Parental Controls with AdGuard: Keeping Kids Safe Online

The Need for Parental Controls

Children today grow up immersed in the digital world. From educational apps to social media, the internet is an integral part of their lives. While the internet offers incredible learning opportunities, it also exposes children to inappropriate content, online predators, addictive apps, and harmful misinformation. Parental controls help parents create a safer online environment without completely disconnecting their children from the digital world.

AdGuard offers parental control features across its product line, from simple DNS-based content filtering to sophisticated per-device policies. This guide covers all the options available and helps you choose the right approach for your family.

Option 1: AdGuard DNS Family Protection

The simplest way to implement parental controls is using AdGuard DNS Family Protection. This is a free DNS service that blocks adult content in addition to ads and trackers. No software installation is required; you just change your device's DNS settings.

Family Protection DNS Addresses

• IPv4: 94.140.14.15 and 94.140.15.16
• IPv6: 2a10:50c0::bad1:ff and 2a10:50c0::bad2:ff
• DNS-over-HTTPS: https://family.adguard-dns.com/dns-query
• DNS-over-TLS: tls://family.adguard-dns.com

This option is ideal for parents who want basic protection with zero technical complexity. Simply configure these DNS addresses on your child's device or on your home router (to protect all devices), and adult content will be blocked automatically.

What Family Protection Blocks

• Adult and pornographic websites
• Gambling sites
• Known malware distribution sites
• Phishing and scam websites
• Ads and trackers (same as standard AdGuard DNS)

Option 2: AdGuard Home with Parental Controls

For more granular control, AdGuard Home provides built-in parental controls that can be configured per device. This is the best option if you want different protection levels for different family members.

Setting Up Per-Device Parental Controls

1. Open the AdGuard Home admin panel
2. Go to Settings > Client Settings
3. Add a new client for your child's device using its IP or MAC address
4. Give it a friendly name (e.g., "Emma's iPad")
5. Under the client settings, enable Parental Control
6. Optionally enable Safe Search to enforce safe search on Google, Bing, YouTube, and other search engines
7. Save the settings

Safe Search Enforcement

Safe Search is a powerful feature that forces search engines to return only safe results. AdGuard Home enforces this at the DNS level, meaning your child cannot simply toggle it off in the search engine settings. Supported search engines include:

Search Engine	Safe Search Support	Method
Google	Yes	DNS CNAME to forcesafesearch.google.com
Bing	Yes	DNS CNAME to strict.bing.com
YouTube	Yes	Restricted Mode via DNS
DuckDuckGo	Yes	Safe search parameter enforcement
Yandex	Yes	Family mode DNS redirect

Option 3: AdGuard Desktop Parental Controls

AdGuard for Windows and Mac includes a dedicated Parental Controls module that provides the most comprehensive protection for desktop computers.

Features

• Website filtering - Block categories of websites (adult content, violence, drugs, etc.)
• Safe Search - Force safe search across all search engines
• Password protection - Prevent children from disabling the controls without a password
• Sensitivity settings - Adjust the aggressiveness of content filtering based on your child's age

Configuring the Sensitivity Level

AdGuard's parental controls offer different sensitivity levels appropriate for different age groups:

1. Young children (3-7) - Maximum restriction. Only allows access to a curated list of approved websites.
2. Children (7-12) - Blocks adult content, violence, gambling, and drugs. Enforces safe search.
3. Teenagers (12-16) - Blocks adult content and the most harmful categories while allowing more freedom for general browsing.
4. Custom - Define exactly which categories to block based on your family's values and comfort level.

Important: No parental control system is perfect. Technical controls should be combined with open communication with your children about online safety. Teach them to recognize unsafe situations and encourage them to come to you when they encounter something uncomfortable.

Option 4: AdGuard DNS Personal Profiles

The AdGuard DNS dashboard at adguard-dns.io allows you to create personal DNS profiles with customized blocking rules. This is a cloud-based approach that works on any device and provides a middle ground between the simplicity of public DNS and the complexity of self-hosted solutions.

Creating a Child's Profile

1. Create an account at adguard-dns.io
2. Add a new device profile for your child
3. Enable parental controls in the profile settings
4. Configure the specific categories to block
5. Connect your child's device using the profile's unique DNS address

Each profile gets its own DNS endpoint, making it easy to apply different rules to different devices. You can monitor query logs for each profile separately and adjust rules as needed.

Best Practices for Digital Parenting

Technical controls are just one part of keeping children safe online. Here are broader best practices:

• Communicate openly - Talk to your children about why certain content is blocked and the dangers of the internet
• Monitor without spying - Check DNS logs periodically but respect your child's developing need for privacy as they grow
• Set screen time limits - Combine content filtering with time limits using your device's built-in screen time features
• Keep devices in common areas - For younger children, have them use devices in shared spaces
• Review and adjust - As your children mature, gradually relax restrictions to teach responsible online behavior
• Lead by example - Practice good digital habits yourself

Handling Overblocking

Parental controls sometimes block legitimate educational content. When your child reports that a website they need for homework is blocked, investigate and add it to the allowlist if appropriate. This is also a good opportunity to discuss the site with your child and verify that it is indeed appropriate. Over time, you will build an allowlist of trusted educational resources that work alongside the parental controls.

Combining Multiple Layers

For the most effective protection, combine multiple parental control layers:

1. Network level - AdGuard Home with parental controls and safe search (protects all devices on Wi-Fi)
2. Device level - AdGuard DNS Family Protection on the device itself (protects when away from home)
3. Browser level - AdGuard browser extension with appropriate filter lists
4. OS level - Built-in screen time and parental controls on iOS/Android

This layered approach ensures that protection follows your child wherever they go, whether they are at home on Wi-Fi, at a friend's house, or using cellular data. Each layer reinforces the others, and if one layer fails or is bypassed, the others still provide protection.

AdGuard's parental control features offer flexible, effective tools for keeping your children safe online. Start with the simplest option that meets your needs and add more layers as necessary. The goal is not to lock your children away from the internet but to create a safer space where they can explore, learn, and grow.