> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://devicedaddy.mymagic.page/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # How to set up BT and EE broadband parental controls: whole-home filters, blocked sites and Wi-Fi schedules - URL: https://devicedaddy.mymagic.page/bt-ee-broadband-parental-controls/ - Published: 2026-10-05T12:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-05T12:00:00.000Z - Description: Switch on free BT and EE home broadband filters, block and allow sites, set homework time and Wi-Fi bedtime schedules, and understand what they can't do. - Author: Philip Nixon - Tags: Guides, Broadband, #Import 2026-11-09 16:05 # How to set up BT and EE broadband parental controls: whole-home filters, blocked sites and Wi-Fi schedules > **✅ Verified:** Last checked on **Monday 5 October 2026** against BT Help and EE Help official pages. **BT:** *Keep your family safe online with BT Parental Controls*, *Manage your BT Parental Controls filter levels*, *Setting filter times for BT Parental Controls*, *Solve issues with BT Parental Controls* and *How do I use BT Wi-Fi access controls?* (bt.com/help). **EE:** *Using Parental Controls on EE Broadband*, *Using parental controls on an EE Smart Hub* (Smart Hub 7 Pro, 7 Plus and 6 Plus), *Using parental controls on EE Broadband Hubs* (EE Smart Hub (2023) and BT Smart Hub 2), *Set up and use Web Protect and Advanced Web Protect*, *How do I turn on/off parental controls on mobiles* (ee.co.uk/help) and EE's guide *WiFi Parental Controls: How to keep your kids safe online* (last updated March 2026). Covers **BT home broadband** (managed in **My BT**) and **EE home broadband** (managed in the **EE app**) in the UK. > > *Note: we checked these steps against BT's and EE's current written instructions. We haven't tested them on a hub for this edition, so button names may be a little different after app or website updates. Where BT's and EE's own pages disagree, we've said so.* **⏱ Time to complete:** about 15–20 minutes (plus up to 2 hours for the filters to switch on) **🔧 Difficulty:** **Easy.** You don't install anything on your children's devices. The catch is that broadband filters **only work on your home Wi-Fi**. They stop at the front door, and they don't control mobile data. --- ## The short version (for very busy parents) 1. **BT:** log in to **My BT** → **Manage your extras** → **Manage BT Parental Controls**. **EE:** open the **EE app** → **Manage** → **Broadband** → **Parental Controls** (or **Groups**, on newer hubs). 2. Pick a filter level: **Light**, **Moderate** or **Strict**. Moderate is a sensible starting point for a family with under-13s. 3. Add any extra **blocked sites** (and **allowed sites** for anything that's wrongly blocked, like a homework site). 4. Set times: **BT** has **Homework time** and **filter times**; for bedtime, use BT **Wi-Fi access controls**. **EE** has **Schedules** to **pause Wi-Fi** for a group of devices. 5. Wait up to **2 hours**, then **test it** on your child's device. Then set up **phone and app controls** too, because mobile data skips all of this. --- ## What you'll need - **The broadband account holder's login.** For BT, that's the **BT ID** for **My BT**. For EE, it's the **EE ID** used in the **EE app**. Only the account holder can change or switch off BT Parental Controls. - **The name of your hub.** It's on the sticker on the back. For example, *BT Smart Hub 2*, *Smart Hub Pro*, *EE Smart Hub 7 Pro*. - **A smartphone** for the EE app (EE customers) or the My BT app (for BT Wi-Fi access controls). - **Your children's devices** to hand, so you can test the filters and put them into groups. - **15–20 minutes**, plus patience: filters can take **up to 2 hours** to start working. --- ## How broadband filters work (and what they can't do) Your broadband filter checks **which website** a device is trying to reach, and blocks it if it falls into a category you've chosen (such as gambling or pornography). It protects **every device on your home Wi-Fi**: laptops, tablets, phones, consoles and smart TVs, without installing anything. It **can't**: - **See inside a website.