How to Set Up Parental Controls Across Your Home's Devices

Start at the router: covers every device on your Wi-Fi

Most major UK broadband providers include free network-wide filtering that affects every device connected to your home Wi-Fi, including games consoles and smart TVs that don't support app-based parental controls at all. Virgin Media's Web Safe is switched on via My Settings on my.virginmedia.com. BT's Parental Controls (also called Web Protect) are free and set up through the My BT app, with a choice of preset or custom filtering levels. Sky Broadband Shield is switched on automatically for new customers at a '13' content rating, and can be adjusted through the My Sky app's Broadband tab.

The trade-off: these are network-wide and generally don't apply once a device leaves your home Wi-Fi — a child's phone on mobile data outside the house isn't covered.

Android: Google Family Link

Install Family Link and sign in with your own Google account, then add your child's account to your Family Group or create a new supervised account for them. From the app you can approve or block app installs before they happen, set daily screen-time limits, schedule a bedtime lock, and turn on 'school time' mode to restrict the device to approved apps during set hours. Content filtering for Google Play is set separately, under Controls → Google Play in the app.

iPhone and iPad: Screen Time and Family Sharing

Set up Family Sharing under Settings → [your name] → Family, then add a child account or family member. Turn on Content & Privacy Restrictions, and set App Store purchases to require approval for installs, deletions and in-app purchases. Under Content Restrictions → Web Content, choose 'Limit Adult Websites' or the stricter 'Allowed Websites Only' for younger children. Screen Time itself covers app limits, downtime and bedtime schedules, and Communication Limits control who your child can contact or be contacted by.

Streaming apps and smart speakers

• YouTube Kids offers a separate 'Approved Content Only' mode where you manually whitelist what a younger child can watch
• Netflix: set a Profile Lock with a 4-digit PIN under Profiles on the Netflix website, so a child's profile can't be switched to an adult one without your password
• Disney+: 'Junior Mode' restricts a profile to age-appropriate ratings only, and a separate 4-digit Profile PIN stops switching into an unrestricted profile

Be realistic about the limits

None of these layers talk to each other — a limit set in Screen Time doesn't affect what's blocked at the router, and vice versa, so each one genuinely needs configuring separately rather than assuming one setting covers everything. It's also worth knowing that free, built-in tools are generally reported as easier for a determined, tech-savvy teenager to bypass than paid third-party alternatives — common workarounds include uninstalling the monitoring app, using a second unmonitored device, or accessing a blocked app through a browser instead. That's not a reason to skip these tools, especially for younger children, but it's worth treating this as an ongoing conversation with older kids rather than a fit-and-forget setting.