> ## 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 TalkTalk and Plusnet parental controls: HomeSafe Kids Safe and Plusnet SafeGuard - URL: https://devicedaddy.mymagic.page/talktalk-plusnet-parental-controls/ - Published: 2026-10-05T12:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-05T12:00:00.000Z - Description: Set up TalkTalk HomeSafe Kids Safe and Homework Time, or Plusnet SafeGuard categories and Timer — with the key differences side by side. - Author: Philip Nixon - Tags: Guides, TalkTalk, #Import 2026-11-09 16:05 ✅ **Verified:** Last checked on **Monday 5 October 2026** against TalkTalk Help & Support (**How to use HomeSafe®**, **HomeSafe – An Overview** and **Using HomeSafe with Full Fibre**) and Plusnet Help (**Our guide to using Plusnet SafeGuard** and **How to use your Plusnet Hub Two router**). Covers **TalkTalk** home broadband (including Full Fibre) and **Plusnet** home broadband in the UK. Both providers include a **free whole-home web filter** that you manage in **My Account**. *Note: we checked these steps against TalkTalk's and Plusnet's current written instructions. We haven't tested them on live accounts for this edition, so menu names may be a little different. TalkTalk's own help pages currently give two slightly different menu routes — we've listed both.* **⏱ Time to complete:** about 10–15 minutes (TalkTalk changes take about 2 minutes to apply; **Plusnet takes about 2 hours** after a router restart) **🔧 Difficulty:** **Easy.** You just need your **My Account** login. --- ## Why one guide for both? TalkTalk and Plusnet are **separate companies** with separate tools, but they work the same way: a free filter on your **home broadband** that covers every device on your Wi-Fi, with **categories**, **block/allow lists** and **timed filtering**. Here are the differences at a glance: | | **TalkTalk HomeSafe®** | **Plusnet SafeGuard** | | ---------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Where to manage it | TalkTalk **My Account** | Plusnet **My Account** → SafeGuard control panel | | Child filter | **Kids Safe** (TalkTalk also writes "KidSafe") — **9 categories** | **Category blocking** — Pornography, Hate & Intolerance and Tasteless are blocked **as standard** | | Block/allow lists | Yes — enter the exact address, **including "www."** if it has it | Yes — **up to 30** blocked and **up to 30** allowed sites; no need to type "www." | | Timed filtering | **Homework Time** — limits **social networking and gaming sites** during set hours | **Timer** — choose the times **all** filtering is active each day | | How fast changes apply | **Within 2 minutes** | **About 2 hours**, after restarting your router | | Extras | **Virus Alerts**; **Scam Protection** (switched on automatically for Full Fibre) | Per-device schedules and pausing in the **Hub Two** router's **Access control** | | Got an eero? | TalkTalk says to use **eero Secure** in the **eero app** instead | — | --- ## The short version (for very busy parents) **TalkTalk** 1. Sign in to **My Account** → **Profile & Settings → My Security Settings → View HomeSafe Settings**. 2. Switch **Kids Safe** **on** and tick the **categories** to block. 3. Add any sites to **block** or **allow**. 4. Switch **Homework Time** on if you want gaming and social sites off during set hours. 5. Select **Save changes**. **Plusnet** 1. Sign in to **My Account** and open the **SafeGuard control panel**. 2. Click the **ON/OFF** button to switch SafeGuard on. 3. **Restart your router** — filtering starts after about **2 hours**. 4. Choose **categories** to block and add **blocked/allowed websites**. 5. Set the **Timer**, and use the **Hub Two's Access control** for per-device bedtimes. --- ## What you'll need - Your **My Account** username and password for TalkTalk or Plusnet. (Plusnet says it's the same login you chose when you joined; your username is on your welcome letter.) - A phone or computer with a web browser. - *Plusnet per-device controls:* your **Hub Two admin password** (on the back of the hub or the password sticker Plusnet sent you). - **10–15 minutes**. --- ## Part A: TalkTalk HomeSafe ### Step A1: Open your HomeSafe settings 1. Sign in to **My Account** on the TalkTalk website. 