How to Block Porn on iPhone With Screen Time (Make It Stick)

You can block porn on an iPhone for free with Screen Time. Open Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > App Store, Media, Web & Games > Web Content, choose Limit Adult Websites, and add any site that slips through to the Never Allow list. Then set a Screen Time passcode that someone you trust chooses and keeps, because a block you can turn off yourself at 1 a.m. is only a speed bump.

This guide walks through every step in order, covers the iPad and Mac, explains what Screen Time does and does not catch, and gets honest about the ways people get around blocks. It also covers what to do in the moments when a block is not enough, because those moments are the real reason most people read a page like this.

What Screen Time can and can't do

Screen Time is the free parental-controls system built into every iPhone, iPad and Mac. You do not need an app or a subscription. Its web filter, Limit Adult Websites, blocks adult pages in Safari and in apps that use Apple's web engine. It is a good first layer, and it is a filter, not a wall: it misses some pages, it does not control every app, and whoever knows the Screen Time passcode can turn it off. Most of this guide closes those gaps without paying anyone.

Step 1: Turn on Limit Adult Websites

This is the core setting. Allow about five minutes.

1. Open Settings and tap Screen Time. If you have never used it, tap Turn On Screen Time and follow the prompts, choosing "This is My iPhone" if asked.
2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions, then turn on the Content & Privacy Restrictions switch at the top.
3. Tap App Store, Media, Web & Games, then tap Web Content.
4. Choose Limit Adult Websites.

The menu also offers an unrestricted choice and an allowed-websites-only choice (Apple's wording for the last one varies by version). Limit Adult Websites is the one most people want, because the rest of the internet keeps working.

Apple's own description is that the setting "blocks detected adult content on the web," and Apple turns it on by default for accounts of people under 18. If you are an adult setting it up for yourself, you turn it on yourself.

Open Safari afterward and load a site you want blocked to confirm you get a blocked-page message instead of the site.

You can read Apple's current steps on its Block features or content with Screen Time page.

Step 2: Add sites to Never Allow

Limit Adult Websites works from Apple's own detection, and no filter catches everything. The Never Allow list is how you cover the specific sites you know are a problem for you.

1. Go back to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > App Store, Media, Web & Games > Web Content.
2. With Limit Adult Websites selected, scroll to Never Allow and tap Add Website.
3. Type the full web address of the site, such as the homepage address, and tap Done.
4. Repeat for every site you tend to end up on.

Add the sites you have actually used, not only the famous ones, plus the mobile and desktop versions if their addresses differ. Come back and add a new one any time you notice it. Two minutes of upkeep beats an hour of regret.

Never Allow does not help with the main part of a site like Reddit or X, because the adult material there sits on pages you also use for ordinary things. More on that in the Questions section.

Step 3: Set a Screen Time passcode

Right now, every setting above can be undone in four taps by anyone who opens Screen Time. The passcode is what turns a preference into a rule.

1. Open Settings > Screen Time.
2. Tap Manage Screen Time (on some versions this is lower on the screen, or you tap Lock Screen Time Settings directly).
3. Tap Lock Screen Time Settings.
4. Enter a four-digit passcode and confirm it.
5. If asked, add Screen Time Passcode Recovery with an Apple Account. Apple recommends this because without it, nobody, including Apple, can reset a forgotten passcode.

Use a passcode that is different from your iPhone unlock code. Apple's page on setting a Screen Time passcode has the current steps.

Here is the catch. If you pick the code yourself and you know it, you can change the settings yourself, and urges are very good at finding the four taps. The next step is what makes the passcode matter.

Step 4: Have someone else hold the passcode

If you have searched "how to block porn on iPhone permanently," this is the step that answers the question. The block lasts only as long as turning it off requires something you cannot do alone in a weak moment.

There are two ways to do this.

Option A: Someone you trust types the code in for you. Sit next to them, let them choose the four digits without you watching, and hand the phone back. They keep the code. If you want to change something, you have to ask them, in daylight, and explain why.

