Block Apps

How to Block Apps on Iphone (Updated for 2024)

After hundreds of hours of research and testing, these are the best methods I've found for blocking apps on iOS devices.

Ben

Updated November 13, 2024

In 2024, one of the most common questions I get is how to block apps on iPhone. Many people have found that certain apps aren't compatible with a healthy life (or they allow bypassing content filtering) and want to know what app blocking methods actually work.

Finding an app blocker for iPhone or iPad isn't just a parental control concern anymore: many people want to block adult content and harmful iPhone apps for themselves or accountability partners. This guide will walk you through the best app blocker approaches for iOS.

I've significantly updated this guide for 2024 and iOS 18, which adds the ability to download apps from third-party app stores.

There are two types of app blocker approaches that I recommend combining together:

Use a Content Policy to block apps on the network-level of an iOS device. This approach disables both downloaded (native) apps and web versions of apps. You can block on a schedule if you don't want to block some apps always.
Combine this with supervised app management to create blocklists of apps that cannot be installed or opened at all. There are some options for setting timers for app blocking if you don't want to always block certain apps.

Some areas that I focus on when evaluating solutions:

Is the blocking approach easy to bypass or impractical?
Would this approach work for Adults or is it only good for parents managing a child's device?

This guide will allow you to combine several approaches based on the above considerations.

Block Apps Natively

Blocking apps natively on an iPhone means two things:

Restrict downloading and installing apps from the App Store or other sources. As of iOS 18, it will be possible to download apps from outside of the App Store via the web or third-party app stores. The blocking approach needs to handle this.
Prevent opening specific apps using app blocklists.

Prevent Installing New Apps

One catch-all method for native app blocking on an iPhone is to prevent any new app from being installed on the device entirely. This can be quite limiting, but it's an option some people consider.

The first and most well-known method involves using Apple's built-in Screen Time feature to restrict installing new apps via the Content & Privacy Restrictions > iTunes & App Store Purchases section.

There are a few downsides to this approach:

The entire App Store is disabled, which prevents existing apps from receiving important updates. These apps might stop working eventually unless you re-enable the App Store and manually update them. This process is tedious and annoying for most people.
Certain apps, like YouTube and TikTok, can also be accessed in a web browser like Safari. This blocking approach does not restrict access to the browser version and would need to be combined with DNS App Blocking (discussed later on).
In iOS 18, its possible to download apps from outside of the App Store. The Screen Time approach only disables Apple's App Store and not third-party app stores for iOS.
Screen Time is not a good option for adults who are self-managing or helping a partner with accountability. As the owner and Admin of the iPhone, Screen Time is easily bypassed and disabled.

Some of these drawbacks are solved with another approach to preventing new apps from being installed: using Apple's alternative to Screen Time - Supervised Mode.

Once you enable supervised mode on an iPhone or iPad, you are able to install Configs that enforce settings you choose.

Tech Lockdown members get access to Supervised Presets that make it easy to set these restrictions.

In this case, we provide a configuration that does the following:

Prevents installing new apps from the App Store and third-party app stores.
Existing installed apps can still be updated as usual

This approach has some clear advantages over using Screen Time:

It's possible to update existing apps so that they continue to work properly.
Restricts apps from third-party sources as well, which is an important consideration with iOS 18.
Config files can be completely prevented from being removed. Removing a supervised config is gated behind profile locking , so it's a better option for adults.

Enable Supervised Mode on iOS

Reliably enforce content blocking on an iPhone

Prevent Specific Apps from Being Opened with App Blocklists

Instead of limiting the entire app store, you can utilize App Blocklists to choose specific apps to be blocked.

A common approach involves using App Blocker from the App Store, but this app blocking approach is easily bypassed by opening the iPhone's settings and toggling off the App Blocker's permissions, rendering it completely useless.

A more reliable approach to app blocklists is to configure supervised mode on an iPhone or iPad and then block apps that way.

You can then use the Tech Lockdown dashboard to create an app blocklist and add it to your supervised device.

You can choose to enforce this blocklist so that it can't be removed unless your personal Tech Lockdown profile is unlocked:

Additionally, you can choose to add a timer to an app blocklist to create a self-destructing app blocklist.

This is useful if you want to take a week off from addicting apps. You can add a 168 hour timer to your app blocklist and temporarily restrict access to certain apps on an iPhone. When the timer expires, the apps will re-appear on the device.

There are a few key advantages to the supervised app blocking approach on iPhone:

Apps can be completely blocked even if they aren't already installed.
You can effectively prevent the app blocklists from being turned off or bypassed.
This app blocking solution is ideal for adults self-managing or helping an accountability partner.

