Web Protect and Advanced Web Protect

Web Protect is free with your Smart Hub (2023) and BT Smart Hub 2. Advanced Web Protect comes with your Smart Hub Plus and Smart Hub Pro. They both keep you and your family safe online, by blocking dodgy websites to protect you against things like viruses, scams and phishing.

Getting started

Control Web Protect and Advanced Web Protect using the EE app.

Download the EE app for Android and Apple devices.

How to tell if it’s switched on and active?

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How to turn Web Protect on

  1. Open the EE app.
  2. Select Manage from the bottom menu, then Broadband.
  3. Switch the toggle next to 'Web Protect On'.

Web Protect should start working straight away, but in some cases can take up to 2 hours.

How to tell if Web Protect is active

  1. Open the EE app.
  2. Select Manage from the bottom menu, then Broadband.
  3. Check the toggle next to 'Web Protect On'.

How to turn Web Protect off

  1. Open the EE app.
  2. Select Manage from the bottom menu, then Broadband.
  3. Switch the toggle next to 'Web Protect Off'.

Types of threats blocked by Web Protect and Advanced Web Protect

Web Protect and Advanced Web Protect automatically blocks most types of security threats.
  • Untrustworthy websites: This website might be a host for malicious activity, like phishing attempts or viruses.
  • Bad IP address: We’ve recognised someone was trying to access your device from an IP address known for malicious activity, like phishing or hacking.
  • Suspicious activity: We’ve recognised that your device was behaving suspiciously, and an IP address might have been trying to hack it.
  • Hijack and use: We think a virus was trying to use your device to attack other devices.
  • Attempt to access device: We think someone was trying to access your device remotely.

View the blocked threats and find threat attempts by device Advanced Web Protect

With Advanced Web Protect on Smart Hub Plus and Smart Hub Pro, you can view threat attempts to a device and override the block.
  1. Open the EE app.
  2. Select Manage from the bottom menu, then Broadband.
  3. Scroll down the dashboard until you see Advanced Web Protect.
  4. If toggled on, select the link to See all threats.
  5. You will see how many threats have been blocked in the last 30 days, and a list of individual security breach attempts.
  6. Select any blocked threat to see more details or to unblock a threat.
  7. Select a device type from the drop-down filter. You will see only the threats blocked on that device.

Overriding a threat on Advanced Web Protect

You can override a blocked threat on Advanced Web Protect if you have Smart Hub Plus or Smart Hub Pro.

We don’t recommend unblocking threats, but if you want to it comes at your own risk.

You can unblock two types of threats:
  • Untrustworthy website: If you trust this website being accessed by your device, you can override the block for 24 hours.
  • Attempt to access device: If you know who is accessing your device and why, you can override the block for 30 days.

It will not unblock the threat from every device automatically. You will need to select each individual device affected and unblock the threat.

To unblock a threat on a device:
  1. Open the EE app.
  2. Select Manage from the bottom menu, then Broadband.
  3. Scroll down the dashboard until you see Advanced Web Protect.
  4. If toggled On, select the link to See all threats.
  5. Select your device type from the list.
  6. Select the threat attempt and then select Allow. You can block it again anytime.

Can't access a site after allowing a website in Advanced Web Protect

Check your Parental Controls on your Smart Hub Plus or Smart Hub Pro using the EE app. You might have paused access or limited access to a specific website.

Can’t access a site after allowing a website in Parental Controls

In some small cases, Advanced Web Protect may still block access to that website even after it has been allowed in Parental Controls.

Check your Advanced Web Protect

If the URL is appearing as blocked, then you can temporarily override the threat or turn off Advanced Web Protect at your own risk.

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