Set up and use Parental Controls

Parental Controls is free with your Smart Hub Pro, Smart Hub Plus, EE Smart Hub (2023) and BT Smart Hub 2. It helps keep your children safe online.

Set up, control and use Parental Controls

To set up, control and use Parental Controls use the EE app.

Download the EE app for Android and Apple devices.

For mobile, see how to use Parental Controls on your mobile device.

Start using Parental Controls

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  1. Open the EE app.
  2. Select Manage from the bottom menu, then Broadband.
  3. Scroll to the groups section.
  4. Select which group you want to apply parental controls to (you can also apply parental controls to ungrouped devices).
  5. Activate Parental Controls by sliding the scale to the level of restriction you want.

Using Groups with Smart Hub Pro and Smart Hub Plus

If you have Smart Hub Pro or a Smart Hub Plus, parental control restrictions don’t have to be the same for all your devices. You can default settings for any device that joins your network under ‘ungrouped devices’. Or you can set up separate groups of devices and apply controls to that group such as 'all kids devices'.

  1. Open the EE app.
  2. Select Manage from the bottom menu, then Broadband.
  3. Scroll to Groups.
  4. Tap Create group or select an existing group. A group is a set of devices with the same restrictions.
  5. Give the group a name (for example, “Kids' devices”).
  6. Add the device or devices to your group.
  7. You will see a list of devices in the group, and under that a scale with Off, Light, Moderate and Strict restrictions. Move the button to the setting you want.

Change your level of restriction

You can choose the level of restriction in Parental controls to Off, Light, Moderate or Strict. In the higher settings, more websites are blocked. You can change the restriction level separately for your different groups (a group is a set of devices with the same restrictions).

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To change the restriction level for a group:

  1. Open the EE app.
  2. Select Manage from the bottom menu, then Broadband.
  3. Scroll to Groups. You’ll see any groups you already set up, including ungrouped devices.
  4. If a group is created, you can select the group tile. If creating a new group, you can set parental controls on the group page at the end of the set up process.
  5. Or, if you want to set restrictions for somebody else, select Add new group. Then choose which devices belong in the new group.
  6. When the group is created, or when you’ve selected an existing group, you will see the group’s individual details. Select the group’s tile.
  7. Scroll down to the scale labelled Off, Light, Moderate or Strict. Move the button to the level of restriction you want.

Block or unblock various types of websites as well as specific websites

Parental Controls lets you choose whether to block or unblock various types of websites as well as specific websites.

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  1. Open the EE app.
  2. Select Manage from the bottom menu, then Broadband.
  3. Scroll to Groups.
  4. You’ll see any groups you already set up.
  5. If you want to block or unblock a type of site for a group you've already set up, select that group.
  6. Or, if you want to block the site for other devices, select Create group, and you will be asked to choose which devices belong in your new group.
  7. When the group is created, or when you select any existing group, you will see the group’s individual details.

Change blocked sites

  1. Under Parental Controls, make sure that the slider is set to either Light, Medium or Strict (not Off).
  2. Below the slider, select the link reading Change Blocked Sites.
  3. You will see a list of types of websites or content blocked. Remove or add items by checking or unchecking the boxes.

Block or allow specific websites

  1. Scroll to Block or allow specific websites.
  2. Type in the URLs of websites you want to block, or to allow websites you blocked earlier.
  3. To unblock a site, click on the X symbol next to the site name listed.

I can’t access a website I’ve allowed

Check your advanced web protect settings. If they are turned on it could be that our cyber security settings have blocked the website.

Need to know

You can block specific websites in ungrouped devices, but you can’t allow specific websites in ungrouped devices.

Pause WiFi on individual devices or a group

  1. Open the EE app.
  2. Select Manage from the bottom menu, then Broadband.
  3. Select the device and open its individual page.
  4. Use the toggle at the bottom to pause and unpause WiFi.

Schedule time offline

Parental Controls lets you pause WiFi access at certain times, for example at bedtime.

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  1. Open the EE app.
  2. Select Manage from the bottom menu, then Broadband.
  3. Scroll to Groups and select the group you want.
  4. Scroll to Schedules.
  5. Select Add schedule.
  6. Type in a name for your own reference.
  7. Select the days and times you want to pause WiFi.
  8. You can also set a schedule when editing or creating a new group.

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