Thanks for using Freedom on your iOS device! Here's how to set up the app on your iPhone or iPad.
Download Freedom from the App Store and sign in
To begin using Freedom on your iOS device, first download the Freedom app from App Store.
Once you download the app, open Freedom and sign in with your account email and password.
ℹ️ If you are using an iOS version lower than 16.1, you will get a pop-up from the App Store asking if you want to download the "last compatible version" of the app. Tap 'Download' when you see that to install a version of the app that will work on your device.
Follow the onboarding flow to install blocking tools
You will be taken through the following steps to set Freedom up on your iOS device.
1. Tap Continue to start moving through the prompts.
2. Tap Allow Screen Time
3. When you are prompted to give Freedom access to Screen Time, tap Continue then Allow with Face ID/Touch ID.
Note: Screen Time permissions require having Face ID or Touch ID enabled. If your message says Allow with Passcode, this means you don't have Face ID or Touch ID enabled yet. To fix this, go to your iOS Settings > Face ID (or Touch ID) & Passcode, and turn on these features. You will then be able to return to the Freedom app and enable the permissions.
4. Tap Install Profile to install the Freedom Profile (VPN), then tap Allow and enter your passcode/Face ID/Touch ID to install the Profile.
Note: depending on how you plan to use Freedom, you might not need to install the Freedom Profile. More information on this blocking tool can be found here: The Freedom Profile (VPN) Explained.
5. Tap Allow Notifications to allow Freedom to send you notifications. This is optional, but we recommend enabling Session Start/End notifications to help keep Freedom active on your device. This can be changed at any time from the Settings tab of the Freedom iOS App.
How to add blocking tools if you skip the onboarding flow
If you skip the onboarding flow, follow the instructions below to install blocking tools.
Add app-blocking permissions
You can enable Screen Time permissions for Freedom by going to the Today tab and tapping on Enable App Blocking.
You will then see a pop-up requesting that you give Freedom access to Screen Time. Select 'Continue' and then follow the steps to authorize Freedom.
After completing these steps, you will be able to select which apps you would like to add to your blocklist. For more information on app blocking, see How to block apps on iOS.
Note: Screen Time app blocking is available for iOS versions 16.0 and above. If your iOS device cannot update to 16.0 or above, see How to block apps with older versions of Freedom.
Install the Freedom Profile
To install the Freedom Profile if you've skipped the onboarding flow, go to the Today tab and tap on Install Freedom Profile. Installing the VPN profile allows Freedom to block content in browsers like Google Chrome and within apps.
On the next screen, tap Install Freedom Profile.
Use Touch ID, Face ID, or Passcode to install the Freedom VPN.
When the VPN is installed, it will look like this in your iOS Settings:
Note: You do not need to toggle the VPN on or off manually. The VPN we use is a local VPN and will connect automatically to block the sites and apps on your blocklist.
You can also install the Profile by going to Settings > Blocking Tools and tapping Install next to Freedom Profile.
Install the Content Blocker
To block content in Safari, install the Safari Content Blocker. On iOS 15+, you can find this setting under iOS Settings > Safari > Extensions. We also recommend turning on "All Websites" under Safari > Content Blockers > Toggle "All Websites".
On iOS 14 and older, you can find this under iOS Settings > Safari > Content Blockers.
Customize Settings
Tapping the settings icon in the Freedom iOS app will take you to our settings screen. Here you can enable locked mode, configure notifications, turn the blog posts/today screen on or off, and reinstall the Freedom profile if necessary. For more information, see Freedom for iOS menu options explained.
Having trouble?
If you're having any difficulty, please feel free to contact us. We're happy to help!