Use both. A router or family DNS filter protects every device on your home Wi-Fi in one setup, but it does not follow a phone onto mobile data. Device controls such as Screen Time, Family Link and Family Safety travel with the device but must be set up one by one. Together with SafeSearch and console settings, they cover each other's gaps.
The short version
Think of your home like a house with doors and windows. A router filter locks the front door for everyone inside. Device controls are a lock on each person's bedroom. A lock on the front door does not help once a child leaves the house, and a lock on one bedroom does not protect the guest room.
That is why most families end up using both, plus a few extras for consoles and search. The table below sets out the differences.
| Feature | Router or DNS filter | Device controls |
|---|---|---|
| Covers every home device | Yes | One by one |
| Works on mobile data | No | Yes |
| App approvals and time limits | No | Yes |
| Easy for a child to switch off | Harder if router is locked | Needs parent passcode |
| Covers visitors' phones | Yes | No |
How a family DNS filter works
DNS is like the phone book of the internet. When a device wants to open a site, it asks a DNS service where to find it. A family DNS service simply refuses to answer for adult categories, so the page never loads.
You can set it in two places. On the router, it covers every device on your Wi-Fi, including visitors. On a single device, it covers only that device but can also work outside the home if the setting is built into the phone.
- Pick a family filtering DNS service. Several providers, including large network companies, offer free options that block adult content, and some publish simple numeric addresses to enter.
- Log in to your router settings, usually through the address printed on the router label.
- Find the DNS setting under internet or network settings and replace the automatic entries with the family service's addresses.
- Save, restart the router, and test by trying to open a site you know is blocked.
If your internet provider gave you a locked router, look for a family or parental-control option in its own app or ask the provider whether it offers a filter.
Where device controls do better
Device controls go wherever the phone goes. Apple's Screen Time, Google's Family Link and Microsoft's Family Safety also manage app approvals, time limits and purchases, which a router cannot do.
Microsoft's filter is worth a special note: its web filtering mainly works in the Edge browser, and Microsoft's own guidance says other browsers may be blocked on child accounts so that the filter cannot be dodged. Check how this behaves on your family's PCs.
Set a separate parent passcode for each system, and keep all of them out of your child's reach.
Do not forget the extras
Several other places can let adult content through, so cover them too.
- SafeSearch: switch it on in the search engine and browser, and lock it in family settings where possible. It hides explicit results but does not block sites typed in directly.
- Game consoles: PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo all have family accounts with age limits, web and chat controls. Set up a child account rather than using a parent login.
- School and tuition Wi-Fi: ask what filtering the institution uses and whether students may use their own data.
- Smart TVs and streaming sticks: check the profile and browser settings, and use kids profiles.
- Private DNS and VPNs: an Android Private DNS setting, a browser's secure DNS option or a VPN app can bypass a router filter. Parental controls that restrict installing apps help here.
Common mistakes to avoid
A few errors come up again and again. Setting a filter once and never testing it is the most common. A close second is using a parent passcode that a child has watched you type. Others include forgetting about the old tablet in the cupboard, leaving the router login at its factory default, and assuming a guest or relative's phone follows your rules.
Another trap is overblocking. If a filter stops homework sites or health information, a teenager will quickly learn to bypass it and may stop trusting your settings. When a site is wrongly blocked, fix it together and explain what you changed.
Which combination suits which family
One young child, one tablet: device controls and a kids profile are probably enough. Several children with phones: add a router filter and ask your mobile operator about a SIM filter. Teenagers: keep the filters, but lean more on conversation, as they can often find workarounds and need to understand the reasons.
Whatever you choose, test it. Try opening a blocked category on each device while logged in as your child, and recheck after any big software update or router change.
Key takeaways
- A router or DNS filter covers every device on your Wi-Fi at once.
- Device controls follow the phone onto mobile data and other networks.
- SafeSearch, consoles and school Wi-Fi are separate gaps to close.
- VPNs and private DNS can bypass a router, so restrict app installs.
- Test your settings and review them every few months.
Frequently asked questions
This article is general information, not legal, financial or medical advice. Details about third-party services are based on public information and may change.