2. Select **Profile & Settings** in the navigation menu. 3. Select **My Security Settings**. 4. Choose **View HomeSafe Settings**. (Some TalkTalk help pages instead say **My services → View HomeSafe settings**. Use whichever you see.) \[Screenshot: TalkTalk My Account – My Security Settings → View HomeSafe Settings\] > **Have an eero router?** TalkTalk says you'll need to set up web filtering in the **eero app** instead (TalkTalk's help calls this **eero Secure**). --- ### Step A2: Switch on Kids Safe and pick categories 1. Select the **ON** switch next to **Kids Safe**. 2. TalkTalk shows prompts to help you choose. There are **nine categories** you can block. TalkTalk lists sites unsuitable for under-18s as **dating, drugs, alcohol and tobacco, gambling, pornography, suicide, self-harm, weapons and violence**, and other categories as **file sharing, games and social networking**. 3. Select the blue **Save Changes** button. **DeviceDaddy starting point:** block all the "unsuitable for under-18s" categories. Decide on **games** and **social networking** based on your children's ages — or use Homework Time (Step A4) to limit them to certain hours instead. \[Screenshot: Kids Safe category list with toggles\] --- ### Step A3: Block or allow individual websites 1. In your HomeSafe settings, add the website address to your list. **Type it exactly**, including **"www."** if the address begins with it — TalkTalk says the feature won't work if it's entered wrongly. 2. Select **allow** (shown in **green**) to make sure a site is never blocked, or **block** (shown in **red**) to block one that's getting through. 3. Select **Save changes**. TalkTalk says new settings take effect **within 2 minutes**. > **Example from TalkTalk:** you could block the **Gambling** category but still **allow** the National Lottery website. --- ### Step A4: Homework Time (gaming and social sites) Homework Time lets you **restrict the hours** children can get onto **social networking and gaming sites**. 1. In **My Security Settings**, switch **Homework Time** to **ON**. 2. Confirm your change. When someone tries a blocked site, they'll see a TalkTalk block page and can press **Back**. > **Honest limits:** TalkTalk says Homework Time will block **most** of these sites but **can't currently block sites reached via a secure login or address beginning https://**. Many games and social apps use https, so don't rely on Homework Time alone — use the device's own screen-time controls too. --- ### Step A5: Turn on Virus Alerts (and keep Scam Protection) - In **My Security Settings**, switch **Virus Alerts** on. You'll get a warning page before visiting a site infected with malware. - If you have **Full Fibre**, TalkTalk switches on **Scam Protection** automatically. It also turns on **Safe Search** to remove explicit results. TalkTalk strongly recommends you keep it on. --- ## Part B: Plusnet SafeGuard ### Step B1: Switch SafeGuard on 1. Once your broadband is live, sign in to **My Account** and open the **Plusnet SafeGuard control panel**. 2. Click the **ON/OFF** button at the top of the screen. 3. **Switch your router off and on again.** 4. Plusnet says SafeGuard will start filtering after about **2 hours**. \[Screenshot: Plusnet SafeGuard control panel with ON/OFF button\] --- ### Step B2: Choose categories and websites - **Category blocking:** Plusnet blocks **Pornography**, **Hate & Intolerance** and **Tasteless** as standard. Tick any other categories you want to block. - **Blocked websites:** click **Blocked websites** and type an address (for example **facebook.com** — no need for "http" or "www."). Up to **30** sites. - **Allowed websites:** add sites to your **Allow Websites** list if they've been blocked by a category but you're happy with them. Up to **30** sites. Save your changes. --- ### Step B3: Set the Timer SafeGuard's **Timer** means filtering is only on when you want it. Set the times you want the filters **active**, save, and Plusnet will filter during those times **every day**. > ⚠️ **Our advice:** if children have phones or tablets in their bedrooms, leave filtering active **all the time** rather than switching it off in the evenings. --- ### Step B4 (optional): Per-device bedtimes on the Plusnet Hub Two SafeGuard applies the same rules to everyone. For **individual** devices, use your router: 1. On a device connected to your Plusnet Wi-Fi, open a browser and go to **192.168.1.254** (the **Hub Manager**). 