How to block websites on iPhone and iPad — keep your kids safe in iOS 17

iPhone 13 mini safari
(Image credit: Future)

One of the best parental control features Apple offers on iPhone and iPad is the ability to block websites on Safari. Using these controls within Safari can be a helpful way to restrict access to adult content such as porn or gambling.

On iPhone and iPad there are three different ways you can block websites to control the type of content you or a family member can access while surfing the web. Firstly, you can simply blanket ban adult content. Secondly, you can add specific websites to this general ban if any domains are slipping through the cracks. Finally, you can take a much tougher approach and ban all websites except the specific ones you've allowed. We'll show you how to do all three in this guide. Here's how to block websites on iPhone and iPad in Safari on iOS 17. 

How to limit adult content in Safari for iPhone and iPad

The first and easiest way to block websites in Safari is simply to turn on the "limit adult content" setting in Apple's Screen Time settings. This will create a blanket ban on websites generally considered to be adult, including porn and gambling, and requires the least effort. Here's how to do it:

  1. Launch Settings from the home screen
  2. Choose Screen Time
  3. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions

To limit adult content in Safari on iPhone, tap on the Settings app, then choose Screen Time. Choose Content & Privacy Restrictions (Image credit: Future/Apple)
  1. Toggle Content and Privacy Restrictions
  2. Select Content Restrictions
  3. Tap Web Content
  4. Choose Limit Adult Websites

To limit adult content in Safari on iPhone, toggle Content & Privacy Restrictions, then select Content Restrictions. Tap Web Content. Choose Limit Adult Websites. (Image credit: Future/Apple)

How to block specific websites in Safari for iPhone and iPad

If limiting adult content isn't enough, or you happen to notice a URL that has slipped through the cracks, you can always block any URL you want with restrictions. The steps are very similar:

  1. Launch Settings from the home screen
  2. Choose Screen Time
  3. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions

To limit adult content in Safari on iPhone, tap on the Settings app, then choose Screen Time. Choose Content & Privacy Restrictions (Image credit: Future/Apple)
  1. Toggle Content & Privacy Restrictions
  2. Select Content Restrictions
  3. Tap Web Content
  4. Choose Limit Adult Websites

To limit adult content in Safari on iPhone, toggle Content & Privacy Restrictions, then select Content Restrictions. Tap Web Content. Choose Limit Adult Websites. (Image credit: Future/Apple)
  1. Tap Add a Website under NEVER ALLOW
  2. Type the URL of the website you wish to block in the Website field
  3. Select Back at the top left

To limit adult content in Safari on iPhone, tap Add a Website under Never Allow. Type the URL of the website to block. Choose Back. (Image credit: Future/Apple)

Repeat this process for each site you'd like to block. Keep in mind that if certain websites have mobile sites, you may need to block them separately. If you find a site that's still getting through after you attempt to block it, visit that site and look in the Address Bar of Safari to make sure you're blocking the correct URL. Copy it if you need to and paste it into the field.

How to block everything and whitelist only specific sites in Safari for iPhone and iPad

For very young children, or if you simply want to make sure nothing is accessible except what you specifically allow, you can disable everything and then only turn back on the sites you consider permissible, like Apple or Disney.

  1. Launch Settings from the home screen
  2. Choose Screen Time
  3. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions

To limit adult content in Safari on iPhone, tap on the Settings app, then choose Screen Time. Choose Content & Privacy Restrictions (Image credit: Future/Apple)
  1. Toggle Content & Privacy Restrictions
  2. Select Content Restrictions
  3. Tap Web Content
  4. Choose Allowed Websites. This setting means only the websites you add are allowed to come through, and everything else is blocked

To limit adult content in Safari on iPhone, toggle Content & Privacy Restrictions, then select Content Restrictions. Tap Web Content. Choose Limit Adult Websites. (Image credit: Future/Apple)
  1. Tap Add Website
  2. Add Title and URL for a custom website that you wish to add to your allow list
  3. Choose Back

To block everything and whitelist only specific sites in Safari, tap Add Website. Add the Title and URL of the website. Choose Back. (Image credit: Future/Apple)

Keep unwanted content off your kids' devices

So there you have three different ways to block websites on iPhone. Each one is progressively more comprehensive, and as such requires slightly more steps each time. As mentioned, we would generally recommend starting with the general "limit adult websites," before progressing to more specific URL blocking if you want stronger controls. The "allowed websites" setting we'd generally recommend the most for devices used by young children. 

Stephen Warwick
News Editor

Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design.

Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9