How do I turn off Microsoft family features? I've tried everything.

Rafael 0 Reputation points
2026-10-07T21:35:02.72+00:00

I've recently turned 18 and my parents gave me a Microsoft Surface Pro 9 as a hand me down gift that my father used to use for work. I factory reset the computer and proceeded to download Google Chrome when I first got the annoying family features pop up. I actually managed to get rid of it by going into the task manager and turning the Parental Controls off and I thought that was the end of it, however I started getting the pop up again when trying to open the XBOX app. I've searched everywhere online and even asked Copilot for help, and every solution I find just doesn't do the job for me.

I've tried:

  • Disabling the parental controls service on the task manager (worked at first)
  • Updating my age on Microsoft (18)
  • Leaving my Microsoft family completely
  • Disabling family safety in the task scheduler
  • Looking for "Family" in my settings (Copilot kept telling me to look for it but it just doesn't pop up anywhere).

I'm very desperate to get rid of it. I'm already paying for the PC Gamepass and I want to be sure that these pop ups are completely removed from my PC.

Looking forward to hearing from anyone with a solution,

Rafael.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Family and online safety
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  1. Hendrix-V 19,940 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-10-08T04:42:50.9+00:00

    Hi Rafael,

    Since you’ve already tried the common Family Safety fixes, including leaving the family group and refreshing the Family Safety policy, I understand how frustrating it is to keep seeing the prompt. Microsoft’s guidance notes that this can occur when a device was previously configured under a Family group or still has Family Safety settings applied. (Family Safety settings enforced on adults)

    Here are some options that you can try to move forward in this situation:

    Option 1: Check Windows account verification

    1. Open Settings > Accounts.
    2. If you see Verify, select it and complete the verification.
    3. If Verify isn’t shown, sign in to your Microsoft account through Microsoft Edge instead.

    Microsoft includes account verification as a troubleshooting step for Family Safety account issues. (Troubleshooting Microsoft Family Safety)

    Option 2: Contact Microsoft Support

    If the account is correctly recognized as an adult and the Family Safety prompt continues after the solutions you’ve already tried, I’d recommend contacting Microsoft Support so the remaining account/device state can be investigated.

    Please note that this is a user-to-user support forum. Moderators, contributors including external Microsoft employees cannot directly intervene in Microsoft product features or access back-end systems. Our role is limited to providing technical guidance on reported issues, requests, or ideas.

    I hope this helps you narrow down what is still triggering the Family Features prompt.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-10-07T21:35:22.7+00:00

    Since the account is already 18, has left the family group, and the device was factory reset, the supported next step is a Family Safety policy refresh on the PC.

    1. Confirm the account is no longer in a family group:
    2. Run the Family Safety refresh task manually:
      • Press Windows + R.
      • Type cmd and select OK.
      • Run: 
             schtasks /run /tn "Microsoft\Windows\Shell\FamilySafetyRefreshTask"
      • Restart the PC.
    3. Refresh Microsoft sign-in state on the device:
      • Sign out of Windows, then sign back in with the same Microsoft account.
      • If the issue appears in Microsoft apps, sign out and back in there as well, then restart again.
    4. If the account still shows as a child anywhere, correct the birth date on the Microsoft account using the adult-account flow for accounts Microsoft still treats as a child.
    5. If the pop-up continues after the refresh, the remaining supported fix is to make sure the device is no longer tied to any family group policy and repeat the refresh on each impacted device.

    Important:

    • Disabling services in Task Manager or Task Scheduler may only suppress the symptom temporarily and does not remove the Family Safety policy state.
    • The refresh task must be run on each affected device.
    • If an adult is still a member of a family group, only the organizer can turn off the safety settings for that account.
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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