Safety and comfort first! To ensure them online, you can use website blocking, which allows you to restrict access to unwanted sites, e.g., social media. If you're a parent and want to take care of your family, this feature will allow you to control your children's online activity and protect them from content they shouldn't access. Find out how to block a website on your smartphone.
What is website blocking on a phone?
The internet bombards us with information from many different sites. If you feel overstimulated, want to take a break from specific content, need to focus, or are struggling with addiction, you can use the website blocking option on your smartphone. If you're a parent, this feature is very useful for limiting your child's access to inappropriate content. You can use it on both Android and iOS.
Blocking sites on iPhone
On iPhone, content blocking is simple and intuitive. First, open the system app with device settings. Then, find the option Screen Time, where you'll find the category Content & Privacy Restrictions. When you open this view, there are no restrictions on device operation by default. So, you select the category Content Restrictions and the option Web Content. The list shows several possibilities, from which you can choose Block Adult Websites or Allowed Websites Only, which allows you to create a list of available websites.
Blocking sites on Android
Blocking websites on Android phones is a bit more complex. The simplest method is to install a suitable app. There are various apps available in the Play Store that allow you to block unwanted sites, such as BlockSite or Freedom. However, to fully utilize their capabilities, a subscription is usually necessary. They are available in a free basic version. After installation, the apps offer the ability to create lists with website addresses to be blocked on the device. You can also use pre-made categories of sites to block, prepared by the app developers.
See also: Mobile internet at Mobile Vikings
Parental control
If you're a parent and want to block access to selected websites on your child's smartphone, you can use the methods described above. Additionally, for Android smartphones, you can restrict access to the Play Store content. Apps, games, and other resources will be out of your child's reach. To enable blocking, open the menu in the Play Store and in settings, select parental controls. You create a PIN code that blocks children from accessing adult content for apps and games, as well as movies and music.
Furthermore, some internet operators, streaming platforms, or content providers offer their customers so-called family filters. These are designed to protect the youngest from viewing websites and movies they will have time for later in life. Parents can enable the filter and, with a clearer conscience, attend to their duties, trusting that the virtual guardian will effectively protect the youngest from dangerous online content.
How to block websites in browsers?
Website blocking has also been considered by the developers of the web browsers we most commonly use on our devices. You can use this additional, free option with Opera, Chrome, or Firefox. To do this, install and configure the appropriate extension, such as the aforementioned BlockSite for Chrome, ContentBlockHelper for Opera, or ProCon Latte for Firefox.
Additionally, with Google search, you can set up website blocking by enabling Google SafeSearch mode, which works regardless of whether it's on a computer or a mobile device running iOS or Android. This mode is an automatic content filter built into the browser that will protect you and/or your children from erotic or violence-related content. In the Google app, it's located in the settings under your profile picture.
Blocking unwanted websites on your smartphone is a very useful option that will allow you to tailor the displayed content to your needs. It also works well when you, as a parent, want to protect your child from the dangers lurking online. And it's always worth taking care of your crew's safety.
