How to Set Up AT&T Parental Controls for Mobile, TV and Wi-Fi

AT&T offers comprehensive parental controls through the Secure Family app and Smart Home Manager to control internet use, locate devices, and block apps and websites. Parents can use AT&T to configure parental controls on mobile devices and television.

We have prepared this guide to take you step-by-step through each method that AT&T offers for parental controls. We’ll review if a kid can bypass these settings and whether a third-party tracking app is better for parental control.

AT&T Secure Family for Mobile Phones

AT&T Secure Family is a family app that offers parental controls and allows parents to manage their kids’ digital activities. The Secure Family Companion app offers location tracking, internet access controls, web & app filters, and phone usage and notifications.

In our full Secure Family app review, we discuss in detail how to use the Secure Family Companion App to locate family devices in real-time, block or set internet times, block websites and apps, and send SOS alerts in emergencies.

To use AT&T Secure Family, you need a smartphone or tablet running iOS 15 or higher or an Android 11+ smartphone or tablet.

Here’s how to get started with AT&T Secure Family:

1. Sign up for AT&T Secure Family on the My AT&T app, online, or the Secure Family app.
2. Download the Secure Family app on the primary device or parent app.
   
3. Install the companion app on the child’s device by sending them an invitation via SMS or email. If you have physical access to the child’s device, you can also scan a QR code.
4. Once you have downloaded the app on the parent and child’s phones, you can use it to locate their device and apply various parental controls.

How to Use Secure Family to Locate a Family Member’s Phone

1. Open the Secure Family app. Choose the child whose location you want to see.
2. Tap the map at the top of their profile to open a map of your child’s current location.
3. Zoom in on the map to see a detailed view of their exact location.

Secure Family App Internet Access Controls

Secure Family allows you to block internet access for all connected devices or a single device.

1. Open the Secure Family app and tap the blue plus button on the Family Map or Family Hub.
2. Tap Block Internet.

To block internet access for all devices under a specific profile:

1. Tap your child’s profile on the Family Hub.
2. Tap the Block Internet icon on the profile screen.
3. You’ll get a prompt, “Are you sure?”. Tap Yes.

To block the internet on a specific device:

1. Tap your child’s profile.
2. Select Devices and choose the device that you want to block internet access.
3. Tap Block Internet and then Yes to apply the block feature.

How to Set Time Limits with AT&T Secure Family

You can set time limits for your child’s screen time.

1. Tap on a child’s profile on the Family Hub.
2. Scroll down the child’s profile until you see Usage.
3. Tap the category, such as app or website.
4. Tap Set a Time Limit and then choose Weekdays/Weekend to specify when you want to apply the time limit.
5. Select the time value and tap Save.

Manage AT&T Parental Controls for TV

AT&T offers the U-Verse TV service, which offers hundreds of live TV channels. Due to the wide variety of entertainment available, U-Verse TV allows you to manage channels and set up various parental controls.

How to Hide Channels with AT&T TV Parental Controls

1. Press the Menu Button on your U-Verse Remote.
2. Scroll to Options and then press OK.
3. Select Channels.
4. Scroll right to the Hide Channels option and press OK.
5. Scroll through the channels list and press OK to uncheck (hide) channels.
6. Select Save from the Menu and press OK to apply the hidden channels.

How to Set Up Parental Controls on AT&T TV

1. Press Menu on your U-Verse TV Remote.
2. Choose Options > System.
3. Scroll down to Parental Controls and press OK.
4. Enter your parental control PIN. If you have never used parental controls, you will be asked to set up a PIN.
5. Select Locking Options, then scroll down to choose locking criteria:
   • Channels;
   • Adult;
   • Purchases;
   • TV ratings;
   • Movie ratings;
   • Time.
6. Select Save to apply the parental controls.

Set Up AT&T Wireless Parental Controls

You can apply parental controls on AT&T wireless internet using the Smart Home Manager app or the AT&T Wireless Internet online dashboard.

The Smart Home Manager can manage internet access for a profile or device on the home network.

How to Use AT&T Smart Home Manager to Control Internet Access

1. Download the Smart Home Manager from the Google Play Store or the App Store.
2. Sign in to your account with your User ID and password.
   
3. Go to Network > Connected Devices > and select the + icon to add a profile.
   
4. Go to Downtime Schedule and shift the toggle to the right to turn it ON. Then, choose the days of the week and when you would like to disable Wi-Fi on devices on your child’s profile.
   
5. Select Save to complete the parental controls feature.
   
   Source: AT&T Support

How to Apply AT&T Wireless Parental Controls from the AT&T Wireless Dashboard

1. Go to https://mywifi.attwifi.com/ent_loginpage from a device connected to the AT&T wireless internet network.
2. Enter your Admin Login, then click Login. The default admin login is attadmin, and it is located at the bottom of the Wi-Fi router.
3. Click Home on the right and scroll to Parental Controls.
4. Choose a child’s device, then check the box next to Parental Controls to turn it On.
5. Click Apply.
   
6. To add permitted websites, click the parental controls check box and then click Edit.
7. Scroll to Permitted Websites, then click Add New. Now add the permitted websites under Website URL.
8. Under Time Restrictions, go to Add New and then add days of the week and the time that you want to apply time limits.
   

Users’ Review of AT&T Parental Controls

AT&T parental controls on Secure Family have mostly received negative reviews, with most people saying they prefer the Smart Limits and Family App over the Secure Family app, since Secure Family requires the companion app to function.

Some users have cited that the Secure Family app is buggy, and they keep uninstalling and installing it to ensure the features function properly.

AT&T Smart Home Manager has received mostly positive reviews. Users are satisfied with the layout and features, saying they like all the useful tools in the app.

Another parent was impressed that they can keep their teenage sons safe from hacking from unknown devices by blocking any unknown device connected to their Wi-Fi.

Can a Kid Bypass AT&T Parental Settings?

As parents have noted, tech-savvy kids can bypass AT&T parental settings.

One says their child could disable their profile, while another changed their device’s IP address and bypassed the AT&T parental settings.

However, AT&T offers solutions such as enabling Mac address filtering, allowing only the enabled devices to connect to the network.

AT&T Parental Controls VS Family Tracker

To understand the comprehensiveness of AT&T parental controls, let’s compare them with the best family trackers and monitoring apps like mSpy.

Read the complete mSpy review for phone monitoring and parental controls:

Conclusion

AT&T parental controls help protect kids’ digital activities while offering locating tracking for peace of mind. The company’s parental settings are applicable throughout its services, allowing parents to be vigilant with how kids interact on AT&T networks.

Using the parental controls available will give you the control you need, since you can’t spend every waking moment worrying about your child’s whereabouts and the entertainment they are consuming.

You can rest easy knowing your child is within the limits you have set for them using AT&T parental controls. For even better monitoring, use third-party apps like mSpy.