Choose someone who will not shame you or lecture you, and who will actually say no at midnight: a partner, friend, sibling, mentor, counselor or faith leader. Tell them exactly what you are asking: "I want to block adult sites on my phone. Can you set the passcode and not give it to me, even if I ask?"

Option B: A trusted adult manages your Screen Time through Family Sharing. Apple's Family Sharing lets an organizer or parent set and change Screen Time for another person's account, from their own device, so the passcode never lives on your phone. Apple's page on Family Sharing and parental controls describes how this works. The catch is that this setup is built for parents and children. It works best for teens, and it can be a larger step for two adults, because the organizer gets visibility into your usage and your account. Think about that before choosing it.

A few practical points for either option:

• Agree in advance on what counts as a good reason to change the passcode. "I need to unblock a work site" is one. "I just want to check something" is not.
• If your helper forgets the code, the Apple Account used for Passcode Recovery can reset it. Apple's page on changing your Screen Time passcode explains how, including which account is needed.
• Keep the job narrow: they hold a code, not your whole recovery.

Block porn on iPad and Mac

Screen Time is part of your Apple Account's setup, so the same ideas apply on other Apple devices.

On an iPad, the steps are the same as on the iPhone: Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > App Store, Media, Web & Games > Web Content > Limit Adult Websites. Set the passcode on the iPad too.

On a Mac, open System Settings > Screen Time, then Content & Privacy, then look for Content Restrictions and Web Content, and choose Limit Adult Websites. The exact names change between macOS versions, so use the same search method: if the name does not match, look for the closest one. The Mac also has a Screen Time passcode, set from the same Screen Time pane.

Each device is its own gap. A work laptop, a console or a smart TV is not covered by your iPhone's settings, so cover each one you actually use. If you turn on "Share Across Devices" in Screen Time, one passcode covers devices on the same Apple Account, which makes it matter even more who holds it.

Safari vs. other browsers

Limit Adult Websites works inside Safari. It also works in browsers that use Apple's web engine, which on iPhone means Chrome, Firefox, Edge and most others, because Apple requires iPhone browsers to be built on its engine in most countries. In practice, the setting applies to the main browsers you install.

What it does not reliably cover is a browser built into another app. Many apps open links in their own in-app window, and some apps, such as certain social apps, games and chat apps, include a full browser or a "discover" feed. Screen Time's web filter may not apply inside them.

The fix for that gap is DNS filtering.

DNS filtering: a second, free layer

DNS is the phone book of the internet. When you type a website name, your phone asks a DNS server where to find it. A family-friendly DNS service answers "not found" for known adult sites. Because this happens before the page loads, it applies to every app and browser on the network connection, including in-app browsers.

Two well-known free options publish filtered DNS:

• Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 for Families has a setting that blocks malware and adult content. Cloudflare's setup page lists the addresses: 1.1.1.3 and 1.0.0.3 for IPv4, and 2606:4700:4700::1113 and 2606:4700:4700::1003 for IPv6. Its documentation for 1.1.1.1 for Families lists all the options.
• CleanBrowsing offers a free Adult Filter and a Family Filter. Its site (cleanbrowsing.org) publishes the DNS addresses and an iPhone profile you can install. I could not load their pages while writing this, so check their instructions directly before you rely on the addresses.

Setting DNS by hand on an iPhone

Cloudflare's iOS setup page describes the manual method:

1. Open Settings > Wi-Fi and tap the info (i) icon next to your network.
2. Tap Configure DNS, switch from Automatic to Manual.
3. Remove the existing servers and add the family addresses, then tap Save.

The important limit, which Cloudflare states itself, is that this manual method applies to that Wi-Fi network only, not to cellular data. You would repeat it on each Wi-Fi network you use, and on cellular you would not be covered.

