How to Block Adult Websites on iPhone
Use iPhone Screen Time to restrict adult websites, add specific sites, check your setup, and understand when an app blocker can help.
By the Unhook team · Updated · Published
Start with the built-in website filter
On iOS 18 and iOS 26, open Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions, enable restrictions, then choose App Store, Media, Web, & Games → Web Content → Limit Adult Websites. You can also add individual addresses to Never Allow. You do not need to install Unhook to use these Apple settings.
The steps below follow Apple’s version-specific guides for iOS 18 and iOS 26. Apple reorganized Screen Time in iOS 27. If your menus differ, select your installed version in Apple’s current Screen Time guide. These are instructions for your own device; Apple has a separate parental-controls guide for a child’s device.
Turn on website restrictions in iOS 18 or iOS 26
- In Settings, open Screen Time.
- Open Content & Privacy Restrictions and switch it on. Enter your Screen Time passcode if asked.
- Open App Store, Media, Web, & Games, then Web Content.
- Select Limit Adult Websites.
- For a particular site you want to restrict, use Add Website under Never Allow and enter its address.
Keep restrictions enabled after changing the list. Apple documents this sequence in its website-blocking instructions. You can use a Screen Time passcode to require a code before changing your settings; follow Apple’s passcode guide for your iOS version. Keep a recovery method available. A passcode adds a step before changes; it does not make a self-managed phone impossible to change.
Check your setup without opening adult content
Use a harmless website you do not need right now, such as example.com, as a temporary entry in your blocked-site list. Open that exact address in the browser you normally use. Check whether the restriction appears, then remove the temporary entry when you finish. Keep any sites you actually want restricted on the list.
This is a practical check of one explicit website restriction in one browser. It does not prove that the automatic adult-content classification catches every site, or that every browser and embedded web view behaves identically. Recheck the setting and your harmless example after major device or browser changes.
Choose the control that matches what you want to change
| Your goal | Start here | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Restrict adult websites | Apple’s adult-website filter. | Review the website setting, not just whether Screen Time is enabled. |
| Avoid a particular website | An explicit blocked-site entry. | Check the exact address you use with a harmless test first. |
| Spend less time in an app | Screen Time’s time limits or a selected-app blocker. | A website restriction is not the same as restricting the app itself. |
| Keep a routine around your goals | A simple check-in or journal, with support if you want it. | Choose tools you will use; blocking alone does not guarantee a change in habits. |
Apple explains its time-management options in the Screen Time overview. App limits control access or time; they should not be treated as a filter for individual posts in a feed.
Common questions and troubleshooting
A website still opens. What should I check?
Confirm that Content & Privacy Restrictions remains on and that Web Content is not set to unrestricted access. If you added a specific address, compare it with the address actually opening in your browser. Then repeat the harmless test above. If a known restriction still fails, contact Apple Support with your iOS version, browser name, and the steps you tried. You do not need to send adult-content screenshots.
Will this remove adult posts inside social media apps?
Do not assume a website filter removes individual images, videos, or posts inside another app. Review that app’s own content controls. If your goal is to avoid the app altogether, consider a selected-app restriction instead of relying on a website setting.
Why do my menus look different?
Menu names depend on the iOS version and whether you are managing your own phone or a child’s Family Sharing account. The step-by-step section here covers iOS 18 and iOS 26. Use Apple’s version selector for other releases, or ask Apple Support rather than changing unrelated settings.
Does adding restrictions share my information with Unhook?
Following the Apple Settings steps does not require an Unhook account. If you later choose Unhook, review our privacy policy before using journals, community, or AI features. Permission to apply device restrictions and data processed by other app features are separate questions.
When to consider Unhook alongside device restrictions
If Apple’s website controls meet your needs, you can keep using them. Unhook combines a content blocker with streak tracking, journaling, guided breathing, and community features for people working on their porn-use habits. It provides self-help tools and does not guarantee recovery outcomes.
In Unhook, choosing apps and enabling its website filter are separate steps. Follow our Unhook content-blocker setup guide for those controls and their limitations. Unhook is free to download with an onboarding assessment; a subscription unlocks the complete system. Read pricing and subscription details before deciding, or use our app-selection checklist to compare the features that matter to you.