No single setting keeps children safe online, but layers of sensible controls reduce the risks while they learn. The aim is protection that fits their age and grows with them, not a lock they will try to break. This guide covers each layer in turn and shows how to agree the rules together.
Step by step
List every device and account
Write down every device children use, including consoles, tablets, smart TVs, laptops and older phones handed down. Note which accounts they sign into, such as app stores, games and video services. Controls only work on devices and accounts you know about.
Switch on network-level filtering
Most UK broadband providers offer free content filters you can manage from your account. Turn this on as a baseline that covers every device on your home Wi-Fi. Remember it does not apply when a device uses mobile data or someone else's Wi-Fi.
Set up child accounts on each device
Use the family or child account features built into phones, tablets, computers and consoles. These let you set age ratings, screen-time limits, purchase approval and downtime overnight. Give each child their own account rather than sharing an adult one.
Adjust app and game settings
Inside popular apps and games, check privacy settings, who can contact your child, whether their profile is public, chat options and location sharing. Many apps have minimum age requirements in their terms, so check these before agreeing to an account.
Agree family rules together
Sit down with your children and agree simple rules about when, where and how devices are used, including what to do if something upsets them. Write the rules down and put them somewhere visible. Make clear that telling you about a problem will not mean automatically losing their device.
Review regularly
Check settings every few months and at each birthday or new device. Loosen controls as trust and maturity grow, and talk about the reasons, so children learn to manage risks for themselves.
Ready-to-use checklist
- All devices and accounts listed
- Broadband content filter switched on
- Child account created on each device
- Age ratings and purchase approval set
- Screen-time and overnight limits agreed
- App privacy and contact settings checked
- Location sharing reviewed
- Family rules written down and displayed
Practical tips
- Set controls up alongside your child so they understand what each one does and why.
- Keep chargers outside bedrooms overnight for younger children to reduce late-night use.
- Charities such as Internet Matters and the NSPCC publish step-by-step guides for specific devices and apps.
Common problems
My child has found a way round the controls.
Treat it as a conversation rather than just a technical problem. Ask why the controls felt too restrictive, adjust what is reasonable and tighten what is not. Check whether they have created a second account or are using a friend's device or mobile data.
Controls are blocking a site needed for homework.
Most filters let you allow a specific site from the settings. Add it to the allowed list rather than switching filtering off entirely.
I am worried someone online is grooming my child.
Keep calm, do not delete the messages and save evidence such as screenshots. Report it to CEOP, the child protection command of the National Crime Agency, and call 999 if a child is in immediate danger.