How to Block a Website: A Parent’s Guide to Safer Browsing

If you’re concerned about what your child views online, blocking specific  websites can help protect them from inappropriate content and distractions. Keep in mind that blocking websites isn’t the end-all for parental controls. It is, however, a useful safety net, especially for younger kids. 

To help you with the tools you need to create a safer online experience for your child, we’ve created this comprehensive guide to how to block a website across various browsers and devices, including Chrome, FireFox, and iPhones. 

How to block a website on Chrome

To block your child from accessing a particular website on Chrome, you can use the browser’s built-in features or a third-party extension.

How to block a website using Chrome’s built-in features

1. Set up Family Link, if you haven’t already. (Click here for detailed instructions.)
2. Open the Family Link app.
3. Select your child.
4. Tap Controls > Content restrictions > Google Chrome.
5. Under Manage sites, tap Blocked.
6. Tap Add a website.

If you aren’t sure what websites to block for your child, we recommend starting with pornographic websites, adult chat platforms, and websites with weak privacy settings and age restrictions.

Using an extension to block a website on Chrome

You can also use a third-party extension to block websites on Chrome. Just be sure you choose one that’s reputable, such as ones found on the Chrome web store. Here are a couple to check out:

• Web Site Blocker
• BlockSite
• Block Site Ex

How to block a website on Safari

Here’s how to use Safari’s built-in parental controls to block websites:

1. Click on the Apple icon in the top-left corner of your screen.
2. Select System Settings from the dropdown menu.
3. Click on Screen Time and select your child’s name.
4. Click the toggle button to activate Screen Time. 
5. Click on Content & Privacy.
6. Click the toggle button to enable Content & Privacy. 
7. Click Content Restrictions > Access to Web Content.
8. Select Limit Adult Websites.
9. Click Customize.
10. Under Restricted, click the Click Customize, then click the + symbol to manually input the website URLs you’d like to block. 
11. Click Done to finalize. 

How to block a website on Firefox

Firefox doesn’t have any built-in parental controls, so you’ll need to block websites on your operating system or use an extension. 

For Apple devices, Firefox checks the parental controls on your computer and sets itself to a safer browsing mode. To enable this on Mac, you’ll want to enable content and privacy restrictions on Screen Time and limit adult websites. Follow the same instructions as you would for Safari above.

How to block websites on Firefox for PC

1. Set up Family Safety here. 
2. Sign in your own Microsoft account.
3. Find your child’s account on the Your Family page.
4. Click on More Options > Content Restrictions.
5. Go to the Web Browsing section. Enable the Block Inappropriate Websites option.
6. Enter the unwanted websites to the Always Blocked section.

Using an extension to block a website on Firefox

You can also use a third-party extension from the Mozilla add-on store to block websites on Firefox. Here are a couple to check out:

• Block Site
• Website Blocker

How to block a website on iPhone

Use the following steps to block websites on your child’s iPhone with the built-in Screen Time feature: 

• Open Settings.
• Scroll down and tap Screen Time, then select your child.
• Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions.
• Toggle the switch to turn on Restrictions.
• Tap Content Restrictions.
• Select Web Content.
• Choose how you want to restrict content: Unrestricted, Limit Adult Websites, or Allowed Websites.
• Add the URLs you want to block.

Learn more about how to block porn on iPhone, including text messages and explicit apps.

How to block a website on Android

To block websites on your child’s Android, you can either use the built-in parental control features or Google Family Link. Here’s how: 

Blocking websites on an Android with parental controls

1. Open Settings on your Android device.
2. Scroll down and tap on Digital Wellbeing & Parental Controls.
3. Tap on Parental Controls.
4. If you haven’t already set up parental controls, tap on Get Started and follow the prompts to create a PIN and configure your settings.
5. Once parental controls are enabled, tap on Content Restrictions.
6. Under the Web Content section, tap on Restrict Websites.
7. Tap on Add a Blocked Website and enter the URL of the website you want to block. 
8. Tap on the back arrow to save your settings.

Blocking websites on an Android with Google Family Link

1. Download Google Family Link.
2. Follow the instructions to set up a Google account for your child or link their existing account to yours. 
3. Open the Family Link app.
4. Select your child.
5. Tap Controls > Content restrictions > Google Chrome.
6. Under Manage sites, tap Blocked.
7. Tap Add a website.

The bottom line

To help protect their child online, parents should take an active role in vetting the websites they visit. This includes blocking websites that may expose them to inappropriate content or open them up to other risks. Additionally, parents should use other measures to keep an eye on content their child has access to, such as a parental monitoring app like BrightCanary.