How to set up TalkTalk and Plusnet parental controls: HomeSafe Kids Safe and Plusnet SafeGuard

⏱ 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:

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
• TalkTalk Help: HomeSafe – An Overview — https://help-centre.talktalk.co.uk/Broadband/Security/HomeSafe_An_Overview
• TalkTalk Help: Using HomeSafe with Full Fibre — https://help-centre.talktalk.co.uk/Broadband/Security/Using_HomeSafe_with_Full_Fibre
• Plusnet Help: Our guide to using Plusnet SafeGuard — https://www.plus.net/help/broadband/how-to-use-plusnet-safeguard/
• Plusnet Help: How to use your Plusnet Hub Two router — https://www.plus.net/help/broadband/router-user-guides/hub-two/