** BT says it looks at the site's address, not individual pages or videos. So YouTube is either allowed or blocked as a whole. - **Work on mobile data (4G/5G).** If your child switches off Wi-Fi, the filter doesn't apply. Both BT and EE say this clearly. - **Work on other people's Wi-Fi**, such as at a friend's house. (BT's filter does apply on **BT Wi-Fi hotspots** if you sign in with your BT ID.) - **Reliably block apps.** BT says that blocking "social networking" blocks the **websites**, but phone **apps** may still work. - **Beat VPNs or custom DNS.** BT's filter relies on **BT DNS** (DNS is the internet's address book). Devices or apps that use their own DNS, a VPN, or features like Apple's **iCloud Private Relay**, can skip it. Some smart TVs and "smart home" gadgets do this automatically. > **That's why** DeviceDaddy always recommends broadband filters **plus** controls on each device (Screen Time, Family Link, Windows Family Safety, console settings). --- ## BT and EE: what's the same, what's different BT and EE are part of the same company, and their filters use the same content categories. But the settings live in different places and work slightly differently. | | **BT Parental Controls** | **EE Parental Controls** | | --------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Where you manage it | **My BT** (website or app) → **Manage your extras** | **EE app** → **Manage** → **Broadband** | | Cost | Free for BT Broadband customers | Included in all EE full fibre and part fibre plans | | Filter levels | **Light**, **Moderate**, **Strict**, or **Custom** | **Off**, **Light**, **Moderate**, **Strict**, plus your own blocked sites and categories | | Different levels for different devices? | **No.** One setting for the whole home | **Yes**, on newer hubs, using **Groups** (e.g. "Kids' devices") | | Block or allow specific sites | **Yes** (allowed list always wins) | **Yes** (but you can't *allow* specific sites for **Ungrouped devices**) | | Timed controls | **Homework time** (extra blocking) and **filter times** (filters *off*) | **Schedules** to **pause Wi-Fi** for a group, or pause a single device | | Pausing Wi-Fi for bedtime | Separate feature: **Wi-Fi access controls** in **Hub Manager** | Built into **Schedules** | | Override a blocked page | Account holder can unlock it with their BT ID | Not described on EE's help pages | | Outside the home | Works on **BT Wi-Fi hotspots** when signed in with your BT ID | Home Wi-Fi only | | Change alerts | **Email** every time settings change (can't be turned off) | Not described on EE's help pages | --- ## Part A: BT broadband ### Step 1: Switch on BT Parental Controls If you've just got a new BT Hub, you may have been offered this during setup. If not: 1. Go to **My BT** and log in with your **BT ID**. 2. Scroll down and select **Manage your extras**. 3. Find the **BT Parental Controls** section and select **Manage BT Parental Controls**. 4. BT switches the controls on automatically, starting on the **Light** filter. Setup takes about a minute. 5. You'll see a confirmation screen. BT says filters go live **within two hours**. \[Screenshot: My BT → Manage your extras, with the BT Parental Controls panel and slider set to On\] > **Not using a BT Hub?** BT says you can still use BT Parental Controls with another router, as long as it uses **BT DNS settings**. Check your router's instructions. > **Tip:** Remove other whole-home filters (BT names OpenDNS as an example) before you start. BT says they can stop BT Parental Controls working. --- ### Step 2: Choose your filter level 1. In **My BT** → **Manage your extras** → **Manage BT Parental Controls**, select **Manage Settings**. 2. Open the **Change filter levels** tab. 3. Move the slider to **Light**, **Moderate** or **Strict**. You'll see a list of which categories each one blocks. 4. To fine-tune, move the slider to **Custom**, then tick or untick individual categories. 5. Select **Save changes**. BT says the new level is active **within 10 minutes**. \[Screenshot: BT Parental Controls → Change filter levels slider, set to Moderate\] > **Unclear on BT's page:** BT's help article shows exactly which categories Light, Moderate and Strict block as an *image*, which we couldn't check word for word. The list appears on screen when you move the slider, so read it there before saving. EE's level lists are in Part B below. > **Strict blocks the app store.