Block pop-ups and redirects
Check the setting in every browser the child can open. Remove browsers you do not use and avoid installing unknown cleaner, booster or security apps from an advert.
BASTIONHOST / POP-UPS, ADVERTS & FALSE WARNINGS
POP-UPS, ADVERTS & FALSE WARNINGS
Teach hands off before a pop-up makes the decision.
A loud warning or flashing prize is designed to create a quick tap. Block what you can, keep the browser protected and give children one simple response when something unexpected takes over the screen.
START HERE
Set the boundary before you test it.
Do not expect a young child to separate a genuine system message from a convincing advert. Reduce the opportunities, keep software updated and make an unexpected full-screen message a reason to stop.
Review site notifications
A site allowed to send notifications can keep producing alarming messages after the page is closed. Remove permissions you do not recognise.
Keep the device current
Install operating-system, browser and app updates. Built-in protections work better when the device is still receiving security fixes.
PRACTICAL SETUP
Work through the real account and device.
Do not rely on what a parent dashboard appears to show. Apply the control, then check the result while signed in as the child.
Check which browsers and apps can open web pages
Look beyond the main browser. Games, video apps and messages can open web content inside their own window, so the child may not recognise that they have left the app.
Turn on pop-up and redirect blocking
In Safari, Chrome and any other browser the child uses, block pop-ups and redirects. Leave the built-in fraud or unsafe-site warning enabled.
Remove unwanted notification permissions
Review websites allowed to send notifications. Delete permissions for sites you do not recognise or no longer use, especially ones sending security warnings or prize messages.
Use child accounts and purchase approval
Keep app installation and spending behind adult approval. This reduces the chance that an advert leads straight to an unknown app, subscription or payment.
Update and remove doubtful apps
Install current updates and uninstall apps added through adverts or links. If the device behaves strangely, do not buy a cleaner from the message that claims to have found the problem.
Practise hands off and tell
Show a harmless example or describe one. The child should not press close if the screen feels frightening. They can put the device down and bring it to you exactly as it is.
Test with a normal site
Confirm a legitimate site still opens, pop-ups are blocked and the child cannot install an app without approval. Do not search for malicious adverts to test the setup.
TEN-MINUTE TEST
Check what your child actually sees.
- Pop-ups and redirects are blocked in each browser
- Unknown site notifications have been removed
- The browser and operating system are up to date
- App installation and purchases require approval
- The child knows not to call a number shown in a warning
- The child can put the device down and tell without being blamed
The family rule
If a warning, prize or countdown appears unexpectedly, do not tap it, call it or type anything into it. Put the device down and bring it to a grown-up.
What the settings cannot promise
Pop-up blocking cannot remove every advert or message inside an app. A genuine system warning can also look unfamiliar. The safe response for a child is still to stop and let an adult check through the device settings or official support route.
Current official instructionsApple guidance for pop-ups and persistent adverts ↗Google Chrome pop-up controls ↗Google Chrome Safe Browsing ↗
Written by Kevin Turnbull. Last reviewed 21 August 2026. Services, settings and menu names change. Check the current official instructions while applying this guide. This is practical parent-to-parent guidance, not emergency safeguarding advice. Find UK help and reporting services.
PARENT-WRITTEN GUIDANCE
Make the safe response automatic.
A child does not need to solve the pop-up. They need permission to stop, leave it alone and bring the device to someone who can check it calmly.
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