Block Apps
How to Block Apps on a Supervised iPhone
Using supervised mode, you can block apps on the iPhone in a more permanent way that is hard to bypass.
If an iPhone is configured with supervised mode, you can block apps in a more enforceable way. Compared to the built-in screen time feature provided by Apple, supervised mode allows you to create permanent app blocklists that are difficult to bypass.
Supervised Mode requires some setup beforehand, but once enabled, you'll have the ability to install Config Files onto your iPhone that restrict a variety of different features. Many of these features can be used to block apps or manage iPhone settings, but the one we're interested in for this guide is Supervised App Blocklists. There are two main approaches for app blocklists:
- In Blocklist mode, apps that are specifically listed will be blocked. You could optionally choose to limit a larger number of apps by restricting app age rating as well.
- In Allowlist mode, only apps that you've listed are allowed, and all other apps will be blocked. This is ideal if you need a highly restrictive setup that is very difficult to bypass.
When an app is blocked on a supervised iPhone, it can't be opened on that device without removing the Config File used to block it. This is true for most default apps and all apps available on the App Store.
Prerequisites
To block an app with a Config File, supervised mode needs to be enabled on your iPhone.
If you've already gone through the process of supervising an iPhone, then you should be able to follow this guide.
Creating Supervised App Blocklists or Allowlists
To start blocking apps, you'll need to create a Config File with a Supervised App Blocklist and install it onto your iPhone. Config Files can be customized and created by using an Apple Config Generator .
Use the search functionality to add apps to your list. Note that apps do not need to be already installed on your iPhone to add them to the list. You can block any app that could be downloaded on the iPhone.
Additionally, you can also specify the allowed age rating for any apps not directly blocked:
You can then install the preset onto your iPhone in one of two ways:
- By scanning the QR code on the dashboard. This will require that both the camera and the default web browser are enabled.
- By downloading the Config Preset onto a computer, then sending it to your iPhone by Airdrop or email.
After the Config File is installed and synced on your iPhone, the apps are now blocked and hidden.
These apps are completely blocked and can't be accessed, even when using the App Store to search for the blocked app.
Frequently Asked Questions
What other supervised-mode features can help create a full blocking system on iPhone?
In addition to creating Supervised App Blocklists, Supervised Mode can also be used to:
- Use Supervised Website Blocking to block websites
- Protect a content filtering VPN
- Protect iPhone settings
How do I enable Supervised mode on an iPhone or iPad?
In general, you will reset the iPhone and use device supervision software on a connected Mac or Windows device to prepare the iPhone.
For the exact steps and process, check out our guides .
How to Block Web Versions of an App
You should be aware that many applications have a web version of that app available as well. It's possible that the app could be accessed via Safari or another web browser on the iPhone. An app blocklist would only account for the version of the app downloaded from the app store.
To account for these situations, you might want to consider blocking social media domains as well to limit access via the browser.
That's why we recommend combining supervised App Management Tools with a DNS Content Policy . You can disable the internet connection for both the web version and app store version of an app in a comprehensive way with this app blocking approach.
Furthermore, you can block entire app categories and selectively allow apps within that category.
This blocking approach works on all kinds of other devices as well and you can manage these block rules in a single unified dashboard.
Another advantage to this approach is that you can schedule app usage on all kinds of devices to disable the internet connection for the app store or web version of apps that you specify depending on the schedule you specify.
This approach works great alongside supervised app blocklists. By blocking both the domain and app, you've effectively made it impossible to access these apps.
