How to Block Websites on iPhone and iPad in 2024
Easily block websites on your iPhone and iPad (and keep your children safe!)
October 10, 2024
After years of increasing screen time, it is more important than ever that parents are vigilant in monitoring the content their children are viewing online. However the reality is that as parents, caretakers, and people in our own right, our attention is constantly split. In this how-to guide we are going to take you through the steps to block websites on your iPad or iPhone.
How to Block Unwanted Websites on iPhone and iPad in 4 Steps
Staying up to date with shifting technology and internet trends can be a full-time job. Luckily there is help! With a little know-how (and know-WHY) keeping our children secure from online threats is becoming easier.
Blocking inappropriate sites and content on iPhone and iPad is a good first step. Here we will outline how to do just that in four simple steps because, as we found, it is not as “intuitive” as many believe. Do this across all devices in your home to help safe-guard your children online.
Step 1/ Find the “Screen Time” tab located inside the Settings App. Toggle the “Content and Privacy Restrictions” button to turn on controls.
Step 2/ Enter the “Content Restrictions” menu. You may be prompted to enter a new passcode. Use one your child doesn’t know.
Step 3/ Enter the “Web Content” menu. Select “Limit Adult Websites” or “Allowed Websites Only” according to your preferences.
Step 4/ Add any sites you want to be allowed and any sites you prefer to be restricted on the bottom of the “Web Content” page.
More information can be found at https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201304
Bonus Option: Input Individual Sites Into Parental Controls
You will notice under the option “Allowed Websites Only” that Apple has preloaded a short list of pre-approved kid-friendly sites. This may be a good option for a young child. However, it can serve much frustration if you share or allow your child on your own device.
For many of us the option of inputting sites and/or links into parental controls is not only time-consuming, it is also not possible. Many parents don’t even know where to start!
Deciding what is inappropriate is easy at the moment, but often it is too late (like when my own child image-searched Marilyn Monroe after learning about Warhol’s art… YIKES!) Content restrictions are more like a sieve than a wall… the art of sorting information through artificial intelligence is no match the cautious eye of a parent.
Importance of Blocking Certain Websites in 2024
It is not uncommon that most people have two, or more, devices to navigate the internet (often at the same time!) Our children are no exception. How many times have you handed your phone to your toddler for a little peace at a restaurant? Swapped your kid’s dead iPad for something with more battery? Allow your child to browse on grandma’s tablet?
Parents are constantly registering the dangers of our external world for their children, so it’s no wonder that in our exhaustion we see a little screen-time as a quiet, safe moment. Sadly, this is not the reality. Until our online spaces are policed as well as our public spaces, caretakers need to regain some control over what their children are viewing.
Why We Built AstroSafe (Prev. URSOR)
Remember, changing your content restrictions on iPad and iPhone is only one step in keeping your child’s eyes on appropriate content. There are many other apps, gaming systems, and streaming services that parents need to be engaged in monitoring. You will likely find that each app requires its own settings, and that some don't even have the option!
This is where AstroSafe comes to the rescue!
AstroSafe’s goal is to create the very first Internet for Kids. Inside our app is your child’s very own browser where you (and they) can be free from the restrictions of each other’s needs. URSOR helps children build confidence and learn independence in a safe, controlled manner by providing access to content that has been curated by a team of flesh-and-blood humans (no robots here!)
We (humans) here at AstroSafe aim to build an age-appropriate ecosystem in which children can organically surf the internet without the constant threat of targeted ads, pop-ups, unrelated content, and spammy click-bait. Our children should not be the customers on which big-tech makes their profit. Their priorities should be to remain children, remain curious, and remain optimistic so they can grow to be resilient, future-forward and thoughtful adults.
More than just parental controls, we provide a browser for kids that satisfies their curiosity and need for freedom with parents’ desires to limit access to a (too big and too adult) online world.
AstroSafe also includes the following features to help care-takers guide their children’s first steps into the information superhighway.
- Family-friendly filtering of inappropriate/adult content
- Spark conversations with your kids by adding your own links
- Curated links from AstroSafe to help inspire a kid’s curiosity
- Parental controls to teach the art of screen moderation!
- A search engine that lets children explore a safe sandpit of the internet
The positives of living in our newly connected world should not be drowned in the noisy mass of irrelevant information, faceless trolls, and heartless corporations. Now is the time to mould our new online society into a friendlier, more useful space. Starting with the next generation makes sense to us at AstroSafe. With the first generation of digital natives becoming parents themselves, we are discovering the importance of using the internet as a tool for information and communication in a way that still preserves the integrity of the individual.
While you’re here, take a minute to look around at the other restriction and blocking settings available. See this article for how to turn off and on safe search, and this one about limiting screen time.
At Astro, we have built a tool to view YouTube videos without the distractions or inappropriate content of AutoPlay, recommended videos, and comments. It’s free and instant to use. Try SafeTube today.
Find more how-to guides like this one by visiting these:
How to Block a YouTube Channel
How to Block YouTube on iPad
How to Block YouTube Ads
Learn More About AstroSafe
If you are also looking for websites that are safe and have educational content for kids that are ad-free, AstroSafe offers a curated collection of resources and tools. AstroSafe provides a variety of options covering age-appropriate content, educational games, and interactive learning, ensuring a safe and enriching online experience for young users. It's an excellent resource to direct children towards positive and beneficial content that align with their learning and development needs.
