Remove parental control on the BBC iPlayer?

There seems to be a large flaw with the BBC iPlayer, their Parental Control feature is based on a cookie.
This makes it very easy for any computer whiz kid to allow themselves to watch programmes which are normally shown after the watershed whenever they like. And to top it off, the BBC explain how to delete the cookie in their help page.

2016 Edit turns out this page is rather high on a Google search. This post was first written in 2007 for the web version of the iPlayer. If your TV is asking for parental control it’s most likely due to the TV’s built in restrictions. If you’ve yet to set a PIN, it will tend to be 0000, 1234 or 1111. If these don’t work search for “default code” along with the make and model of your TV in Google.

46 thoughts on “Remove parental control on the BBC iPlayer?

  1. The new look BBC homepage is also controlled by a cookie – so anytime you reset them the layout changes back to the original format.

    It’s probably an interim step before launching a full membership service.

      1. The BBC’s idea o having a default position which automatically puts a Parental Lock ON and, thereby, denying access to downloading from iPlayer on a computer . . . is f–king ludicrous!! The procedure should be the other way round! The web-site is exceptionally “UN-USER FRIENDLY”. For 4 successive nights I’ve tried to disengage the “Lock” but the GOBBLEDEGOOCK on the BBC “Help” pages have exploded the premiss that ‘Man is a rational being’ ! It seems you must first PLACE A PARENTAL LOCK on access to iPlayer BEFORE you can REMOVE the ridiculous impediment that it most certainly is. And as for indicating that one HAS NEVER HAD a PIN (which is the ‘key’ element in striving to un-lock ‘Parental Lock’) and has ALSO exhaustedly scrolled through the numberless “HELP” columns – one merely ends up back at the beginning of the original morass of jargonised “help directives” from whence one came!

      2. Apparently I have set up a four digit Parental Guidance password on my I-player which I can’t remember, and so I am no longer able to watch a lot of things. Does anyone know how to change this?

    1. I am 82 but cannot cancel series recordings on my television because it has parental control,that I do not need,I do not ever remember putting in numbers for parental control .I have tried 1234 but that does not work.

    2. Apparently I have set up a four digit Parental Guidance password on my I-player which I can’t remember, and so I am no longer able to watch a lot of things. Does anyone know how to change this?

    3. What the point of these complaints.?There’s NO HELP forthcoming . Everyone’s got the same issue but no one has posted a resolution.

  2. I do not want parental control- when I have tried to watch celebrity apprentice usa for 5/1/15 it wont let me because it is blocked and locked by parental control. I have tried to unlock with no success. Please help.

    1. At present I have to enter a 4digit number to access almost any film or drama on BBC iPlayer . I would like to switch it off but do not have the code and it must be different to the one I enter to watch iPlayer . I am told that that I have failed three times and do not want the system to block up . What can I do ?

  3. Rosemary if your browser has a “private browsing” or “incognito” mode use that and then visit the iPlayer. You should find you are now asked if you are old enough and if you want to add parental controls.

  4. I’m with you John. The iplayer on my Panasonic TV will not let me watch anything. It’s asking for a code I haven’t set up. How do I wipe and restore iplayer?

  5. The child lock on my laptop wont unlock. I dont remember ever doing a 4 pin # how can I get rid of it or even find out what the pin number was im a senior .

  6. I havev a child lock on which asks for a pin number – I didn’t set up a pin number.
    How do I get to see the lrecent version of UNDERCOVER?

  7. I cant get through to The latest Undercover programme. There is a child lock on it – I didn’t set up a pin number! How do I get to the programme?

  8. I did not set up parental control as no children live here. I did not set a pin number and you will not send me the pin to my email address

    1. At present I have to enter a 4digit number to access almost any film or drama on BBC iPlayer . I would like to switch it off but do not have the code and it must be different to the one I enter to watch iPlayer . I am told that that I have failed three times and do not want the system to block up . What can I do ?

  9. If anyone still has a problem, you put your selection on parental controls menu item (but don’t actually select) then you use your tv or console remote (kindle fire for me) and hit the right button four times, and then the left button four times. This will clear the parental controls entirely.

  10. we now can not watch anything and it is creating mayhem in this house and if it was not for a neighbour who told meb we have sitting through xmas and new year they have adviced us to take this further but big corporations will just swipe us into your rubbish bag .
    We are part of the 99% who have been your private bank .
    IF you could sort it out my daughters are going to the social medium , Ombubdsman and sollicitors – they [god biess them ] though i was being a bit over the top .
    Regards
    David Waugh
    hope you can help like you did my neighbourrgh .

  11. want to know how to access our 4 digit numbers on our i player so the kids can do there home work , please send us the 4 digit numbers it can not be difficult , please please help.
    Planet earth is blue and there is nothing i can do ?

  12. BBCiplayer keeps asking for parental control code, i have never set up one. Why is this happening???? I don’t want a parental control code as ti am the only one watching the watching.

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