** BT says that, on Strict, app stores may be blocked because **media streaming** is blocked. Add the store to your allowed list if you need it. --- ### Step 3: Block or allow particular websites 1. In **Manage Settings**, open the **Manage allowed and blocked sites** tab. 2. To block a site, type its address under **My blocked websites** and select the button underneath. It can take up to 10 minutes. 3. To always allow a site (for example, a school website wrongly blocked), type it under **My allowed websites**. 4. To remove a site, select the **X** next to it. \[Screenshot: BT Manage allowed and blocked sites, with "My blocked websites" box\] > **Tips from BT's help pages:** > > - Type the address **without "www."** (e.g. *example.com*) to cover the whole site. If it still isn't blocked, add the *www.* version too. > - If a site is on **both** lists, the **allowed** list wins. > - You **can't** block a named app, only the web addresses it uses. **Blocking YouTube completely:** BT suggests adding all four of these to **My blocked websites**, and says it can take up to two hours: - www.youtubei.googleapis.com - www.ytimg-edge-static.l.google.com - www.redirector.googlevideo.com - www.youtube.com BT says it can't guarantee 100% coverage. For younger children, **YouTube Kids** or a supervised YouTube account is often a better answer than a full block. --- ### Step 4: Homework time and filter times These both live in **Manage Settings** → **Set filter times**. They work in **opposite directions**, so read carefully. **Homework time (extra blocking):** 1. Open the **Set filter times** tab. 2. Under homework time, choose the **days**, a **start time** and an **end time**. 3. Select **Save changes**. During homework time, BT keeps your normal filter and **also blocks social networking, gaming and "cheating" sites**. You can't change which categories homework time blocks. **Filter times (filters switched *off*):** BT's filters are on **24 hours a day** by default. "Filter times" lets you choose times when the filters are **turned off** for every device in the home, for example after the children's bedtime. 1. In **Set filter times**, choose the **days**, a **start time** (filters go off) and an **end time** (filters come back on). 2. Select **Save changes**. \[Screenshot: BT Set filter times tab with Homework time set to 4pm–6pm on weekdays\] > **DeviceDaddy advice:** most families should **leave filter times empty**, so filters stay on all the time. Teenagers keep late hours. --- ### Step 5: Pause Wi-Fi at bedtime (BT Wi-Fi access controls) BT Parental Controls filter **content**. To switch a device's internet **off** at set times, use BT's separate **Wi-Fi access controls**. **BT Smart Hub 2 or Smart Hub 3:** 1. Open the **My BT app**. 2. On the **Broadband** tab, select **View details**. 3. Select the **Hub Manager** tile. The first time, follow the steps to pair the app with your hub. 4. Open the **WiFi Security** tab and find **Wi-Fi access controls**. 5. Set up a **group** of your child's devices and choose when they can use the internet. **Older BT Smart Hub or Ultrafast Smart Hub:** 1. On a device connected to your Wi-Fi, type **192.168.1.254** into a browser to open **Hub Manager**. 2. Select **Advanced Settings**, then **BT access control**. 3. Enter the **admin password** (on the card on the back of the hub, unless you've changed it). 4. Pick the device, set a **start time**, **end time** and **days**, then select the **plus sign** and **Save**. \[Screenshot: My BT app → Hub Manager → WiFi Security → Wi-Fi access controls\] > **Not covered on BT's page:** BT's access-controls article doesn't mention the **BT Smart Hub Pro**. If you have one, check the My BT app or BT Help for your hub before assuming it works the same way. --- ### Step 6: Know how BT's override and alerts work - **Override:** when a site is blocked, the block page offers **Allow access if you are the account holder**. With the BT ID, you can **turn off all filters for one hour** or **always trust this site**. HTTPS sites (most sites now) may show a blank page or browser error instead of BT's block page. - **Alerts:** BT **emails the account holder every time** settings change, and you can't switch this off. If you get one you didn't expect, **change your BT ID password** straight away. - **Hub restarts:** BT says your settings are linked to your **account**, so rebooting or resetting the hub doesn't lose them. > **Keep your BT ID private.