Block Websites on iPhone with or without Screen Time

Have you unintentionally accessed a malicious website and don't want to see that content ever again? Or are you a parent who needs to protect your child from inappropriate web content? Whatever the reason you come here, we will walk you through how to block websites on your iPhone.

💡The following methods also work to block a website on an iPad.

How to Block Websites on iPhone with Screen Time

Starting with iOS 12 (released in 2018), the iPhone provides users with "Screen Time" to manage device usage, including the ability to block inappropriate websites and certain websites. Now, follow these steps to restrict websites on iPhone and iPad for free:

Step 1.Open the "Settings" app and locate "Screen Time."
Step 2.Go to "Content & Privacy Restrictions" and make sure the toggle is on.

Step 3.Tap "Content Restrictions" and then "Web Content."
Step 4.Now, you have two options to block websites depending on your needs:

Limit Adult Websites -- This filters adult websites automatically. If you need to block certain websites, tap "Add Website" under "Never Allow."

Allowed Websites -- This blocks all websites except those you approved or allowed.

Pros:

Totally free.
Blocked websites can not be loaded across Safari, Chrome, Firefox, etc.

Cons:

The web filtering can be bypassed by resetting the Settings.
Some adult websites cannot be filtered, such as adult chat sites.
Safari keeps crashing when entering the blocked URL.

How to Block Websites on iPhone without Screen Time

Indeed, Screen Time is so powerful that it restricts websites on iPhone. But in case you are looking for ways to block websites on iPhone without Screen Time, this part can satisfy you.

Via iPhone Website Blocker

When coming to stopping websites, the first choice that comes to our mind is using a website-blocking app. Among these, BlockSite is an innovative site blocker for iPhone, helping us quickly and seamlessly restrict websites as well as apps.

In light of this, you can use BlockSite to block websites on iPhone without Screen Time:

Step 1.Start by installing the BlockSite from App Store.
Step 2.Launch it, and select "Block something."
Step 3.Under the "Websites" menu, select the site or website category to block.
Step 4.Then, tap on "Next" to decide which period these sites should be restricted. And press "Done" to complete.

Pros:

It can sync your filtering preferences across devices.
Blocks websites by URL keywords or categories.
Schedule when the sites can be blocked or allowed.

Cons:

Only 6 website categories for blocking.

Pricing: $9.99/month

Via Parental Control App

When researching this topic, we found there are many guardians looking for a way to block websites in families, as the DNS servers they used before don't work well on iOS devices. Luckily, AirDroid Parental Control comes to help!

With it, you can easily set up a website blacklist or whitelist for your kids. It boasts nearly 30 website categories for you to block. Not only that, it helps you track your kid's browsing history. Here's how to block a website on iPhone with AirDroid:

Step 1.Install AirDroid Parental Control and bind your child's iPhone based on the prompts.
Step 2.Go to "Website Restrictions."
Step 3.Choose "Blacklist Mode" under the "Mode" section.
Step 4.Then, select "URL Blacklist" to add any URLs you need to block on your kid's iPhone.

Step 5.To restrict website categories, switch to "Subscriptions."

Pros:

Restricts certain websites remotely.
Allows to set time limits for the websites.
Schedule downtime when the sites can be blocked.
Uninstall prevention.

Cons:

A little complex setup.

Pricing: $9.99/month

Via Router Settings

Another way to block sites on iPhone without Screen Time is using your WiFi router settings. Almost all types of routers come with firewall and website blocking options, allowing you to block unwanted websites on all devices connected to that network. Here is how you can do that:

Step 1.Access your router's admin page
To do that, open your web browser and type in your router's configuration IP address, which you can find at the bottom of the router. You can also call customer support to learn what the address is.

Step 2.Sign in to your router
After accessing the configuration page, enter your credentials and access the device's admin control page.

Step 3.Find the URL or website blocker option
Depending on the type of router you are using, the location of these settings will vary. But you can generally find these settings under the device's "Firewall" or "Security Settings" menu.

Step 4.Type the name of the websites you wish to block
After finding the URL or website settings, you can start typing in the URL of the websites in the text box individually. Once done, click on "Apply" and then exit the page.

Pros:

Free.
No need to configure each device individually.

Cons:

All devices connected to the WiFi router will be affected.
Easy to bypass once use mobile network.
Complex setup.

Via DNS Blocking

If you prefer using WLAN on your iPhone, configuring your DNS settings is useful to block websites. This way involves preventing access to specific websites or online resources by blocking their domain names using the Domain Name System (DNS). Here's what to do to configure your DNS settings to restrict websites on iPhone:

Step 1.Access your iPhone "Settings" and locate the "WLAN" section.
Step 2.On this WiFi menu, click on the blue icon with "i" next to your connected WiFi.

Step 3.Then scroll to "Configure DNS" and select "Manual".

Step 4.Enter the DNS server that can help you block websites, such as 208.67.222.123 and 208.67.220.123. Here are some preset DNS servers you can use:

DNS Servers	DNS Addresses	What It Can Do
OpenDNS FamilyShield	208.67.222.123 208.67.220.123	Blocks adult content and other inappropriate sites.
AdGuard DNS	94.140.14.11 94.140.15.15	Blocks ads in iPhone.
Quad9	9.9.9.9 149.112.112.112	Blocks known malicious domains.

Pros:

Free.
Enhanced network security.

Cons:

Easy to bypass by using a VPN.

Free DNS servers may not catch all unwanted content.

Verdict: Which Way You Should Choose

To block certain sites or inappropriate websites on iPhone for free, the built-in Screen Time tool is the go-to option. Certainly, you can also change the WiFi router or DNS settings to block websites for the entire network if you are tech-savvy.
If you're looking to be more focused or increase productivity by blocking websites, BlockSite can help. It even offers a focus mode, allowing you to set your work time and break intervals.
But if you need to monitor and control your children's online activities, set up Screen Time with iPhone Family Sharing or opt for parental control apps like AirDroid Parental Control.

Final Words

In all, while the internet is one of the most powerful digital luxuries we have to make our lives simpler, it does have a lot of drawbacks, such as countless explicit search results, malicious websites, etc. In light of this, we have mentioned some of the best ways to help you restrict websites on iPhone with or without Screen Time.

FAQs about Blocking Sites on iPhone

How to block inappropriate websites on iPhone?

Elsa

You can use Screen Time to limit adult websites, but this tool is not robust enough to filter adult chat sites in my test. Therefore, you can also enable Google Safe Search to filter adult websites or try a third-party website blocking program.

How do I remove allowed websites on iPhone?

Elsa

To remove allowed websites on your iPhone, go to "Screen Time" in "Settings." Select "Content & Privacy Restrictions" > "Content Restrictions" > "Web Content." Lastly, swipe left across the allowed website and tap "Delete" to remove it.