Troubleshooting Restricted or Blocked Website and Apps

Applies to: Premium Members

Child Accessing or Blocked from Websites or Apps

We recommend Premium Members customize the filtering rules for Website categories, Search and streaming media, and Social networks before blocking or allowing Websites. These filters have lists of hidden and related web addresses feeding the apps and websites.

Allow 2 minutes for the updated rules to sync with your Child's Devices. If this is not working, Parents can troubleshoot their Child's access to websites and apps using the steps below.

My Child is blocked from accessing an allowed website

If your child is blocked from a website you believe they should have access to, the internet filtering may be working correctly! Here are a series of steps to help your Child access the website.




If your Child sees "Content blocked" 

This computer is managed by your Child's School. Your Child needs to ask their School IT for access.

However, some Schools in Australia and New Zealand allow Parents supplying personal Devices to change one or more of the following:



My Child is accessing inappropriate Websites

Your child may be able to access questionable or inappropriate websites.

  1. On your Child's Device, open a web browser (Chrome or Safari) and go to the diagnostic page
    http://www.home.tools

  2. If the home.tools diagnostic page shows a different Device Owner
    See or Change a Device Owner

  3. Verify your Child is in the correct Age Profile 
    Change Your Child's Age Profile

  4. Check the site’s web category and recommended ages
    Check a Website Rating
    If the website is not categorized, tap Report a problem to start an online chat with us

  5. If the site isn’t blocked you can, change the rules for that site’s web category
    Customize Filtering Rules

  6. As a last step, if the Internet filtering & rules for Web categories, Social media or Streaming media don't match -- then you should block the website.
    Block or Allow a Website

The website I added is still not blocked

A website rule is designed to control a single web address. 

  1. Check the website is set up correctly

    • Block or allow the web address without the leading characters like www.  or m.
      (For example, block website.com -- not www.website.com)

    • Check the spelling of the web address

    • Verify the button is red for blocked or blue for allowed
      Block a Website

    • Investigate the website rating for your Child's age group
      Check a Website Rating

  2. Check the website is blocked/allowed for the correct age group profile
    Change a Child's Details
    Change Your Child's Age Profile

  3. Check your Child's daily Routine (Play, School, Study or Sleep) allows access to the Websites and Web categories
    Change a Calendar Day or Daily Routine

  4. Check the Usage for the user to see if there are other categories that are impacting the blocking rules
    Check Online Usage

  5. Check to make sure there isn’t a conflicting Website rule in Internet Filtering & Rules
    Customize Filtering Rules


I blocked an app website and the app is still working

You might not be able to use a website rule to completely block Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook, because there are dozens of hidden web addresses to make their apps and websites run.

  • Restart their device to clear out any active connections

  • On your Child's device, open Safari, Chrome or a web browser and go to the diagnostic page
    http://www.home.tools

  • If the home.tools page shows the wrong age group
    Change Your Child's Age Profile

  • In your Connect App, block the app in the matching Website category, Streaming media or Social media filter
    Customize Filtering Rules

  • If a website was already added, remove the website because it could be competing with the category filtering
    Reset Filtering and Rules

  • Finally, search for the app to find the app developer's website when the above steps didn't work
    Use Check a Website Rating and enter the Developer's website
    If the website is not categorized, tap Report a problem to start an online chat with us


My issue still isn’t resolved, what do I do next?

We are here to help. Sign in to your Connect App as a Parent. Go to Settings > Support center

If you don't have the Connect App

Have details available to help us troubleshoot your problem:

  • Account email
  • Child’s name
  • Devices impacted
  • Time of the issue
  • Description of the issue