How to completely block YouTube on Xiaomi router: all ways of 2026

You can have to block access to YouTube via Xiaomi router for many reasons, from limiting time for children to improving productivity at work. Unlike locking on individual devices, the router-level setting covers all connected gadgets — phones, tablets, Smart TVs and even game consoles. But there are nuances: standard methods like parental control are often bypassed through a VPN or changing DNS, and some Xiaomi models (such as the AX3600 or AX6000) require additional firmware manipulation.

In this article, you will find 5 proven ways to block – from basic settings in the web interface miwifi.com to advanced methods with editing the hosts file and using alternatives. DNS-We'll also look at why some of the ways stop working after you update your router's firmware, and how to get around it. If you want to block not only YouTube, but other sites (like social networks or gaming platforms), some of the instructions will work for them.

1.Blocking through parental controls in MiWiFi

The easiest way is to use built-in parental controls in MiWiFi firmware.It is available on all modern Xiaomi routers (starting with Router 4A and later) and does not require additional software installation. However, this method has limitations: the lock only applies to devices associated with a specific user profile, and is easily bypassed through a VPN or changing the DNS on the client device.

To set up the lock:

1. Open your browser and go to miwifi.com (or 192.168.31.1).
2. Go to Parental Controls (in English, Parental Controls).
3. Click Add Rule and select the device from the list of connected devices (or create a new profile).
4. In the Blocked Sites field, type: youtube.com www.youtube.com m.youtube.com youtu.be googlevideo.com This will cover the main YouTube domains, including the mobile version and embedded videos.
5. Set a lock schedule (e.g. 20:00 to 8:00) or select Always.
6. Save the settings and restart the router.

⚠️ Note: If the target device is used VPN (For example, NordVPN or ProtonVPN or changed settings DNS (For example, on 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8), the lock will stop working.

Blocking the MAC-Address: Restriction of access for specific devices

If you only need to block YouTube for certain devices (such as a children’s tablet or smartphone), you can use filtering to block YouTube. MAC-This is more robust than parental control because it's tied to the physical ID of the device, but it's also vulnerable to bypassing. VPN.

Instructions:

• 🔍 Find it. MAC-The address of the target device. On Android, you can see it in Settings. → The phone. → General information. On iOS, in Settings → Wi-Fi → (i) close to the network.
• 🖥️ Go to the router control panel (miwifi.com) and go to Advanced Settings → Wireless mode → Filter MAC.
• 📝 Add in. MAC-Address to the blacklist and save settings.
• 🔒 Now you can configure a separate rule for blocking sites (as in method 1) or completely disable Internet access at certain hours for this device.

💡 Useful tip: To block the device can not connect to the router through the guest network, disable it in the Wi-Fi settings → Guest network or set a separate password for it.

3. editing the hosts file: locking at the DNS level

This method is suitable for advanced users, because it requires access to the router's file system, and it works by redirecting YouTube domains to a non-existent one. IP-The advantage of this method is that it locks all devices on the network, including those that have been changed. DNS.

⚠️ Attention: Incorrect editing of the hosts file may result in loss of access to the router control panel. Before starting, back up your current settings in System Tools → Backup/restore.

Steps for routers on MiWiFi firmware (powered by AX3600, AX6000 and other SSH-access models):

1. 🔌 Connect to the router on SSH. For this: Turn on SSH In the settings: Advanced settings → Systemic tools → SSH. Use the PuTTY (Windows) or Terminal client (macOS/Linux) plug-in 192.168.31.1 with root login and password from the control panel.

hosts

vi /etc/hosts

(If you don’t have a vi, use nano.)

0.0.0.0 youtube.com


0.0.0.0 www.youtube.com




0.0.0.0 m.youtube.com




0.0.0.0 youtu.be




0.0.0.0 googlevideo.com




0.0.0.0 ytimg.com

:wq

vi

Ctrl+O → Enter → Ctrl+X

nano

reboot

Important: After updating the router firmware, the hosts file will reset to the factory settings. To avoid this, create an automatic rule recovery script (instructions in the spoiler below).

4.Use of alternatives DNS-filtered-server

If the previous methods seem complicated, you can use the public DNS-For example, OpenDNS FamilyShield or CleanBrowsing block access to YouTube and other adult sites at the level. DNS. This method does not require editing the router settings (except for changing the router settings). DNS) It works even if the device has parental controls disabled.

How to set up:

1. 🌐 Go to the router control panel (miwifi.com).
2. 🔗 Go online. → Settings DNS.
3. 📋 Enter addresses. DNS-server: 🛡️ OpenDNS FamilyShield (blocks YouTube and content 18)+): 208.67.222.123 208.67.220.123 🧹 CleanBrowsing Family Filter (blocking YouTube, social media, porn): 185.228.168 185.228.169.168

🔄 Save settings and restart the router.

⚠️ Note: If the device manually registered another DNS (For example, 8.8.8.8 or 1.1.1.1, the lock will not work. To avoid this, turn off the option to change the lock. DNS on target devices or use forced forwarding DNS on the router (available in Padavan or OpenWRT firmware).

5 Installation of third-party firmware (Padavan/OpenWRT) for extended filtration

If standard methods don’t work (for example, due to VPN bypassing), you can install alternative firmware like Padavan or OpenWRT. They provide advanced traffic filtering tools, including:

• 🔥 Blocking for Keywords in URL (For example, YouTube, googlevideo).
• 🛡️ Forced redirection DNS for all devices on the network.
• 📊 Detailed traffic statistics with the possibility of blocking by category (social networks, video hosting, etc.).
• 🔄 Automatically update the lists of blocked domains.

💡 Useful tip: For Xiaomi routers, hanwckf’s Padavan firmware is recommended, as it is optimized for the MediaTek iron platform (used in Router). 4A, 4C, 3G/3Gv2). For models on Qualcomm (for example, AX3600) OpenWRT is fine.

⚠️ Note: Installing third-party firmware will void the warranty and may result in loss of functionality (e.g., working with Mi Home or Mesh networks:

After installing Padavan, the YouTube block is set up as follows:

1. 🖥️ Go to the control panel at the address 192.168.123.1 (default login/password — admin/admin).
2. 🔧 Go to Advanced Settings → Traffic filtering.
3. 📝 In the section List of blocked URL Add: youtube.com *.youtube.com *.googlevideo.com youtu.be
4. 🔄 Enable the Forced option DNS and specify server 185.228.168.168 (CleanBrowsing).
5. 💾 Save settings and restart the router.

💡

Padavan firmware allows you to block YouTube even when using a VPN on your device, since filtering occurs at the core level of the router.

Comparison of blocking methods: which one to choose?

Each method has its pros and cons. Below is a comparison table that will help you choose the best option depending on your task.

🔹 For most users, the best solution is a combination of alternatives. DNS (Method 4) and parental control (Change 1) balances ease of setup and efficiency.

🔹 If there are users on the network that are actively using VPN, The only reliable option is the firmware Padavan/OpenWRT (method 5) forced-filtered traffic.

FAQ: Frequent questions about blocking YouTube on Xiaomi