Free ISP-supplied hub

How to set up parental controls on BT Smart Hub 2

BT Parental Controls

UK 2026 guide · Last reviewed 12 May 2026 · By Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith

Quick answer

BT Parental Controls is free, network-level, and managed from the MyBT app. Choose Light, Moderate, Strict or Custom, add Homework Time hours, and the filter applies to every device on your home Wi-Fi within two hours.

Cost Free with every BT broadband package

Where to manage MyBT app

Time to set up Up to 2 hours to apply

Wi-Fi standard Wi-Fi 5

Shipped by BT

UK install base About 5.5 to 6 million UK households

Step by step

Step-by-step setup

01
Open the MyBT app or go to https://www.bt.com/mybt and sign in with your BT ID.
02
Tap Your products, then BT Parental Controls.
03
Switch the filter on. Choose a preset: Light, Moderate, Strict or Custom.
04
Optionally add a Homework Time schedule. Tap Homework Time, set the start and end hours and the days of the week.
05
To block YouTube or any other specific site, tap Manage allowed and blocked sites, then Add to blocked list.
06
Save. The filter takes up to 2 hours to apply to every device on your home Wi-Fi.

Manufacturer source: https://www.bt.com/help/security/set-up-bt-parental-controls

Honest limits

What BT Smart Hub 2 parental controls can and cannot do

Features that work

Three preset filter levels (Light, Moderate, Strict) plus full Custom mode.
Per-day Homework Time schedule that switches on a stricter filter automatically.
Allow and block lists for specific websites.
Filter applies to every device on home Wi-Fi: smart TVs, consoles, tablets, guest phones.
Activation latency is up to 2 hours; usually faster.

Features that do not work

Does not apply when a child uses 4G or 5G mobile data.
Encrypted apps (WhatsApp, iMessage, Signal): you can block the app domains but cannot inspect message content.
A VPN on the child device overrides BT Parental Controls.
SafeSearch on Google is not enforced automatically; you need BT's blocked-domains workaround.
No per-child profiles; the filter is whole-home.

How to block YouTube on BT Smart Hub 2

Open MyBT, tap BT Parental Controls, then Manage allowed and blocked sites. Add each of these domains to the blocked list one at a time: youtube.com, m.youtube.com, youtu.be, googlevideo.com. Save. YouTube traffic stops within 2 hours.

How to pause Wi-Fi on BT Smart Hub 2

BT Smart Hub 2 does not offer a true per-device pause. The closest option is Homework Time, which forces a stricter filter on a daily schedule. For a full pause, log into the Hub Manager at http://192.168.1.254 and disable Wi-Fi temporarily, then re-enable.

Troubleshooting

BT Smart Hub 2 parental controls not working: common fixes

Filter changes not applying

Allow up to 2 hours. Reboot the Smart Hub 2 after the wait if still not applied.

Devices using mobile data instead of Wi-Fi

Children's phones often switch to mobile data. Set the device to Wi-Fi only in iOS Settings or Android Network preferences, then add a device-level control with Apple Screen Time or Google Family Link.

Filter blocks legitimate sites

Add the site to the Allow list in MyBT, or move from Strict down to Moderate.

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

Are BT Parental Controls free?

Yes. BT Parental Controls is free with every BT broadband package. No add-on or subscription required.

How long do BT Parental Controls take to apply?

Up to 2 hours after you change a setting in MyBT. Most changes apply within 30 minutes.

Do BT Parental Controls block YouTube?

Not automatically. The Strict preset blocks some video sites but not YouTube specifically. You need to add youtube.com, m.youtube.com, youtu.be and googlevideo.com to your blocked list manually.

Do BT Parental Controls work on mobile data?

No. BT Parental Controls only applies to traffic going through your BT home Wi-Fi. A child on 4G or 5G is unfiltered. You need Apple Screen Time, Google Family Link or BT Mobile Parental Controls for that.

Can my teenager turn off BT Parental Controls?

Only if they have your BT ID password. The setting is locked to the bill payer's account. If they know your password, change it from My Account.

Is BT Smart Hub 2 being replaced?

BT announced the new Smart Hub 3 in May 2026. Existing customers can request a free upgrade through MyBT. Parental Controls work identically on both hubs.

More help

If BT Smart Hub 2 controls are not enough

Router-level controls have known gaps: mobile data, encrypted apps, VPNs. These guides from our sister site BroadbandSwitch.uk pick up where the router stops.