How to set up Sky Broadband parental controls: Sky Broadband Shield and WiFi Max

⏱ Time to complete: about 10–15 minutes (plus up to 15 minutes for changes to take effect) 🔧 Difficulty: Easy. You just need the Sky iD for the account holder. Per-device controls (bedtimes and pausing) need Sky WiFi Max.

The short version (for very busy parents)

1. Sign in to Sky Broadband Shield with the account holder's Sky iD (on sky.com or in the My Sky app → Broadband).
2. Choose an age rating: PG, 13 or 18 (or Custom), then Save settings.
3. Use Manage exceptions to block or allow individual websites.
4. Check "Choose when Sky Broadband Shield should be active" — by default Shield switches to 18 from 9pm to 5.30am. Change it or set it to Always active.
5. Got Sky WiFi Max? In the My Sky app, create Parental controls profiles for each child to pause their devices and set downtime schedules.

What you'll need

• The Sky iD (email and password) for the main account holder. Answers on Sky's Community forum say Shield settings can only be changed when you're signed in with the Sky iD linked to the account holder.
• The My Sky app on your phone (optional, but it's the easiest way) — or a browser.
• For per-child controls: Sky WiFi Max on your broadband package.
• 10–15 minutes.

Can't change your settings? Sky says you might not be able to change Shield if there's an open order on your account — for example, if you're changing your broadband package or moving home. Check My orders on sky.com.

How Sky Broadband Shield works (in plain English)

• It's a filter on your whole home broadband connection, so it covers every device on your Sky Wi-Fi — phones, tablets, laptops, consoles and smart TVs.
• Sky switches it on automatically when you join, set to 13 (suitable for teenagers) during the day and 18 in the evening.
• It also blocks phishing and malware sites and turns on Safe Search for Google and Bing.
• Settings are the same for every device and every person in the house. Sky says they can't be customised for different devices or family members (use WiFi Max for that — Step 5).
• It doesn't work on mobile data (4G/5G) or other people's Wi-Fi.

Step-by-step

Step 1: Sign in to Sky Broadband Shield

In the My Sky app:

1. Open the My Sky app and tap Broadband.
2. Tap Product Settings, then Broadband Shield.

On a computer:

1. Go to sky.com and sign in with the account holder's Sky iD.
2. Open the Broadband Shield page in My Account (it sits under your Broadband & Talk settings). The easiest route is the Go to Sky Broadband Shield button on Sky's Broadband Shield help page, which takes you straight there.

[Screenshot: My Sky app – Broadband → Product Settings → Broadband Shield]

Step 2: Choose an age rating

1. Choose PG, 13 or 18.
2. Select Save settings.

Here's what Sky says each rating blocks by default:

DeviceDaddy starting point: 13 for most families with school-age children. PG is very strict — it blocks social networks and online games for everyone in the house, adults included.

⚠️ Gamers, read this: Sky says PlayStation Network and Xbox Live sit under the Online games category. If you choose PG (or block Online games in Custom), your consoles won't be able to sign in. Fix it by adding them to your allowed list (Step 3).

[Screenshot: Broadband Shield age rating options – PG, 13, 18, Custom]

Step 3: Fine-tune with Custom and Manage exceptions

Block or allow whole categories:

1. Select Custom.
2. Tick each category you want to block.
3. Select Save settings.

Block or allow individual websites (this works even if the site's category says otherwise):

1. Select Manage exceptions.
2. Type in the website.
3. Select Block website or Allow website.
4. Select Save settings. (To remove one later, select the X next to it.)

Good to know: Sky says some sites are always blocked because of copyright court orders or because they're on the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) list. You can't unblock those.

Step 4: Check when Shield is active (the 9pm switch)

This is the setting most parents don't know about. Out of the box, Sky automatically switches to the 18 rating from 9pm to 5.30am — so if your teenager is online late, they're on adult settings.

1. In Broadband Shield, make sure you've selected PG, 13 or Custom (this option doesn't appear if you're on 18).
2. Go to Choose when Sky Broadband Shield should be active.
3. Pick one:
   • Always active — your chosen rating applies all day, every day. (Our recommendation if children have devices in their bedrooms.)
   • Inactive certain times of the day — choose the hours when the 18 rating applies instead.
4. Select Save settings.

