About the Freedom Profile (VPN)
The Freedom Profile (VPN) is an optional blocking tool that can be installed on iOS. The Freedom Profile will block websites in all browsers and will block apps from connecting to the Internet, thereby blocking their ability to update. The Freedom VPN is different from a traditional VPN in that it doesn’t send your traffic off the phone, it simply acts as a local VPN and blocks content directly on your phone.
It’s no longer necessary to install the Freedom Profile (VPN) to use Freedom (on iOS 16.0 and up), but it is useful in some cases. Below, we explain the effects of the VPN Profile on your sessions, and how to use Freedom without it.
Do I need to use the Freedom Profile?
For users on iOS versions 15.0 and below, the Freedom Profile is needed to block content in apps. More information on how to block apps with this method can be found here: How to Block Apps with Older Versions of Freedom
On iOS versions 16.0 and above, Freedom blocks apps with our Screen Time app-blocking method. Instructions for that can be found here: How to Block Apps on iOS 16+
Because of this, the Profile is no longer necessary in iOS 16, except in a few cases we’ll describe in this document.
Can I use another VPN alongside the Freedom Profile?
Apple’s iOS generally allows only one active VPN connection at a time, meaning that if the Freedom VPN is turned on, any other VPN will typically be disconnected, and vice versa. This is because iOS is designed to route all network traffic through a single VPN tunnel by default. This means that using a separate 3rd party VPN while using Freedom could impact blocking capabilities, and is not recommended. See How to use Freedom without installing the Freedom Profile (VPN)
What does the Freedom Profile (VPN) do?
In addition to blocking websites in all browsers, the Freedom Profile (VPN) will also prevent apps from connecting to the Internet, depending on which domains and filters you’ve added to your blocklist. The Freedom Profile (VPN) is generally required to be installed on iOS if you want to block websites in mobile browsers, or if you are using Freedom’s suggested filters, such as “Social,” “News,” “Shopping," etc.
For example, having the Amazon filter toggled on on your blocklist will:
Block amazon.com in all browsers on your device
Stop the Amazon app from connecting to the Internet or loading content, making it unusable. It will do the same for any other apps that load content from Amazon.com (e.g. the Kindle app).
The Freedom Profile (VPN) will show up as ‘Freedom Profile’ on the settings tab of your Freedom iOS app:
If you are running sessions that include blocklists with filters, you will see this notification on the ‘Today’ screen of your Freedom iOS app:
How to use Freedom without the VPN Profile
You can use Freedom without installing the VPN Profile. This is helpful if you're having connectivity issues or want to use a different VPN alongside Freedom.
To block apps and websites without the VPN, you’ll need to use Screen Time blocking. Learn how here: How to Block Apps on iOS
Steps to use Freedom without the VPN:
Remove the VPN (if installed):
Go to iOS Settings > General > VPN > Freedom VPN > Delete VPNBlock apps using Screen Time:
Follow the steps in this guide to add iOS apps to your blocklist.Enable the Safari Content Blocker:
This ensures blocked websites are also blocked in Safari. Instructions are here.Block other browsers:
If you use browsers like Chrome, be sure to add them to your blocked apps to avoid accessing sites during sessions.
Note: If you're still seeing a prompt to install the VPN on the Today screen, it’s likely because your blocklist includes one of our suggested filters (like News, Social, or Time Wasters). Removing those filters will remove the prompt.
Having trouble?
If you're having any difficulty, please feel free to contact us. We're happy to help!