In this article, we are going to tell you How to Block Websites on iPhone.

Google Project Zero researchers found malicious websites that have been effectively targeting iPhones. Attackers were able to accomplish this by taking advantage of mobile browser flaws. It was sufficient for the exploit server to access your device and install malware or a monitoring implant if you visited one of the infected websites.

Watering hole attacks were used by the compromised websites to target visitors. Five distinct iPhone exploit chains were gathered by the Google research team over two years, spanning iOS 10 through iOS 12. The fundamental reasons, which were not unexpected, were found to be lines of code that either never executed, skipped quality assurance, or had scant testing before being incorporated into iOS updates for customers.

Additionally, You may have considered trying to limit some of the websites your young children can see, such porn or gambling, if they use an iPhone or iPad. Thankfully, as long as you’re using Safari on an iPhone or iPad, Apple allows you to choose the kind of information you may access.

With parental controls enabled on Apple’s top iPhones, like the iPhone 14 Pro, you can automatically establish boundaries and restrictions in Safari, such as blacklisted and whitelisted websites, ensuring that your child won’t see any inappropriate content on a link they shouldn’t have clicked. The management of Safari’s parental settings and web content limitations is explained here.

Why Is Website Blocking Required For iPhone?

There are many excellent reasons to block particular websites, even on an individual’s own iPhone, even though they are typically linked with safeguarding youngsters from adult content. It can be handy to set up a web filter on an iPhone to block particular websites. There must be a passcode entered to override the setting if it is configured on a child’s iPhone.  

Mostly on the user’s own iPhone, this blocks access to the website and shows a warning alerting them to the restriction along with an option to modify the status and “Allow Website.”

Blocking is effective in a variety of situations and can act as a reminder. The iPhone’s error notice that the website is prohibited may be sufficient to discourage visits to time-wasting websites and motivate users to get back to their current tasks. Placing a step in front of accessing a website if a more helpful app is available can encourage users to use the app.

Blocking websites that are associated with your job acts as a subliminal reminder to those who frequently work too much to take a break during a holiday or other time off. Whatever the motivation, it’s useful to know that iPhone and iPad users can block websites.

Website Blocking Techniques for the iPhone and iPad

For your convenience, we have devised a variety of methods for blocking websites on iPhones and iPads.

1. Making Use of Apple’s Screen Time

Apple released several Screen Time upgrades in September that include easier-to-use parental controls and website filtering tools inside iOS 16 and iPad OS 16.

• Standard Settings Based on Age

Earlier iterations of Screen Time required users to navigate through at least 30 steps in order to implement age-based restrictions for various iOS apps, TV episodes, movies, music, and books. Nowadays, when parents join children in Family Sharing, these filters are pre-selected.

Any new iOS device that is moved close to one that has been already plugged into your network triggers the appearance of a quick start option. The parental restrictions of the device that is granted permission are automatically mirrored on the new iPad or iPhone.

• Screen Time Requests

 When a child approaches their display time restrictions on their devices, they can write messages to their guardians to request more time. Parents may quickly accept or reject these requests using iMessage, saving them from having to take their child’s iPhone and physically change settings.

• Family Checklist

 Family Checklist provides helpful advice on parental controls, GPS tracking, memberships, and other Home Sharing features. Material & Privacy Restrictions, Medical ID, and other functions that were originally dispersed around the Settings app’s outer reaches have been consolidated here.

To enable content limits on your IOS device:

• You can access Settings from your home screen.
• Select Screen Time by scrolling down.
• Tap Web Content. Go to Content Restrictions -> Privacy Restrictions -> Restrictions on Content. 

Unrestricted: Allows unrestricted use to any website without restriction.

Limit Adult Websites: Prevents use of private browsing and limits access to explicit material.

Access to a select group of family-friendly websites that you can change, such as Disney, Funbrain, and PBS Kids, is permitted under the Allowed Websites setting.

These limitation options are not specific to Safari; they function in all browsers on all platforms. However, other applications, including Facebook and YouTube, will not be affected by these settings.

Go to Screen Time in the Settings app to set time limits and other limitations on particular apps.

2. Utilizing Free Website-Blocking Software

Your children can change these settings on their iPhones, so it’s not just parents who can block websites. Although if you keep the passcode for Screen Time a secret, cunning youngsters may still be capable of obtaining it.

Many free website-blocking applications, including BlockSite, are available in the App Store and can tighten limitations. A blocker is a useful tool if you want to keep your adolescent focused on school or shield a small child from adult websites that have objectionable content and sexually explicit language.

The Chrome and Firefox browser extension from BlockSite is free and may be downloaded as an iOS or Android app.

Applications like BlockSite enable you to:

• Limit pornographic content, social networking, and game apps by blocking websites according to category.
• You can manually choose a list of certain websites to block.
• Sync limitations on tablets, PCs, and mobile devices.
• Examine use data from the devices that your family utilizes.

Enabling BlockSite on an IOS Device

Website blocking programs all have a similar setup procedure when you download the mobile app or browser extension.

Regarding the Browser Add-On:

• Toggle the BlockSite toolbar icon selected.
• Choose the options or gear icon.
• From the left-hand menu, choose the Block Sites tab.
• Put the websites you want to ban in the bar on the right.
• Select Enter to confirm your blocklist.

In the Smartphone App:

• Block List is the shield icon located in the lower left corner.
• In the lower right corner, simply click and hold the green dot.
• By entering the domain name, a keyword, or a category, you can add websites to your block list.
• Hit Done to validate your blocklist in the upper right corner.

