Learn how to restrict iPhone and iPad browsers like Safari and Chrome by blocking web browsing to increase your security, limit distractions, and protect children from inappropriate content.
Web browsing is an essential part of smartphone usage, but there may be a few niche reasons to block it, among the most compelling being protecting your kids from misinformation and inappropriate content on the World Wide Web.
A few alternatives to know about first
Before we get to it, check these iOS features to restrict web activity:
- The built-in Guided Access feature can keep your kids and others locked into a specific app they cannot exit, away from Safari.
- Limit adult sites to shield your kids from mature content. You can even cherry-pick specific websites to block like cnn.com, foxnews.com or anything else you’d like.
- Set a daily time limit if your child spends way too much time inside Safari or other apps; you can restrict apps for the rest of the day.
- Check out our Safari privacy tips if you’re worried about privacy.
If you think it’s better to restrict all web browsing on your iPhone or iPad, follow the steps below.
Block Safari on iPhone or iPad
This is a per-device setting; you must block Safari separately on every device where you’d like to restrict web browsing. To block web browsing on a child’s device, pick their name in the Screen Time settings on your own device. If you haven’t already set up a Screen Time passcode, do it now.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad and tap Screen Time.
- Choose Content & Privacy Restrictions. If you’d like to restrict web browsing for a kid’s device, hit their name under the Family heading first, then select Content & Privacy Restrictions.
- Turn on the Content & Privacy Restrictions switch, then hit Allowed Apps & Features.
- Enter your Screen Time passcode, if asked. For a child’s device, enter their Screen Time passcode.
- Turn off the Safari switch and close out the Settings app.
The Safari icon will disappear from the Home Screen, App Library, Spotlights search, and the Dock after about ten seconds. If not, restart the device. Safari may pop up as a suggestion from the App Store in Spotlight search; however, Open will display a ‘Restrictions Enabled‘ message instead of launch Safari.
Block other iOS browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Brave, etc.
With Safari restricted in a kid’s device, most of their web browsing will be limited. But if your kid is savvy enough to open the App Store and download another browser like Chrome or Firefox, perform these steps to block installing apps.
- Delete other browser apps currently installed on a child’s iPhone or iPad.
- Follow the steps to block installing apps on the device. Doing so will temporarily hide the App Store, thus blocking the installation of apps.
If you change your mind, revisit these steps to allow Safari and installing apps.
Note: With all web browsing blocked on your iPhone, only URLs inside apps will continue to open using an in-app browser. However, a Safari icon in an in-app browser will be grayed out, indicating the page cannot be opened using Safari.
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