How to block apps on iOS
Freedom uses iOS Screen Time controls to block apps on devices running iOS 16 or later. This guide walks you through the steps to block apps effectively on your iPhone or iPad.
Prerequisites
iOS version 16 or later
Freedom app installed
Screen Time permissions granted
Step-by-Step Guide to Block Apps on iOS
Step 1: Create or Edit a Blocklist
To block apps, first create or update a blocklist in the Freedom app.
Open the Freedom app.
Go to the Blocklists tab.
Tap the name of an existing blocklist to edit it.
Or, select Create a Blocklist to create a new one. Note: Adding apps to blocklists must be done on your iOS device directly and cannot be performed from the web interface.
Step 2: Grant Screen Time Permissions
If you haven’t yet granted Freedom access to Screen Time:
You’ll see a pop-up request for permission.
Tap Continue, then follow the on-screen instructions to authorize access.
Step 3: Choose iOS Apps to Block
After granting permission:
You’ll be directed to the iOS App Selection screen.
Select individual apps or entire categories you want to block.
Tap Continue once your selections are made.
If you're editing an existing blocklist:
Tap Add or Remove iOS Apps to update the app list.
ℹ️ Some apps, like Safari, may not appear in standard categories. Use the search bar at the top to locate and select them by name.
Step 4: Save Blocklist
On the Create a Blocklist screen, enter a name for your blocklist.
(Optional) Tap Add or Remove Websites to block specific websites as well.
Tap Save/Create Blocklist to confirm.
You are now ready to add this blocklist to sessions!
Step 5: Add your blocklist to a session
Once your blocklist is ready:
Add it to any Freedom session to begin blocking the selected apps.
For detailed instructions, visit: Starting a block session or Start later and recurring sessions.
ℹ️ Blocking an app on iOS also blocks that app’s website in Safari
When you block an app with Freedom’s Screen Time app blocking on iPhone or iPad, iOS also blocks the website linked to that app in Safari. For example:
Blocking the Amazon app also blocks amazon.com in Safari.
Blocking the YouTube app also blocks youtube.com in Safari.
Blocking the Facebook app also blocks facebook.com in Safari.
While a Freedom session is blocking the app, Safari shows a grey “Restricted” screen for that website, even if you didn’t add the website to your blocklist under Add or Remove Websites. Apple’s Screen Time system causes this, so Freedom can’t block an iOS app on its own without also blocking its website in Safari. The website opens normally again in Safari once the session ends.
How to block apps with older versions of Freedom
If you're using an older version of iOS (15 or below), app blocking requires a different method.
What You Need
Freedom’s curated website filters
How It Works
Apps are blocked by filtering their internet access. To do this:
Tap Add or Remove Websites > Toggle on a Filter Category or Preset to add it to your blocklist.
If the app you want to block isn’t included in a filter:
Use Add Custom Website to manually input the app’s URLs.
Refer to the Netify database to find URLs for many popular apps.
ℹ️ This method blocks app connections—not the app interface. Apps will still open, but new content will not load once their connection is blocked. Please note that due to caching, it can take a few minutes before new content is blocked.
Download Freedom for iOS
Having trouble?
If you're having any difficulty, please feel free to contact us. We're happy to help!