Short answer
Create a free account, add each child with their age, and the right protection switches on by itself. Then protect your child's device by pasting one address into its settings (we show you exactly where), and watch it turn green. Optionally, set your home Wi‑Fi router so every device in the house is covered too.
1. Create your account
Go to sheepdogfilter.com/signup and sign up with your email or Google account. It's free to start, and you don't need a card.
2. Add your kids
Add each child with a first name and an age range. Sheepdog Filter picks sensible defaults for that age:
- Adult sites, gambling, scams, dating sites and VPN workarounds are blocked for everyone.
- SafeSearch is forced on Google, Bing and DuckDuckGo, and YouTube is set to Restricted Mode.
- A bedtime (no internet from 9 PM to 7 AM) is added, which you can change or switch off.
- Younger kids also get social media and AI companion apps switched off, and under-8s get online games and AI chatbots off too.
You can change any of it later with a single switch.
3. Protect their device
Pick the device (iPhone, Android, Chromebook, Windows, Mac) and follow the two or three steps on screen. It's always the same idea: paste one address into the device's settings. Each device has its own guide if you want to read ahead:
When it's done, the setup page shows This device is protected in green. No guessing.
4. Cover the whole house (optional, but worth it)
Your home Wi‑Fi router has a DNS setting too. Put our address there and every device on your Wi‑Fi is covered, including the TV, game consoles and friends' phones. It also backs you up if a child ever removes the setting from their own device. See the home Wi‑Fi router guides.
5. Let it run
That's it. Each week you get a short email in plain English: what was blocked, which apps your kids used most, and anything worth a look. If your child starts using a new app, we'll tell you. And if something is blocked that shouldn't be, your child can ask you to unblock it, and you answer with one tap.
Sheepdog Filter
The internet, childproofed in five minutes.
One switch per worry, every device in the house, and a plain-English report each week. Free to start, no app to install.
Start freeQuestions parents ask
Do I need to install an app on my child's phone?
No. Sheepdog Filter is a setting, not an app. On iPhone and Mac it's a small settings profile from Apple's own system; on Android, Chromebook and Windows it's one address pasted into the network settings.
Is it really free?
Yes. Sheepdog Filter is free for typical family use. Very busy households can upgrade from inside the dashboard later, and we'll tell you well before you get anywhere near the limit.
What if I get stuck?
Every setup page has an "I'm stuck" button that sends us the details of the device. A real person replies, usually the same day.