Using a DNS profile for Wi-Fi and cellular

A DNS profile is a small configuration file that tells your iPhone to use a DNS service on every network, including cellular. Filter providers such as CleanBrowsing offer one for iPhone. Installed profiles are managed under Settings > General > VPN & Device Management, so they can be removed in the same place, which means the passcode and your helper still matter.

Private Relay and VPNs

If you pay for iCloud+, iCloud Private Relay can route around DNS-based filters. If you rely on DNS filtering, turn Private Relay off under Settings > your name > iCloud. A VPN app does the same thing more completely, since it sends your traffic through a different network. If you do not need a VPN, delete it.

Router DNS at home

If you want protection for every device in your home, including consoles, smart TVs, guests' phones and your own laptop, you can set the filtered DNS on your home router instead.

1. Open your router's admin page. The address is often printed on the router, and many routers also have a phone app.
2. Find the DNS or Internet settings.
3. Replace the DNS servers with a family filter's addresses, such as Cloudflare's 1.1.1.3 and 1.0.0.3.
4. Save, then restart the router if it asks.
5. Set a strong admin password that someone else knows, or that you do not keep, as with the Screen Time passcode.

A router filter only works at home, so your phone on cellular is not covered, and it only holds if the router is hard to reconfigure. Pair it with the phone-level settings above.

For a single checklist covering every device, use our blocker setup guide, which For other devices and free options, see our guide to a free porn blocker. If you also use an Android phone or tablet, the steps differ, and our guide to blocking porn on Android covers them.

How people get around blocks (and what to do about each)

Almost everyone who sets up a block has found a way around it at some point. That does not mean you are weak. Closing the common workarounds in a calm moment is easier than doing it during a hard one.

Changing or removing the Screen Time settings. This is the most common one. Fix: the passcode, held by someone else (Step 4). Without it, nothing else in this guide holds.

Turning Screen Time off or changing the account. If a helper holds the passcode and Passcode Recovery is tied to an account you do not control, this gets difficult. Without that, ask yourself honestly how easy it would be.

Using a different browser. Most browsers on iPhone follow Limit Adult Websites. If one does not seem to, add DNS filtering or delete that browser.

Using an app with a built-in browser. Social apps, games, messaging apps and some "private browser" apps include their own web views. Fix: DNS filtering helps most. In Screen Time you can also block app installs under Content & Privacy Restrictions > iTunes & App Store Purchases > Installing Apps, so a new browser or app cannot be added without the passcode.

Social apps and feeds. Many people say their phone was the trigger, not a specific site: one scroll leads to the next. A filter on adult websites does not clean up an app's feed. Fix: mute or unfollow accounts that pull you in, turn off suggested content where the app allows it, use the app's "not interested" option, and consider deleting the app on your worst days. Screen Time's App Limits can cap daily use, and with the passcode held by someone else, the limit is real. See the Questions section for more on Reddit and X.

Using a VPN or Private Relay. These can route around DNS filtering. Fix: turn off Private Relay, delete VPN apps you do not need, and block app installs.

Using a different device. An old phone, a work computer, a tablet, a TV. Fix: cover each one, or agree with yourself that private browsing happens only on the protected phone. A router DNS filter at home covers many of them.

Factory reset. Erasing the phone removes local settings, and it is the strongest bypass of all. Fix: this is a human step, not a technical one. If your helper knows about it, it adds friction and a chance to pause. If you have already gone this far, it is a sign to talk to someone today, not a reason to feel ashamed.

The pattern across all of these is the same. Technical blocks add friction, and friction buys minutes. Urges often fade within minutes, so the next section is about what to do with them.

When blocks aren't enough: handling the urge itself

Blocks keep the easiest doors shut. They do nothing for the feeling that sends you looking for a door. People often describe the same moments: late at night, tired, bored, lonely or stressed, with the phone within reach. A block can stop one site on one device, and the urge can still be there afterward, asking you to find another way.