** Don't let your browser save it on the block page. If your child learns it, they can switch everything off. --- ## Part B: EE broadband EE's steps depend on your hub. Check the sticker on the back, then follow the right option. ### Step 1: Open Parental Controls in the EE app **Option A: Smart Hub 7 Pro, Smart Hub 7 Plus or Smart Hub 6 Plus** 1. Open the **EE app**. 2. Select **Manage** from the bottom menu, then **Broadband**. 3. Scroll to **Groups** (for levels and schedules) or **Parental Controls** (for blocked sites). **Option B: EE Smart Hub (2023) or BT Smart Hub 2** 1. Open the **EE app**. 2. Go to the **WiFi Controls** dashboard. 3. Scroll to **Parental Controls** and select **Activate Parental Controls**. 4. EE says it can take **up to 2 hours** to start working. \[Screenshot: EE app → Manage → Broadband, showing Groups and Parental Controls\] --- ### Step 2: Put your children's devices in a group (Smart Hub 7 Pro, 7 Plus and 6 Plus) Groups let you give children's devices stronger filters than the adults' devices. 1. In **Manage** → **Broadband**, scroll to **Groups**. 2. Select **Create group** (or **Add new group**). 3. Give it a name, for example **Kids' devices**. 4. Add your child's phone, tablet, laptop and console. 5. Any device you don't put in a group sits in **Ungrouped devices**. EE says you can manage the default settings for these too, so new visitors' devices are covered. \[Screenshot: EE app → Groups → Create group, naming the group "Kids' devices"\] > **Tip:** Devices sometimes appear with unhelpful names. Check the name in your child's device settings (often under "About") so you add the right one. --- ### Step 3: Choose the protection level 1. **Hubs in Option A:** open the **group's tile** and scroll to the scale labelled **Off, Light, Moderate, Strict**. Move the button to the level you want. 2. **Hubs in Option B:** in **WiFi Controls** → **Parental Controls**, use the **slider** to choose a level. EE's help pages describe the levels like this: - **Light:** pornography, obscene and tasteless, hate and self-harm, dating, alcohol, drugs and tobacco. - **Moderate:** everything in Light, plus nudity, weapons and violence, gambling and social networking. - **Strict:** everything in Moderate, plus fashion and beauty, file sharing, gaming and media streaming. - **Off:** nothing blocked. \[Screenshot: EE group page with the Off/Light/Moderate/Strict scale set to Moderate\] > **EE's pages disagree on gambling.** EE's help pages put **gambling** in **Moderate**. EE's March 2026 *WiFi Parental Controls* guide puts it in **Strict**. If gambling matters to you (it should), **block the gambling category yourself** in Step 4, whichever level you pick. > **Strict blocks games and streaming.** That includes online multiplayer gaming servers and app stores, so expect consoles and Netflix-type apps to stop working on Strict. --- ### Step 4: Block (or allow) specific websites and categories **Hubs in Option A:** 1. In **Manage** → **Broadband**, scroll to **Parental Controls**. 2. Tap **Block or allow specific websites** and type the web addresses. Select the **X** to remove one. 3. To pick categories, tap **Change blocked sites** and tick or untick the boxes. **Hubs in Option B:** 1. In **WiFi Controls** → **Parental Controls**, under **Allowed and blocked websites**, select **Change**. 2. Tick or untick the boxes, or add web addresses. \[Screenshot: EE Parental Controls → Block or allow specific websites\] > **Important:** EE says you **can block** specific sites for **Ungrouped devices**, but you **can't allow** specific sites for them. If a homework site is wrongly blocked on your child's laptop, put the laptop in a **group** first. --- ### Step 5: Schedule Wi-Fi pauses for bedtime and homework **Hubs in Option A:** 1. In **Manage** → **Broadband**, scroll to **Groups** and select your child's group. 