This article provides detailed instructions on blocking iOS apps. If you're having trouble after following these steps, please see Freedom for iOS troubleshooting.
How do I block apps with Freedom?
Freedom allows you to block more than websites - we can also block mobile apps. Blocking mobile apps is very similar to blocking a website, you just need to give Freedom the URL's specific to the app you wish to block.
To block apps, add the app URLs to your blocklist by typing the URLs into the text box and selecting 'add block'. You can also select our premade filters for commonly used apps or categories.
Once you've completed your blocklist, you can add it to your session and start blocking! On iOS, there is no need to include "Block Apps" on your session. The URL on your blocklist is sufficient to block both apps and browser-based sites.
Important note: Our mobile service works by blocking the content coming in to apps. This can take up to 5 minutes to kick in due to caching - so make sure you run sessions lengths of 10 minutes or more. If your apps are still refreshing new data after 5 minutes, please let us know so we can help you with your blocklist.
Commonly used apps and the URLs to block:
Please note, with the release of our iOS 5.0 client, it is much easier to block apps. We've tried to make this as easy as possible by adding pre-made filters for common apps. We are working to add more and appreciate your feedback on the apps you'd like to see blocked.
Hearthstone/WoW/etc.
battle.net
unity3d.com
blizzard.com
See additional instructions at the bottom of this page
Please use our pre-made Twitter filter
Please use our pre-made Facebook filter
Youtube
Please use our pre-made YouTube
New York Times
Please use our premade NY Times filter
Buzzfeed
buzzfeed.com
Washington Post
washingtonpost.com
ESPN
espn.go.com
espn.com
Please use our pre-made LinkedIn filter
Vine
vine.com
Amazon
Please use our pre-made Amazon filter
Please use our pre-made Instagram filter
Snapchat
Please use our pre-made Snapchat filter
reddit.com
Gmail
Please use our pre-made Gmail filter
Tumblr
Please use our pre-made Tumblr filter
Please use our pre-made Pinterest filter
BBC
bbc.com
bbc.co.uk
Yik Yak
yikyakapp.com
yikyakapi.net
Whisper
whisper.sh
tigertext.me
Tinder
Please use our pre-made Tinder filter
OKCupid
Please use our pre-made OK Cupid filter
Please use our pre-made Whatsapp filter
Netflix
Please use our pre-made Netflix filter
CNN
cnn.com
Boom Beach/Clash of Clans/Supercell
Unfortunately these games connect directly via IP, and cannot be blocked at present.
Guardian
guardian.com
guardianapis.com
The Wall Street Journal
wsj.com
wsj.net
Signal Messenger
whispersystems.org
KakaoTalk
kakaocdn.net
kakaotalk.com
kakaocorp.com
kakao.com
App not on the list? How to find URLs to block:
If you're looking to block an app that's not listed, we've got a few options:
Go to the app's page in the App Store, and locate the "Developer Website" - generally the company behind the App's website. Add this website to the blocklist to see if it helps.
Google "How to block [app]" - often times you'll find a discussion of how people have blocked the app on their router. If you find results, you can add the website to the blocklist.
Remove the app and block the App Store. If you are not having any luck, you can always remove the App and use our "iOS App Store" block. This will prevent you from re-downloading the app while Freedom is running.
Ask us! We're happy to search our database to find a hit. Send us an email at support@freedom.to or chat with us via the green chat bubble in the bottom right corner of the page.
How to block games:
Many games use a high degree of security to prevent abuse or fraudulent play. In addition, some games are downloaded completely onto your phone, and don't really need a network connection. If you're having trouble blocking games, you can do the following:
Block the iOS App Store. This blocks the Game Center which renders many games unplayable.
Remove the game and block the app store.
We're happy to search our database to see if there's a hit.
Blocking Battle.net
If your Battle.net blocks are not preventing you from using the service, one of our users suggested this awesome workaround.
Set up parental controls, which are administered at battle.net;
Then, block battle.net with Freedom during the same hours you have scheduled as restricted hours. You won't be able to access Parental Controls during that time.
Still having trouble?
If you're having any difficulty, please feel free to send us an email at support@freedom.to or chat with us via the green chat bubble in the bottom right corner of the page. We're happy to help!