How to block YouTube on an ASUS router

ASUS has two different kinds of block

ASUS parental controls can apply a broad streaming category or an internet schedule to selected devices. The separate firewall URL filter can block a domain, but ASUS says it cannot target one device. It applies too widely for a shared home in many cases.

There is no current ASUS setting that promises an exact YouTube website block for one selected child device. Start by deciding whether you can accept a streaming category block or a whole home URL rule.

Check model support and update the firmware

ASUS says parental controls and Web & Apps Filters exist only on supported models. Update the router, then open http://www.asusrouter.com from a device on the home network and sign in with the router admin account.

The current web path is Parental Controls, then Web & Apps Filters. On some firmware it sits under AiProtection, then Parental Controls, then Web & Apps Filters.

ASUS keeps both paths in its current parental control guide. The page was updated in March 2026. Menus can still differ by model.

Block the streaming category for selected devices

1. 1

   Open Web & Apps Filters and turn the feature on. Accept the listed terms if your model uses the Trend Micro filter.

2. 2

   Select the child's devices by name and address. Check each name against the physical device before applying the rule.

3. 3

   Choose the Streaming category or its closest current label. Add the profile and select Apply.

4. 4

   Restart the test device. Try YouTube, then test every other streaming service the child still needs.

This is not a YouTube only rule. The category can block music, radio, TV, and other streaming sites. ASUS may also change the sites inside a category.

The firewall URL filter affects the home more widely

ASUS documents Firewall, then URL Filter for a blacklist, and it looks like the obvious answer. It will not block YouTube. ASUS's own URL filter guide states that the filter does not work on HTTPS-encrypted pages, and YouTube is served entirely over HTTPS. The same page notes the filter cannot block a site for one device while exempting the rest.

So use Web & Apps Filters above instead. It works by category rather than by address, which is why it is not defeated by HTTPS. Leave URL Filter for plain HTTP addresses, which in 2026 is almost nothing.

If your model has no Web & Apps Filters, the router is not the right tool for this. Take the DNS route on the block YouTube with DNS guide, or filter in the browser instead.

Use Time Scheduling for bedtime

The current ASUS path is Parental Controls, then Time Scheduling. Some firmware places it under AiProtection, then Parental Controls. Choose the child devices and create an offline schedule.

Check the router time zone before testing. ASUS calls this out because the schedule follows the router clock. Test at the start and end of the rule.

An offline schedule blocks all internet for the selected devices. It is a better match for no access at night than the home wide URL filter. Cellular data and phone hotspots still sit outside the ASUS network.

Use account controls when YouTube should stay open

Google now lets a linked parent block an exact channel for a supervised child account. Family Center can also set the daily Shorts feed limit to zero.

Vidward cannot change ASUSWRT, AiProtection, or router DNS. It is a desktop browser extension plus a parent dashboard. It does not filter phones, tablets, TVs, consoles, or the network.

For a computer where the child may keep YouTube, Vidward can set channel, video, title, Shorts, and autoplay rules in a desktop browser. For the broader network choice, read how to block YouTube on your router. For schedules, read how to block YouTube at certain times.