2. Click **Advanced settings → Access control**. 3. Enter your **hub admin password**. 4. You can **pause** internet access for a single device or a **group** of devices, and give each a **schedule** that blocks internet access at certain times and days. 5. Click **Save**. \[Screenshot: Plusnet Hub Manager – Advanced settings → Access control\] > **Tip:** Plusnet says a **factory reset** of the hub restores all its original settings — you'd need to set up Access control again. --- ## Test it (2 minutes) 1. On a device connected to your home Wi-Fi, try a site in a category you've blocked — you should see your provider's block page. 2. Try a site on your **allowed** list — it should open. 3. **Plusnet:** remember to wait about **2 hours** after switching on before testing. --- ## Keep it working - **Home Wi-Fi only.** Both filters only work on devices connected to your broadband. Plusnet confirms SafeGuard **won't work on mobile data** (3G/4G). Set up controls on your child's phone too. - **Apps and VPNs.** TalkTalk says **mobile apps and VPNs may not be recognised** and can't always be blocked. Plusnet says apps that use the web to reach blocked content **may not work properly**. - **Apple Private Relay (Plusnet).** Plusnet says SafeGuard **won't work** in **Safari** on **iOS 15 or newer** (and for HTTP app traffic) when **iCloud Private Relay** is switched on. - **Don't change DNS (TalkTalk).** TalkTalk says HomeSafe uses **TalkTalk's DNS servers** and **can't work if you use a third-party DNS** such as OpenDNS or Google DNS. Pick one approach — not both. - **Report mistakes.** TalkTalk's block page has an option to **report a wrongly blocked website**. - **No filter is perfect.** TalkTalk says some videos and images without accurate descriptions may get through. Keep talking with your children about what they see online. - **Virus protection is separate.** HomeSafe and SafeGuard don't scan files on your devices — TalkTalk offers **SuperSafe** and Plusnet offers **Plusnet Protect** for that. --- ## Related guides (links to follow) - 🌐 *Sky Broadband parental controls* — **\[link to add\]** - 🌐 *Virgin Media 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 TalkTalk and Plusnet update their account pages from time to time. If something doesn't match, **\[report a change: add DeviceDaddy contact form or email link here\]**. Tell us your provider, router model and what's different. The ✅ stamp shows when we last checked. --- ### Sources (checked 5 October 2026) - TalkTalk Help: How to use HomeSafe® — [https://help-centre.talktalk.co.uk/Broadband/Security/How\_to\_use\_HomeSafe](https://help-centre.talktalk.co.uk/Broadband/Security/How%5Fto%5Fuse%5FHomeSafe?ref=devicedaddy.mymagic.page) - TalkTalk Help: HomeSafe – An Overview — [https://help-centre.talktalk.co.uk/Broadband/Security/HomeSafe\_An\_Overview](https://help-centre.talktalk.co.uk/Broadband/Security/HomeSafe%5FAn%5FOverview?ref=devicedaddy.mymagic.page) - TalkTalk Help: Using HomeSafe with Full Fibre — [https://help-centre.talktalk.co.uk/Broadband/Security/Using\_HomeSafe\_with\_Full\_Fibre](https://help-centre.talktalk.co.uk/Broadband/Security/Using%5FHomeSafe%5Fwith%5FFull%5FFibre?ref=devicedaddy.mymagic.page) - Plusnet Help: Our guide to using Plusnet SafeGuard — [https://www.plus.net/help/broadband/how-to-use-plusnet-safeguard/](https://www.plus.net/help/broadband/how-to-use-plusnet-safeguard/?ref=devicedaddy.mymagic.page) - Plusnet Help: How to use your Plusnet Hub Two router — [https://www.plus.net/help/broadband/router-user-guides/hub-two/](https://www.plus.net/help/broadband/router-user-guides/hub-two/?ref=devicedaddy.mymagic.page)