How to block a specific website on iPhone
Blocking one specific website on an iPhone, a site you keep going back to, is quick. There are two ways to do it, one built into iOS and one through an app. Here are the steps for each, and how to choose.
Option 1: Apple Screen Time, no app needed
Screen Time is built into your iPhone and can block a specific site on its own.
- Open Settings, then Screen Time.
- Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions and turn it on.
- Tap App Store, Media, Web, & Games, then Web Content, then Limit Adult Websites (on iOS 17 the first row is called Store, Web, Siri & Game Center Content).
- Under Never Allow, add the exact site you want blocked.
It is free and takes a minute. The catch is that it comes off in seconds for whoever knows the Screen Time passcode, and if that is you, it is a soft lock. The full Screen Time guide shows how to make it hold.
Option 2: a Safari content blocker
If you want a bigger net and a lock that holds better, add the site to a blocker's custom list instead. In Escape, open the Home tab, tap the option to block a site, and type the address. It applies in Safari right away, and Escape also blocks more than 40,000 adult sites automatically, with no account. The step-by-step is in adding a custom site to Escape.
Which to use
For one site where you just need a nudge, Screen Time is enough. For blocking that actually holds, and for covering more than a single site, a blocker is the better tool. They also stack, so many people run both. If you want the full picture of blocking on iPhone, the complete guide lays out every layer.
Common questions
How do I block one specific website on my iPhone?
Two ways. In Settings, use Screen Time's Limit Adult Websites and add the site under Never Allow. Or, in a Safari content blocker like Escape, add the site to your custom block list. Both stop it from loading in Safari.
Can I block a website without an app?
Yes. Apple's Screen Time is built in and can block a specific site with no extra app. Go to Settings, then Screen Time, then Content & Privacy Restrictions, then App Store, Media, Web, & Games, then Web Content, choose Limit Adult Websites, and add the site under Never Allow.
Which is better for blocking a specific site, Screen Time or a blocker?
Screen Time is free and built in but easy to switch off unless someone else holds the passcode. A blocker like Escape has a bigger list and is harder to disable in the moment. Many people use both.
Does blocking a site work in every browser?
Screen Time's web filter applies across iOS browsers. A Safari content blocker applies in Safari. For the widest coverage, Screen Time plus a blocker covers the most ground.
Escape blocks porn in Safari for free, extends to every browser with Deep Block, and adds a 90-second urge ritual, practice games that retrain how you meet an urge, and 28 short courses on identity and the long arc of recovery. No account, no personal tracking.
More on this topic in iPhone and iPad guides, or go deeper with the Born into porn course.