2. Scroll to **Schedules** and select **Add schedule**. 3. Name it (e.g. **School-night bedtime**) and choose the **days** and **times** to pause Wi-Fi. **Hubs in Option B:** 1. In **Manage** → **Broadband**, scroll to **Parental Controls**. 2. Select **Add schedule**, name it, and choose the days and times. **To pause one device right now** (any hub): in **Manage** → **Broadband**, select the device and use the **toggle** at the bottom to pause or unpause. \[Screenshot: EE app → Schedules → Add schedule, 9pm–7am Sunday to Thursday\] --- ### Step 6: Switch on Web Protect (it's free) **Web Protect** isn't a parental control. It blocks **dangerous** sites, such as scams, phishing (fake log-in pages) and viruses. It's free with the EE Smart Hub (2023) and BT Smart Hub 2\. **Advanced Web Protect** comes free with the Smart Hub 6 Plus and Smart Hub 7 Pro. 1. Open the **EE app**. 2. Select **Manage**, then **Broadband**. *(EE's page also shows a route via *Plans and Subscriptions* → *Broadband* for some hubs.)* 3. Switch the toggle to **Web Protect On**. It can take up to 2 hours. --- ## Settings table: DeviceDaddy starting points | Setting | What it does | DeviceDaddy starting point | | --------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Filter level (BT or EE) | Blocks categories of websites on your home Wi-Fi | Under-13s: **Moderate**. 13–15: **Light** \+ gambling blocked. 16–17: agree together, **Light** at minimum | | Gambling category | Blocks betting, casino and lottery sites | **Blocked** for everyone under 18 (it's illegal for under-18s in the UK anyway) | | Social Networking category | Blocks social media and chat **websites** (not always apps) | Block for under-13s, who are below most apps' minimum age | | Search Engines category (BT Custom) | Blocks search sites | Leave **allowed**. BT says it switches on Google and Bing **SafeSearch** automatically | | Blocked / allowed sites | Your own exceptions | Add school and homework sites to **allowed** if they're wrongly blocked | | BT Homework time | Extra blocking of social, gaming and cheating sites | School days, e.g. 4pm–6pm, if it helps your routine | | BT filter times (filters off) | Turns filters **off** for the whole home | **Leave empty** | | BT Wi-Fi access controls / EE Schedules | Pauses internet on chosen devices | School nights: off 30–60 minutes before bed until morning | | EE Groups | Different rules for children's and adults' devices | One group per age band, e.g. "Under 10s" and "Teens" | | EE Web Protect / Advanced Web Protect | Blocks scams and malware | **On** | --- ## ⚠️ Watch out - **Mobile data skips everything.** BT and EE broadband filters only work on your home Wi-Fi. For an **EE mobile** SIM, EE has separate mobile parental controls (**Strict** for under-13s, **Moderate** for teens) in the EE app under **Manage**. For other networks, ask your mobile provider. - **VPNs, iCloud Private Relay and custom DNS** can get around network filters. EE's mobile help page names all three. Check your child's device settings. - **Apps aren't websites.** Blocking social networking may not stop the Instagram or TikTok **app**. Use the phone's own controls for apps. - **Gaming blocks are broad.** Blocking games stops online multiplayer servers, so consoles may "fail to connect" with no warning. - **Unexpected "settings changed" email from BT?** Change your BT ID password, then switch the controls back on. - **Smart TVs and gadgets** may use their own DNS, so BT says the filter may not work on them. Set controls on the TV itself. - **No filter catches everything.** Talk to your children about what to do if they see something upsetting. Report suspected child sexual abuse images to the **Internet Watch Foundation** (iwf.org.uk), and worrying contact from an adult to **CEOP** (ceop.police.uk). --- ## Keep it working (monthly checks) - **Check the filter is still on.** BT: **My BT** → **Manage your extras** → slider **On**. EE: **Manage** → **Broadband** → **Parental Controls**. - **Re-check groups (EE).