Social Media
Best ways to Block Facebook on an iPhone
Effectively Block the Facebook app and website on the iPhone. Schedule when Facebook can be accessed or block it entirely.
While some people might decide to deactivate their Facebook account and uninstall the app from their iPhone, it's easy to reactivate the app or install it again from the App Store. A better strategy is to block Facebook completely, restricting access to both the app and website so that Facebook access is effectively controlled.
If you want to prevent the Facebook app from being downloaded and installed from the App Store, consider using a supervised app blocklist and add Facebook to the list. This approach completely restricts the Facebook app from being added to the iPhone.
However, if you're instead trying to reduce how much time you spend using Facebook, you have a few different options to consider:
- Block Facebook, but opt to use the Facebook Messenger app instead.
- Schedule access to Facebook throughout the day and limit when you can access it.
We'll start by taking a look at the most effective way to block the Facebook app on iPhones.
Add Facebook to a Supervised App Blocklist
If you want to prevent the Facebook app from being downloaded and installed from the App Store, consider using a supervised app blocklist and add Facebook to the list. This approach completely restricts the Facebook app from being added to the iPhone.
For example, in the Tech Lockdown dashboard, you can create your own native app blocklists for the iPhone:
Once you install this list on your iPhone, the selected apps will be completely restricted from being opened or installed.
Disable the Facebook App with a DNS Content Policy
If you want to ensure that both the web and app versions of Facebook are blocked, use a DNS Content Policy to create a rule that blocks Facebook.
If you still want to have access to Facebook Messenger, you can choose to selectively block just the Facebook social media app and keep Facebook Messenger allowed. Many people want to use the Facebook Messenger app to stay in touch with friends or family.
Scheduling Facebook Access with a DNS Content Policy
In some cases, you may not want to completely block Facebook. If you would instead like to reduce how much time your use the app, consider setting a schedule for when you can use the app.
With a DNS Content Policy , either create a new rule to block Facebook, or edit your existing rule.
You can add a schedule to this rule to update your block rule so that it only applies at night or during the day, for example.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I limit the total amount of time I spend on the Facebook app?
It's easies to create an App Time Limit using Screen Time.
I strongly recommend combining Screen Time App Limits with a DNS Content Policy when scheduling access for your iPhone. Screen Time settings alone aren't going to be the best option for you if you're self-managing, since it's been designed with productivity in mind.
Can I Block the Facebook app while still allowing Facebook Messenger?
Yes! Messenger is it's own app, so you can block the normal Facebook app and still use Messenger to keep in touch with family or friends.