So most people do better with two layers: something that makes it harder, and something that helps in the minutes after the pull. A few things that help in those minutes:

• Change your body's position and place. Stand up, leave the room, step outside, take a shower.
• Delay by ten minutes. Many urges rise and fall in about that time.
• Name the feeling. Bored, lonely, stressed, tired. Naming it can loosen it.
• Tell a person. One short message to your helper: "rough night, can you check on me tomorrow."
• Make bedtime easier. Charge the phone outside the bedroom if you can. Our guide on why you relapse at night goes into the late-night window in more detail.

Where Essence fits

Essence is a free recovery app for iPhone and Android. To be clear, Essence does not block content. It does not filter websites, monitor your browsing or replace the settings above. Use Screen Time, DNS and a person for the blocking, and use Essence for the part blocks cannot reach.

What it does:

• Streak timer with widgets. A live count of your time since your last relapse, on your home screen and lock screen, so progress is visible each time you pick up the phone.
• Panic button. A one-tap tool for the moment an urge hits, so you have something to do instead of searching.
• Relapse log with triggers. If you slip, you can log your mood, urge level and what set it off, and get support afterward instead of a spiral of shame.
• Charts. About fifteen statistics views, including when relapses happen and which triggers show up most, so you can see your own patterns, such as a rough hour at night, and plan for them.

If you want to see how long you have gone already, the free streak calculator works in your browser with no sign-up. If you are comparing options, our best apps to quit porn guide covers several, including ones that focus on blocking.

Questions

Does Limit Adult Websites block everything?

No. It blocks pages Apple's system detects as adult, and detection is never perfect. Some pages slip through and some harmless pages get blocked by mistake. Add the sites you know are a problem to Never Allow, layer on DNS filtering, and treat the setup as a way to make things harder, not as a guarantee.

How do I block porn on iPhone so it can't be bypassed without a passcode?

Set the Screen Time passcode (Settings > Screen Time > Manage Screen Time > Lock Screen Time Settings) and have someone else choose it and keep it. Then block app installs in Screen Time so you cannot add a new browser or VPN without them (look under Content & Privacy Restrictions > iTunes & App Store Purchases on your version). Nothing is perfectly unbreakable, since a factory reset or a different device can get around any phone setting, but a passcode held by another person turns "tap a switch" into "ask a person."

Does it work in Chrome and other browsers?

Mostly yes. On iPhone, third-party browsers are built on Apple's web engine in most regions, so Limit Adult Websites generally applies in them. It may not apply inside an app's own built-in browser. Using filtered DNS covers many of those cases. Test your own setup by checking a site you have already added to Never Allow in each browser you use.

Can I block Reddit or X content on my iPhone?

Screen Time can block a whole site, but it cannot filter just the adult posts inside a site that also has plenty of ordinary content. Both Reddit and X let you adjust sensitive-content settings in their own account settings, and you can mute accounts and keywords. If a feed keeps pulling you toward adult material, the effective options are to turn those in-app settings on, remove or limit the app, use Screen Time's App Limits so it locks after a set time, or add the site to Never Allow for a stretch. Use the one that fits how much of the app you actually need.

Will Screen Time notify someone if I turn it off?

Screen Time on your own phone does not message anyone by default. If you want to be accountable to a person, tell them yourself and agree on how you will check in.

Is blocking enough to quit?

For most people, no, and that is normal. A block removes some opportunities, and the urge itself still has to be handled. If porn use is hurting your relationships, sleep or work, or you feel unable to stop, a therapist who works with compulsive sexual behavior can help, and there is nothing shameful about asking.

A simple plan to set up today

1. Turn on Limit Adult Websites and add your known sites to Never Allow.
2. Set the Screen Time passcode with a trusted person holding it.
3. Block new app installs in Screen Time so a new browser or VPN needs the passcode.
4. Add filtered DNS, by profile on your phone or on your home router.
5. Move the phone charger out of the bedroom tonight.
6. Pick one tool for the urge itself, such as a panic button, a streak counter or a message to your helper.

None of this has to be perfect. Each step makes the easy path a bit harder and the helpful path a bit easier, and that is how a block begins to stick.