The quick answer
For a standing restriction, open Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions → App Store, Media, Web, & Games → Web Content. Choose Limit Adult Websites and add the site under Never Allow. For blocks that follow your work schedule, use a scheduled website-blocking rule such as Atten’s.
Blocking a distracting website is useful when you still need your browser for work. Before changing settings, decide whether the site should stay unavailable or return after a task. Also check whether you visit it through a browser, a dedicated app, or both.
Choose the scope before the tool
Write down the site and the moment you want to avoid it: “no news during my morning reading” is more actionable than “use my phone less.” Keep the first list small enough to check. You can add another distraction once you understand how the original rule behaves.
- One site, continuously: use a specific website restriction.
- A few distractions during work: use a schedule with selected apps and websites.
- A child’s browsing access: use the child’s Screen Time settings and Apple’s parental-control guidance.
Block a specific website with Screen Time
- Open Settings → Screen Time.
- Open Content & Privacy Restrictions and turn it on.
- Open App Store, Media, Web, & Games → Web Content.
- Select Limit Adult Websites.
- Under Never Allow, choose Add Website and enter the URL.
Despite its label, this setting also lets you enter a specific site you want to block. It enables a broader content filter too, so check that websites you need still load. These steps follow Apple’s website restriction guide.
If you are managing a child’s device through Family Sharing, select the child in Screen Time before changing restrictions. Apple also offers Only Approved Websites for more limited browsing. That is a broader decision than blocking one distracting site; review Apple’s parental-control options first.
A Screen Time passcode protects changes to the settings you choose. Set it through Lock Screen Time Settings, and keep recovery available. On your own device, a restriction you can change remains a personal boundary rather than a permanent lock.
Check the routes you actually use
Do a short acceptance check before counting on the rule for an afternoon of work. Seeing a URL in a list is only the setup step; trying your normal browsing habits is the useful test.
- Open the blocked address in Safari, then in any other browser you regularly use.
- Try a bookmark, a shared link, and a new page load rather than only an already-open page.
- If you arrive at a different address, inspect that URL and decide whether it belongs in your restriction.
- Open the service’s dedicated app, if installed. Do not assume a website rule covers it.
- Check a necessary work site and any sign-in flow you rely on.
If the app remains a distraction, give it its own rule. The TikTok blocking guide shows how to think about app and browser access together. Repeat the check after changing your browser or the way you open links.
Keep a website available outside focus time
A standing restriction can be inconvenient for a site you use both recreationally and for work. If you need access later, organize the rule around time. Atten supports website blocking, recurring schedules, daily limits, and focus sessions across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
- Complete Atten’s setup, then select the distracting websites and related apps.
- Choose a short focus session or a recurring period that matches your routine.
- Test the selected site during the block and check access again after it ends.
Avoid blocking the entire browser if your task needs online research. Keep essential services outside your distraction list. If work moves between your phone and computer, check the Mac setup too, and verify each device rather than assuming that the phone test covers everything.
Common questions
Can I block a website without installing another app?
Yes. Screen Time is built into iPhone and includes website restrictions. Start there if a standing rule meets your need; compare Screen Time and app blockers if you want a routine organized around focus sessions.
Will Focus mode block a website?
No. Focus notification settings change which alerts reach you, including alerts from supported web apps. They do not themselves prevent you from navigating to a website.
Why did an unrelated page stop loading?
Review both your manual entries and the broader web-content setting. If the device is managed by a parent, school, or employer, ask its administrator to review the restriction. Do not remove management settings to work around it.
Sources
Apple settings checked against current iOS 26 documentation; older versions may use different labels.