Reliably Block Apps on iOS

Native app blocking for supervised devices

Disabling Internet-Dependent Apps with DNS App Blocking

One of the best ways to block or disable apps is to cut off their connection to the rest of the internet. Doing so won't prevent you from installing the app to your device, but it will prevent the app from functioning correctly. This approach has a few advantages:

You can disable both the app and web versions of the app.
Apps can be disabled, even if they aren't currently installed onto your iPhone. That way, if they are downloaded in the future, they won't work.
You can block or limits apps on other devices as well (not just the iPhone). This makes it simpler to schedule app and website rules, taking all of your device into account.

For example, you can use Tech Lockdown to create and enforce a DNS Content Policy that lets you set and enforce content rules. This approach allows you to disable apps on your iPhone.

With Tech Lockdown, there are several ways that you can configure your Content Policy to customize how want to disable apps.

Block specific apps, including both the app downloaded from the App Store and the version accessed through the Safari or other browsers.
Schedule when you can use apps.
Block entire categories of apps.

Disable specific Apps

You can create a block rule in your Content Policy that will block a specific app:

Disable Entire Categories of Apps

Instead of disabling specific apps, you can disable an entire category of apps while specifically allowing apps within that category.

This is an effective approach, since you don't need to manually block many different apps (this is called whitelisting).

Set a Schedule for when you can use Apps

You may not want to block an app all the time, you just need to limit when it can work. For example, at night, or during work hours.

Block Apps based on Time Limits

If you have an app that you've already downloaded to your iPhone, then it's possible to set a time limit using Screen Time's App Timer feature. After the time limit is reached, Screen Time will prompt you to request more time before the app can be opened again.

Note

This will only apply to apps you have currently installed onto your iPhone.

You can specify app time limits in Screen Time > App Limits and select specific apps or categories of apps:

Keep in mind that Screen Time limits reset each day.

Note

The lowest time limit you can set with Screen Time is 1 minute.

Restrict Default Apps with Apple Shortcuts

Newer versions of iOS (the operating system that powers iPhone devices) typically come pre-installed with the Shortcuts app. Shortcuts allow you to add automations on your device that can be used to block apps that a normal App Blocker can't restrict access to.

For example, you can use Automations to set restrictions when the Settings app is opened, whereas Screen Time or other App Blockers can't block it at all.

To make an Automation like this:

Go to Shortcuts > Automation. From here, add a new Automation (this will usually be a plus button near the top, but it might look different depending on which iPhone device you have).

You should see a list of conditions, or "triggers". Choose App.

Is Opened: Trigger the Automation at the same time an app is opened. This is great if want to close an app immediately after it opens, for example.
Is Closed: Trigger the Automation at the same time an app is closed. For example, making sure that certain settings are automatically re-enabled every time the Settings app is closed.

The next step is to choose your app(s) that you want the Automation to run with (you can choose more than one). Some common examples might be the when the Settings app closed.

You should also set the Automation to Run Immediately, instead of Run After Confirmation. Some iPhones might have this option in different places, so if you don't see it immediately, don't worry. When you do see the option, make sure you enable it.

You should now see a screen that prompts you to add an action. There are a variety of actions that you can use. You can browse for them using the search bar below or swipe up to browse all options.

If you want to block the settings app, you can simply add the action Go to Home Screen to trigger immediately after the settings app is opened.

Our Recommended Approaches

If you want the most effective approach to blocking apps on your iPhone, here are some methods that work well together:

This is the iPhone app-blocking "stack" we recommend to our Tech Lockdown readers since it provides the most reliable and comprehensive approach:

Use DNS app blocking to disable internet-dependent apps entirely, or schedule when they can be used. This applies to the native version (downloaded from the app store) and web-version (accessed in Safari). You can comprehensively block entire categories of apps. You can also use the same DNS Content Policy to block porn on an iPhone .
Use app blocklists to prevent apps from be installed on your iPhone in the first place. Supervised app blocking provides reliable native app blocking.

If supervising a device isn't an option, consider this native app-blocking combination:

Download an App Blocker from the app store and use it to block apps that already exist on the device.
Restrict the settings app on iPhone so that the app blocker can't be toggled off via settings.
Use the App Blocker to block the Shortcuts app. This creates a blocking loop that enforces itself.

The DNS app blocking approach combined with supervised mode is more reliable and allows you to use your phone as normal without restricting key features like the settings app. Supervised mode has the added advantage of being force-enabled on your iPhone. I'd highly recommend checking it out if you're serious about creating a robust blocking and bypass prevention system.

Create a DNS Content Policy

Enforce content filtering rules on all your devices.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I restrict access to the Settings App?

Blocking the settings app isn't a straightforward process on iOS because Apple prevents third-party app blockers from restricting access to certain apps (like settings).

There's a workaround, however, which involves use Apple Shortcuts. Learn more about how to block settings on iOS .

How do I block Safari or other default iPhone system apps?

You can use Screen Time or supervised app blocking to block apps that come pre-installed on an iPhone.