Share this Post
You have an urgent task, a habit you’re trying to break. Or another of the many reasons to block a particular website(s), such as parental controls.
It’s no use running through Google Chrome’s settings - as you could easily just open it on Internet Explorer or Firefox instead.
You’re looking to get this done in one foul swoop, and you need to block it on multiple devices.
Sounds like a procrastinator’s nightmare. But it’s quite simple. Whether you need to block a site on your phone or multiple browsers at once, you’re in luck. We’ve dealt with this before and we know the fix.
Our block website guide for phones/browsers will get you there as quickly as possible. Let’s start 👇.
Table of Contents:
Block a Website - Phone Section
Whether it’s an annoying pop-up asking you to review it on your iPhone, or some piece of adware attached to a free app you’re using - some apps make themselves hard to close out. Marketers push for commissions for referrals, while developers want feedback.
One way to block the barrage of requests it’s to block the specific URLs. For the parents of young children, this also works great for making devices children-friendly.
1. How to Block a Site: Android & Tablet
Security apps act as middlemen between apps and devices. Get extra protections from things like ransomware (see our best free antivirus list). You can set them to auto-block potentially malicious sites, as well as adding your own to block lists.
Security App Method:
You get the extra added benefit of knowing if an app could expose your personal info. If an app is attempting to take a screenshot or to access your device. Find your phone if it gets lost. And get help with recovery from ransomware or wiping your device.
These methods work for both android phones and tablets. Here are the steps to blocking an unwanted website using Trend Micro’s trusty Mobile Security app:
- Open up Mobile Security. Scroll to the bottom, Parental Controls.
- You’ll need to verify account information. Then choose Website Filter.
- Toggle Website Filter to turn parental controls on. Then tap Allow Now and follow instructions to give permissions.
- Select the parental control age range. (Not an important step; you can customise this later.)
- Tap Blocked List.
- Tap Add. Create a name for the new entry and enter the URL for the website you want to block. (Then tap Save.)
And you’re all set!
Website Blocker (BlockSite) Method:
You can schedule times for apps and websites to run, using website blocker apps like BlockSite. These are really good for locking in in study/work habits and detoxes.
You get the extra added benefit of being able to automatically block adult websites. Set your device work mode with timed intervals or break periods. Schedule when apps and websites will be blocked, in advance. And block individual web pages.
This method isn’t free but, again, works both for Android phones and tablets. Here are the steps to add a website to the blocked list in BlockSite:
- Open up BlockSite. Hit the plus sign (+) in the bottom-right section.
- Enter the URL you want to block, then choose the green tick.
- Now choose Alarm Clock in the top-right.
- In this section, you can dial in days and times of the week for the website.
- Tap the toggle button next to Schedule to activate the setting, then return to the main BlockSites section by tapping the arrow back.
And we're in action.
NoRoot Firewall Method:
You can get continuous monitoring for your device, including blocking data, according to your own predefined rules. Firewalls fence off traffic, permitting only clean data. To avoid having to root your android device, choose a no-root firewall such as the Grey Shirts app.
You get the extra added benefit of being able to proper sites differently depending on whether you are surfing via your mobile or Wi-Fi. You also get notifications of any attempts by apps to access the Internet. Grey Shirts comes without adware or in-app purchases.
This method is free. It works both for Android phones and tablets. Here are the steps to block a website using NoRoot Firewall:
- Open up NoRoot Firewall. Swipe left across the top grey bar until you reach the Global Filters tab.
- Choose a New Prefilter.
- Ding in the unwanted website’s URL, making sure to include the http or https part.
- In the Port section, tap the down arrow and then the asterix (*). You will notice that there are two checkboxes. Here, you can select whether you want to only block Wi-Fi or mobile data – or both.
- Swipe in the opposite direction at the top grey bar, in order to return to the Home tab.
- Last, tap Start. This will now add the prefilter that you just created to block the website, integrating it into the firewall’s operating rules.
2. Blocking Websites/Apps on iPhone (Using Screen Time)
By blocking specific websites, you have more control over the content your family can access on their iPhones. iOS has diverse features for this, automatically or manually.
This is the most handy for managing children and/or downtime.
For this, we’ll be using Screen Time, which is available in iOS 12 or higher. This feature lets you track your app usage. And lets you block certain websites or restrict specific applications. Here’s what you need to do in order to launch Screen Time:
Go into your phone’s Settings app. Tap screen time for more options - This can also be pulled down from the main menu, then typing screen time.
From there, tap ‘Content & Privacy Restrictions.’ This generates a long list of menu options where you can block or restrict. Here are the various ways you can use Screen Time:
Block Adult Websites
If you select ‘Limit Adult Websites’ in the content restrictions section, your iPhone automatically limits access to these websites. You can also add specific entries.
You get the option to Always Allow a specific entry or to Never Allow a specific entry. This will mean either that URLs can bypass restriction blocks, or that a website will definitely not be blocked by the firewall.
Permit Certain Websites Only (Useful for Kids 🧒🏼)
The ‘Allowed Websites Only’ option limits browsing to your own predetermined list of child-friendly sites such as National Geographic, Discovery, PBS Kids and Disney (see: how to unblock Netflix/Disney with a VPN guide). There’s already a pre-generated selection, you can add more by hitting the Add Website button.
Downtime Limits (Good for Bad Habits)
Downtime lets you create schedules or limit app and phone usage. Set quotas for the amount of screen time that the family has. During the downtime period, only calls and other enabled apps are allowed to work. You can block off time for specific app types, eg. attention-absorbing games like Minecraft.
Sync Screens With Kid’s
‘Screen Time For Family’ is available on iOS 12 and onwards. This makes it really easy to manage the browsing activities of your children.
Enter the Apple IDs of your kid's accounts and track their browsing habits and phone usage from your device. Set play time limits and enable extensions that require passcodes.
You can also fully turn off-screen time restrictions and then turn them back on if you choose to later on.
Block on Safari Web Browser
Safari is the iPhone’s default web browser.
You may as well add an extra layer of protection, to Screen Time, by using Safaris anti-fraud protections.
Head into the Safari browser and tap ‘Settings.’
Make sure the fraudulent website running option is toggled onto the green setting.
Block a Website - Browser Section
Whether it’s an annoying pop-up asking you to review it on your iPhone, or some piece of adware attached to a free app you’re using - some apps make themselves hard to close out.
Marketers push for commissions for referrals, while developers want feedback.
One way to block the barrage of requests it’s to block the specific URLs. For the parents of young children, this also works great for making devices children-friendly.
We’ve bunched this part of the guide into one section.
How to Quickly Block a Site: Chrome / Opera / Mozilla Browsers
Once again, we recommend using Block Site. Once you’ve installed the chrome extension, simply define your list of websites. You can also maybe on a schedule, such as for blocking social media outside of working hours.
For the parental controls option, you’re best off using any parental control software that runs on your computer itself. For instance, Windows 10 has a Family feature that will block websites for a child's account. Whereas the Mac has Screen Time, which we covered in the above section.
In Summary
Because of the synchronicity between modern devices, the tips given in the phone section of this guide should pretty much crossover for controlling and managing websites in your desktop browsers.
No surprise - everyone pretty much uses Windows or Mac. But if you’re looking for ways to furthermore tighten your security...particularly when it comes to dealing with ransomware or malware - consider making your valuable account data more difficult to reach, via a strong password manager.
You’ve learned to be the overlord of your own digital attention. We hope this guide was useful!
