Set Up Unhook’s Content Blocker on iPhone
Set up Unhook’s iPhone blocker: allow Screen Time access, choose apps, enable the adult website filter, and check your settings with a harmless test.
By the Unhook team · Updated
The quick setup
In Unhook, open Library → Tools → Blocker, tap the power button, and allow Screen Time access if prompted. Open Blocker Settings to choose apps and turn on Web Content Filter for adult websites. These are separate controls: turning on the main blocker does not, by itself, mean the website filter is enabled.
This guide covers the iPhone controls. The current App Store listing requires iOS 18 or later on iPhone and iPadOS 18 or later on iPad. A subscription is required for the full app after onboarding; see pricing and subscription access. Labels and system prompts can vary with your app version, language, and iOS version.
Turn on blocking and choose what to restrict
- Open the blocker. Select the Library tab, then Tools. In Quick Access, tap Blocker. You can also open it with the shield icon on Home.
- Activate it and grant permission. If the blocker is off, tap the large power button. Follow Apple’s Screen Time authorization prompt if it appears. If you already allowed access during onboarding, you may not see another prompt. Confirm that the screen shows an active blocker status before continuing.
- Choose apps or categories. Open Blocker Settings. Under App Blocker, tap Choose Apps, or Edit Selection if you have already chosen items. Select the apps or categories you want to restrict in Apple’s picker, then confirm your selection. The picker can also offer websites from your device.
- Enable the adult website filter separately. In the same settings sheet, switch on Web Content Filter. Its status changes to Filtering active when both the filter and blocker are on. Check this switch explicitly, even if you granted permission during onboarding.
- Close settings and check your choices. Use the close button to return to the blocker. Leave it active, then perform the harmless check below. You can return to Edit Selection to adjust your choices.
Screen Time permission lets Unhook apply your restrictions through Apple’s controls. Apple’s selection picker represents your chosen apps and websites with private identifiers. This does not mean all Unhook data stays on your device; our privacy policy explains the other app features.
What each control does
| Control | What it covers | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Selected apps and categories | Restricts access to the apps or app categories you choose. | An empty selection does not block every app. Confirm the particular app you need is selected. |
| Selected websites | Applies a shield to website entries selected in Apple’s picker. | A selected website and an entire app are different targets. Check the one you actually use. |
| Web Content Filter | Uses Apple’s automatic adult-content website filter. | It must be switched on separately. Do not assume it filters every post, image, or video inside another app. |
| Explicit media restriction | When active, Unhook also asks iOS to restrict music and video marked explicit. | This is a media-label restriction, not the adult website filter. |
Apple documents its website filtering policies and explicit media setting. Website classification and enforcement depend on Apple’s controls. Unhook does not promise that every unwanted item will be blocked in every browser or app.
Check the setup without opening adult content
Temporarily choose a harmless, nonessential app you can safely pause. With the blocker active, try opening that selected app. You should encounter a blocking screen rather than normal access. Return to Unhook and remove the temporary selection afterward if you do not want it restricted. Keep essential communication and safety tools available.
This checks the selected-app restriction only. It does not establish that the adult website filter covers every site. To review that setting, reopen Blocker Settings and confirm that Web Content Filter is on and says Filtering active.
If something does not look right
Blocker Settings is dimmed
Settings are available only while the blocker is active and Screen Time permission is approved. Return to the main blocker screen and activate the power button first.
You see a Screen Time access denied message
Unhook cannot apply these restrictions without permission. Review Unhook’s access in your iPhone’s Screen Time settings, then reopen Unhook and try activating the blocker again. Follow the system prompt if it appears. If you cannot grant access, contact support with your iOS and Unhook versions and the exact message; do not include personal journal or recovery information.
The blocker is active but an app still opens
Check Edit Selection for that specific app or its category. Turning the blocker on does not automatically select all apps. Confirm that Screen Time permission is still available, and report a failed harmless test to support.
Safari’s Private Browsing option changes
Apple states that enabling a web filtering policy disables Safari Private Browsing. This can be an expected effect of the website filter.
You use more than one device
Review permission and selections on each iPhone or iPad you use. Do not assume a selection made on one device configures another. The Apple Watch companion is not the place to configure these iPhone restrictions.
Understand the limits before relying on a blocker
Unhook’s blocker can be turned off with its power button. Its settings can be changed, and it depends on continued Screen Time access. It is a practical barrier, not an unchangeable lock, a guarantee against bypassing, or a guarantee of recovery. Pair restrictions with a routine and the support that fits your needs.
If you only need Apple’s built-in website restrictions, Apple explains how to use Content & Privacy Restrictions and Limit Adult Websites without installing Unhook. For a broader comparison of what to look for, read how to choose a porn recovery app.