable for the child who will use that device.
• NOW says signing out of its mobile app removes all downloads. Confirm what you want to keep before doing so.

Why it matters: A Watchlist change is not deletion of account viewing records. Downloads can expire after 30 days, or 48 hours after viewing begins. Check offline restrictions separately rather than assuming a new rating has already applied.

Review memberships and recurring charges

A household can have several NOW memberships and a separate viewing upgrade.

• On the website, open My Account, then Membership & Payment. Check each membership, upgrade, renewal date and minimum term.
• To end a direct membership, select it, choose Cancel membership and complete the prompts. For Boost or Ultra Boost, use Cancel viewing experience.
• Check the confirmation on screen and by email. For partner billing, cancel with that partner instead.

Why it matters: Cancellation may take effect only at the end of a minimum term. Removing the app or changing a profile does not end payments.

How to Use NOW Safely

Begin by watching together and discussing how a programme makes your child feel. For example, a documentary or sports broadcast can raise questions that a rating alone does not answer. Also agree that your child can stop or ask for help without losing access as a punishment.

Choose a stopping point before pressing play. Then keep the remote available and avoid leaving an adult profile open on a shared television. If your family needs an enforced schedule, use the relevant device’s parental controls and test them separately. No universal NOW time limit was verified.

Use NOW safety settings as a starting point for conversation. For example, invite your child to explain how they choose a programme and when they would ask for help.

Parental Controls, Safety Advice and Current Concerns

Live material, trailers and adverts may need closer supervision than a selected film. Therefore, do not treat a Kids label as a promise that every image or topic will suit your child. The current live channel blocking rules can also prevent a suitable programme on a channel that carries adult material later.

If content is upsetting, stop playback and support the child first. Then record the title, episode, time and device, and contact NOW through its official help centre. Keep technical or rating complaints separate from urgent safeguarding concerns. No dedicated universal title block or in player content reporting control was verified.

Also beware of messages asking for a password, PIN or payment details. Open the official account website yourself rather than trusting a link. Keep devices and the NOW app updated, and sign out before giving away a device.

Keep NOW safety settings under review after an app update. A changed menu or a new device can leave an earlier choice untested.

NOW Safety Settings Across Devices and Regions

This guide uses current Irish NOW documentation. Older guides that describe a single viewing PIN may no longer match the profile system. Meanwhile, subscription and payment routes can differ through partners.

NOW Entertainment & HBO can include access to an HBO Max plan. Nevertheless, NOW profiles do not configure the separate HBO Max app. Set up and test that service independently. Also check live channels, browser playback, mobile downloads and each television before relying on the restrictions.

Test NOW safety settings on the screens your child actually uses. This helps connect the written guide to everyday viewing.

NOW Safety Settings Checklist

Review NOW safety settings together before independent viewing. Then revisit the checklist after account or device changes.

• First, create a suitable profile and lower the default rating where necessary.
• Next, protect every adult profile and keep the password and recovery email private.
• Also review the Payment PIN, billing provider and each membership renewal.
• Then turn off autoplay and agree a viewing routine together.
• Review devices, cookies, marketing and tailored advertising separately.
• Finally, test profile switching, restricted playback, live channels and offline downloads.

Frequently Asked Questions about NOW Safety Settings

Does a Kids profile automatically use the lowest rating?

No. The documented default is Family content rated 12.

Why it matters: Therefore, choose the level that suits your child rather than accepting the profile name alone.

Is the Payment PIN the same as a profile PIN?

No. One controls stored payment purchases, while the other controls entry to a profile.

Why it matters: Set and test both where applicable, because one cannot replace the other.

Does cancelling NOW erase my information?

No. Billing cancellation and a personal information request are separate.

Why it matters: If you want a privacy request, use the Irish contact route and ask what information must remain.

Related CODA Guides

For another service, visit our TV and Movie Streaming Services directory. This review directory currently requires access to the unpublished drafts.

For wider family advice, explore Resources for Parents and Useful Links and Supports. These resources support conversations when a child needs help beyond a viewing setting.

References

Managing NOW profiles in Ireland Explains profile types, editing and autoplay.

Irish NOW maturity restrictions Explains Irish ratings, defaults and live channel limits.

Profile PIN help for NOW Explains adding, changing and recovering profile locks.

Recovering NOW profile and Payment PINs Provides separate recovery routes. Initial Payment PIN setup still requires an account check.

Keeping a NOW account secure Covers password protection and shared devices.

Managing devices on NOW Explains device lists and the limits of Sign out all.

Irish privacy and cookies on NOW Provides marketing, advertising, cookie and Irish data request routes.

Using NOW Watchlist and downloads Explains saved titles, local downloads and expiry.

Cancelling NOW memberships Explains direct and partner billing, upgrades and minimum terms.

Entertainment & HBO membership on NOW Explains the membership’s separate HBO Max access.

About Children of the Digital Age

Children of the Digital Age provides online safety education and training for schools, parents and organisations. Our work helps families understand online behaviour, current risks and practical protective choices. Together, settings, conversation and support can help parents make informed decisions.

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Last updated: 11 October 2026