Sky notes that websites on your blocked or allowed lists still follow those lists during inactive times.

[Screenshot: "Choose when Sky Broadband Shield should be active" – Always active selected]

Changes can take around 15 minutes to kick in.

Step 5 (Sky WiFi Max only): Per-child profiles, pause and downtime

If your package includes Sky WiFi Max, the My Sky app adds controls for individual devices.

Create a profile for each child:

1. Open the My Sky app and tap Broadband.
2. Scroll down to Parental controls.
3. First time? Tap Create a profile, give it a name and add their devices (phone, tablet, console). Already have one? Tap Manage profiles → Create a profile.

Set a downtime schedule (bedtime, homework, mealtimes):

1. Under Parental controls, tap the child's profile.
2. Tap Create a downtime schedule and give it a name.
3. Choose the days and times they can't use the internet. Add more with Create another schedule.

Pause the internet:

• Whole profile: tap the profile → Pause all devices → choose how long (30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, a custom time, or until you wake it up) → Pause devices.
• One device (for example, just the Xbox): tap the device under Assigned devices → Pause this Device → choose how long → Pause device.
• To undo, tap Wake up. During a downtime, Wake up lets them back on without cancelling the schedule.

[Screenshot: My Sky app – Parental controls profile with Pause all devices]

Tip: Sky says that if your hub is replaced or reset, these settings have to download to it again — it happens automatically but can take up to an hour. Also, pausing won't stop a video that's already downloaded to the device, and buffered video may keep playing for a few minutes.

Step 6: Test it (2 minutes)

1. On a device connected to your Sky Wi-Fi, try a site in a category you've blocked — you should see Sky's block page.
2. If you have consoles, check they can still sign in to PlayStation Network or Xbox.
3. If you use WiFi Max, pause your child's device and check it goes offline.

Keep it working

• Mobile data bypasses it. Shield only filters your home broadband. Set up controls on the phone itself too (Screen Time on iPhone, Family Link on Android) and ask your mobile network for its adult-content filter.
• VPNs and private DNS can bypass it. Look out for VPN apps on your child's devices.
• Privacy features can get in the way. Other UK providers warn that Apple's iCloud Private Relay and "secure DNS" browser settings can stop broadband filters working on that device. If filtering seems patchy on one device, check those settings.
• Re-check after moving home or changing package — Sky says open orders can block changes.
• Don't turn Shield off completely. Sky recommends setting it to 18 instead, so you keep the phishing and malware protection.
• No filter is perfect. Sky says Shield can't guarantee it will stop every inappropriate website, or bullying or grooming by others. Keep talking with your children about what they see online.
• Sky TV controls are separate. Set PIN controls on your Sky Q, Sky Glass or Sky Stream box as well.

Related guides (links to follow)

• 🌐 Virgin Media parental controls — [link to add]
• 🌐 TalkTalk and Plusnet parental controls — [link to add]
• 🌐 Router-level filtering with OpenDNS (any broadband provider) — [link to add]
• 🍎 iPhone and iPad Screen Time — [link to add]

Spotted a change? Tell us

Sky updates its apps and account pages from time to time. If something doesn't match, [report a change: add DeviceDaddy contact form or email link here]. Tell us whether you used the My Sky app or the website, and what's different. The ✅ stamp shows when we last checked.

Sources (checked 5 October 2026)

• Sky Help: Sky Broadband Shield (Using Sky Broadband Shield, change age rating, block or allow websites, choose when it will be active, turn off) — https://www.sky.com/help/broadband/security-and-protection/sky-broadband-shield
• Sky Help: Parental controls with Sky WiFi Max — https://www.sky.com/help/articles/sky-wifi-max-parental-controls
• Hello Sky: How to use parental controls at home — https://www.sky.com/hello-sky/tv/how-to-use-parental-controls
• Sky My Account: Broadband Shield settings (sign-in required) — https://www.sky.com/myaccount/bb-and-talk/broadband-shield
• Sky Community forum (customer answers, not official help): Parental controls — https://helpforum.sky.com/t5/Broadband/Parental-controls/m-p/4698581/highlight/true