** New phones, tablets and consoles land in **Ungrouped devices**. Move them into the right group. - **Test a blocked site** on each child's device, over Wi-Fi. - **Review your blocked and allowed lists.** Remove anything you no longer need. - **Look out for BT change emails.** Any you didn't expect? Change your password. - **Check schedules** still fit term time, holidays and exam season. - **Check your children's devices** for VPN apps or new browsers they've installed. - **Changed broadband or hub?** Settings for BT are linked to your account, but on a new **EE hub** check your groups and schedules came across. --- ## Related guides - Windows Family Safety \[link to add\] - iPhone and iPad Screen Time \[link to add\] - Android Family Link \[link to add\] - Xbox Family Settings \[link to add\] - PlayStation 5 Family Management \[link to add\] - Nintendo Switch parental controls \[link to add\] - YouTube supervised accounts \[link to add\] --- ## Spotted a change? Tell us BT and EE update their apps and hubs regularly. If something doesn't match, **\[report a change: add DeviceDaddy contact form or email link here\]**. Tell us your provider, hub name, whether you used the app or website, and what's different. The ✅ stamp shows when we last checked. --- ### Sources (checked 5 October 2026) - BT Help: Keep your family safe online with BT Parental Controls — [https://www.bt.com/help/broadband/manage-service/how-to-keep-your-family-safe-online-with-bt-parental-controls-an](https://www.bt.com/help/broadband/manage-service/how-to-keep-your-family-safe-online-with-bt-parental-controls-an?ref=devicedaddy.mymagic.page) - BT Help: Manage your BT Parental Controls filter levels — [https://www.bt.com/help/security/parental-controls/manage-bt-controls-settings](https://www.bt.com/help/security/parental-controls/manage-bt-controls-settings?ref=devicedaddy.mymagic.page) - BT Help: Setting filter times for BT Parental Controls — [https://www.bt.com/help/security/parental-controls/parental-controls-setting-filter-times](https://www.bt.com/help/security/parental-controls/parental-controls-setting-filter-times?ref=devicedaddy.mymagic.page) - BT Help: Solve issues with BT Parental Controls — [https://www.bt.com/help/security/parental-controls/i-ve-got-a-problem-with-bt-parental-controls](https://www.bt.com/help/security/parental-controls/i-ve-got-a-problem-with-bt-parental-controls?ref=devicedaddy.mymagic.page) - BT Help: How do I use BT Wi-Fi access controls? — [https://www.bt.com/help/broadband/manage-service/how-do-i-use-bt-access-controls--wi-fi-controls--](https://www.bt.com/help/broadband/manage-service/how-do-i-use-bt-access-controls--wi-fi-controls--?ref=devicedaddy.mymagic.page) - EE Help: Using Parental Controls on EE Broadband (choose your hub) — [https://ee.co.uk/help/broadband/getting-started/ee-parental-controls](https://ee.co.uk/help/broadband/getting-started/ee-parental-controls?ref=devicedaddy.mymagic.page) - EE Help: Using parental controls on an EE Smart Hub (Smart Hub 7 Pro, 7 Plus, 6 Plus) — [https://ee.co.uk/help/broadband/getting-started/ee-parental-controls/parental-controls-smart-hub-7](https://ee.co.uk/help/broadband/getting-started/ee-parental-controls/parental-controls-smart-hub-7?ref=devicedaddy.mymagic.page) - EE Help: Using parental controls on EE Broadband Hubs (EE Smart Hub (2023), BT Smart Hub 2) — [https://ee.co.uk/help/broadband/getting-started/ee-parental-controls/parental-controls-EE-hub](https://ee.co.uk/help/broadband/getting-started/ee-parental-controls/parental-controls-EE-hub?ref=devicedaddy.mymagic.page) - EE Help: Set up and use Web Protect and Advanced Web Protect — [https://ee.co.uk/help/broadband/getting-started/web-protect](https://ee.co.uk/help/broadband/getting-started/web-protect?ref=devicedaddy.mymagic.page) - EE Help: How do I turn on/off parental controls on mobiles — [https://ee.co.uk/help/security/staying-safe-online/switching-content-lock-on-or-off](https://ee.co.uk/help/security/staying-safe-online/switching-content-lock-on-or-off?ref=devicedaddy.mymagic.page) - EE: WiFi Parental Controls: How to keep your kids safe online (March 2026) — [https://ee.co.uk/broadband/wifi-parental-controls-guide](https://ee.co.uk/broadband/wifi-parental-controls-guide?ref=devicedaddy.mymagic.page)