Is BlockSite Always Free?

BlockSite offers a version that is free forever. It is a restricted feature because only three websites can be blocked at once.

Key features like password security and custom block pages are also absent from the freemium edition. BlockSite costs $9/month for access to additional services including limitless blocks and their bulk-blocking tool.

3. Making Use of Router-Level Restrictions

Parental control options are present on most Wi-Fi routers. Although they track website traffic and list IP addresses, routers don’t censor your internet activity the way device security software does.

Nevertheless, you can use the majority of contemporary routers to block a specific website by its URL. For instance, NETGEAR and Nest Wifi are two popular routers with built-in website-blocking functionality.

Using your router, block websites:

• The IP address of your router should be entered in the browser on your device. This specific identity is printed on a sticker that is attached to the router’s rear.
• To view the settings for your router, log in.
• Access the website blocking tool by going there.
• Enter the website URLs that you want to block specifically. Additionally, depending on your router, you might be able to ban entire categories like social media or games.
• All modifications should be saved.
• Start your router again. This will guarantee that your modifications take effect immediately.

The parental controls and internet-blocking databases found in every router are not the same, though. If you want to access age-based filters and profiles, you might need to pay a monthly fee.

Apps for blocking websites are effective, but their limitations are specific to each device. You might find yourself juggling apps and restrictions on numerous iPhones, iPads, and gaming consoles if you have several kids.

The fact that all network devices will be affected by the limits when router-level blocks are implemented is one of their main advantages. Even if your kids know how to unblock websites on their iPhones, they can’t get through your router’s level security measures.

No matter what browser or operating system your child’s device uses, websites that are prohibited on a router’s network will continue to be unavailable.

4. Siri Web Search Restrictions

To limit Siri’s functionalities:

• Click Screen Time under Settings.
• choose Content Restrictions from the Content & Privacy Restrictions option after that.
• After you scroll down to Siri, choose your selections.
• The features listed below in Siri can be restricted:

Web Search Content: Stop Siri from using the internet to find answers to your queries.

Siri shouldn’t display any explicit language, therefore block it.

Website Blocking in IOS 8 to IOS 11

From iOS 8 through iOS 11, the functionality is available in the Restrictions settings.

• Upon your iOS device, open the Settings app.
• Choose General.
• Touch Restraints
• Provide a passcode with 4 digits to safeguard the information. Make use of a clue that your children won’t have.
• Then select Restrictions. To verify it, re-enter the passcode.
• Tap Websites under the Allowed Content heading on the Restrictions screen.
• Make Limit Adult Content active.
• Leave the Settings application. The passcode safeguards the automated saving of your decision to block pornographic websites.

Although effective, this approach to limiting pornographic content is rather broad. You can discover that it excludes adult websites while permitting others to function.

Apple relies on third-party ratings, which aren’t ideal because it can’t rate every page on the internet. Create a list including only the websites they are permitted to visit if you’re not happy.

Limit Web Browsing to just Approved Websites

Use the tool to make a list of websites that your children are only permitted to access rather than relying on Screen Time (or Restrictions) to filter the entire internet. Young children may use it and it provides you greater control.

You can access this function by following the directions in either of the aforementioned sections, and it is situated on the same screen as Limit Adult Content. To add other websites to this list, follow the guidelines below:

Use the instructions below to add new websites to this list:

• Click Add Website there at bottom of the list of accepted domains to add a new site.
• The Title text box should be filled with the domain name of the site.
• The website address should be typed into the URL text box.
• Select Web Content to return to the previous display (or Websites). Continually repeat for as many sites as you like.
• Stop using the settings. Your saved sites are those you have added.

Remove the Permitted Websites from the List

The iPhone comes preinstalled with a variety of family-friendly web pages, such as ones from Apple, Disney, PBS Kids, National Geographic Kids, and other brands. The steps below can be used to delete any website from this list:

• In the iOS 12 limited websites screen, select Only Allowed Websites.
• On any website, you want to delete from the list of approved sites, swipe left, then hit Delete.
• Repeat for every website you wish to eliminate.

Your children will see a notice stating that the website is blocked if they access one not on the list of permitted websites. They cannot do it directly without the passcode, however, you can add it to the list of approved if they request it and you accept owing to the Allow Web address in the file.

Final Remarks

There is a tonne of dubious content on the internet, which is a large place. It is best to shield young children and teenagers from undesired, likely NSFW content. Thankfully, if you are using Safari, Apple makes this simple to do.

For the optimal iPhone experience, just prevent it from being able to browse any websites you simply wish to stay away from entirely.

FAQs

1. On Safari, Is It Possible to Block a Website?

Using Screen Time, you can restrict access to a webpage in Safari on a Mac. Better yet, you can limit access to only particular, approved websites. Alternatively, you can set up a third-party website blocker, however, each app’s settings will differ.

2. Is It Possible to Block Websites for Free?

BlockSite is a freeware chrome extension for Firefox and Google Chrome as well as an iOS and Android application that does precisely what it says on the tin: blocks websites for you. Among other things, you may sync blocks between desktop and mobile, block websites individually or by category, and receive user stats on how you use your devices.

3. Can a Website Be Completely Blocked?

Logging in will allow you to access the router’s settings. Open the website blocking tool. You can block websites by entering their unique URLs. You could also be able to ban entire categories like social media or games, depending on your router.

Also read: How to Add Text Box in Google Docs

Last Updated on January 23, 2023 by Apeksha Soni