How to Configure Freedom Blocker for Content Blocking
If you've ever tried preventing yourself from using a specific application on your computer, you've probably realized that this a lot harder to do on your own. Many people opt to use a Blocking Application to do this, and one example is called Freedom Blocker.
One of the most common questions that we get from customers is how they can improve their content blocking on their computers. For both Mac and Windows computers, there are some restrictions that are very difficult to enforce with a Content Policy alone:
- How can you always ensure that a DNS Content Policy is always enabled?
- Can you prevent programs installed on your computer from being easily uninstalled?
A DNS Content Policy is very powerful, but it doesn't address these issues. Instead, we usually recommend using additional methods, such as Freedom Blocker.
How Effective is Freedom Blocker at Content Blocking?
From our testing, Freedom Blocker performs very well if you have certain goals in mind:
- You want to remove distractions for a focus sprint.
- You want to block specific websites according to a schedule.
- You have multiple devices that you want to apply the same settings on.
Freedom blocker excels at all of these. It allows you to remove the distractions you choose very easily, for a limited time.
However, if you are trying to block adult content on your devices, then Freedom has a couple of limitations that you should consider:
- First, Freedom is concerned with keeping you focused, not blocking content.
- Second, Freedom has a limited free tier/trial. You will get 7 free sessions, and some features will be locked until you upgrade.
- Third, Freedom does include an option called "Locked Mode", which prevents you from changing settings during a session. However, this isn't the only option you should consider.
At Tech Lockdown, we are looking through a very particular lens. We want to provide tools our customers can use to "lock down" their devices. Freedom provides several tools that are useful, but we strongly recommend pairing it with a strong Content Policy - one that allows you to block more types of content.
How Does Freedom Work?
In order to use Freedom, you will first need to install their desktop application (for computers and laptops) or app (for smartphones). This is how Freedom will start blocking content on your device.
Next, you will need to sign up for an account. This account allows you to manage settings for all of your devices from one dashboard. It should look like this:
You can see all kinds of information here, such as which devices are currently connected, what filters are enabled, and which sessions are active.
Start a Session
Sessions are very important - it's how Freedom works. Whenever you want to block content, you will need start a session. Each session can be assigned to a device (or multiple devices) and configured with built in or custom filters.
There are two ways to start a session, either from your device:
Or from the online dashboard:
There are three types of sessions you can start:
- Start Now sessions start immediately, without any delay. The free trial includes 7 of these sessions.
- Start Later sessions allow you to specify when the session should start. These require you to upgrade to the premium version.
- Recurring sessions allow you to create your own schedule for a session. This is perfect if you need to reduce distractions or block certain apps at specific times of the day. This requires the premium version in order to use.
Each session also has a duration. With the free trial, Freedom allows you to test out their platform with 7 free Start Now sessions. Once you've upgraded, you will then be able to create multiple sessions at once, and set Recurring sessions as needed.
Before you start a session, you can also choose which filters and what devices you want it to apply to:
You will be able to see all current sessions on the Freedom dashboard. This dashboard can be easily accessed from the app or application on your computer:
You don't have to stick with the default filters - Freedom lets you configure your own even while on the free trial.
Configure a Custom Filter
From the Freedom dashboard, you should see a section called My Blocklists. From here, you should see many different options:
Each of these options has a specific purpose:
- You Custom Websites: Let's you add your own websites, such as URLs. You can add multiple websites, but each filter only lets you add 50 entries.
- Common Filters: Easily block common websites.
- Category Filters: Block whole categories of websites.
We recommend trying to use the category filters as much as possible, since they will allow you to cover more ground and block the greatest number of websites.
Block Programs
Another powerful feature you can use is to block an installed application or program on your computer.
If you click on the Manage Blocked Desktop Apps option from your device, you should see a list of programs currently running on your computer:
If you want to block a program during a session, make sure to check the box next to it.
An important note: if you don't see the program you want to block listed, first make sure that it's running on your system. Then hit the Refresh button at the bottom of the menu:
When you start your next session, the applications that are checked off will be blocked until the session is complete.
Combine Freedom with a DNS Content Policy
If your goal is to completely block adult content on your devices, then Freedom alone might not be enough. We believe that Freedom is very effective at helping your stay focused, and prevent bypassing other restrictions on your device.
Tech Lockdown provides a highly customizable DNS Content Policy that pairs very nicely with Freedom's abilities. In addition to the features Freedom offers, a DNS Content Policy lets you:
- Easily block website categories and disable apps. For example, if you want to block Facebook, you can block its website and disable the app on any device connected to your Content Policy. Plus, you can block all social media platforms with the Social Media category.
- Block content according to a schedule. Similar to Freedom, a DNS Content Policy can be scheduled to specific times of the day.
- Create rules that are always active. If you want to block adult content all of the time, you can create a rule that is always enabled, regardless of the time of day.
Freedom can block access to certain programs that allow you to disable or bypass your device's connection to your Content Policy. In order for the two to be combined effectively, there are some settings we highly recommend you enable in Freedom.
Run on Startup
This should be enabled by default, but you can confirm this by right-clicking on the Freedom icon on your computer's taskbar:
Freedom should start when your system starts.
Block System Settings
To prevent changes to your device's settings, you can block access to settings altogether:
Enabled Locked Mode
Locked mode prevents you from making changes to your filters or other session information as long as a session is active. To enable lock mode, you can do so from the online dashboard when you start a session:
Or from the Options menu on your system:
If you try to enable Locked mode from your device, you should get a notification that tells you more about how Lock mode works:
Block Task Manager
If you want to prevent yourself from stopping programs, block task manager on your device:
Disable Proxy Mode
A DNS Content Policy works on the network level to block websites and disable applications on your device. This means that if you decide to pair Freedom with a Content Policy, you should disable Freedom's proxy feature (this should be the default settings, but double check that it's disabled):
The Verdict: Focused
From our testing, Freedom has proven how easy it is to remove distractions and stay focused. It's UI design takes a little getting used to, but once you learn how to get around, you'll quickly see how powerful it.
However, we also have to assess how well Freedom can be used to block adult content. Freedom does include a category that filters out these types of websites (among many others):
The only shortcoming we could find was that Freedom only lets you create predefined sessions over a period of time. You can enable a scheduled session or force your session to last a very long time, but you won't have an option to have a session persistently running in the background without a schedule.
This means that for all of the sessions you've installed that have the Locked Mode enabled, you will have to disable them first before you can change your settings again. This is true even if you want to add entries to your filters.
We strongly recommend Freedom as a compliment to a full Content Policy on your devices. Freedom can be installed easily on all of the major device platforms, and each of your devices can be easily controlled from a single dashboard. Plus, Freedom includes guides in their support section that explain how to best use their software.