Blocking websites on your phone: the best ways and apps for Android

2022-10-17

The tutorial is designed for users, parents who need to restrict access to websites on their phone (platform - Android OS). We will describe the best software to restrict the access (free and paid) and how to do this using the built-in Android features.

Content :

Why should I block websites on my phone?

Users may have different reasons to block websites on their phone. The most common

1. Parents want to restrict the children's access to adult websites (so called parental controls),
2. Managers want to restrict the access to the sites of the employees.

Personal control of the different pages of the internet on the phone is not possible, however there are special programs to block the websites. It is possible to understand the functions on your own, it would take you about 10 minutes.

What is more, users have several options and modes to deny access to the sites and to filter web content.

Best Site Blocker Software

Norton Family Parental Control: A parental control for visiting sites

Software developer : NortonMobile

Another simple utility that allows you to block a website on Android on all browsers simultaneously. It is also possible to restrict the display of Youtube Videos.

Fundamental features:

1. White and black list for websites
2. Site time control
3. Parental control
4. Fast content blocking and filtering

One of the useful features is the flexible setting, a parent and child account.

For the blocking of sites with Norton Family follow these steps:

1. Log in to the parent account (using Google Account) and confirm it.

   

2. Enter the confirmation code sent in the mail to associate the account to the telephone.
3. Create an account for the child.

   

4. When requested, specify the level of Internet access restrictions, from low to very high.

   

5. Go to the rules section, select the "Actions".
6. Include the Internet Control menu.
7. Displays the list of sites prohibited and complete it with the addresses requested.

Norton Family may not work properly if the user has VPN. In addition, the app is free for only 30 days, after which you have to buy a subscription or look for other ways to block the google homepage on your phone.

Download the Norton Family Parental Control app from Google Play by clicking here.

BlockSite: Free your time by blocking useless sites

Developer : BlockSite

To block unwanted sites simultaneously in all browsers on your smartphone, you can download the BlockSite app.

BlockSite primarily helps freelancers, remote workers (especially in times of pandemic) not to waste time by denying access to time eaters - social networks and Youtube.

The free BlockSite app is available for download at the link. Some features are paid based.

Working with BlockSite is very easy. To block unwanted sites in Google Chrome and other browsers follow the steps:

1. Launch the application and press "Enable" (activate).
2. In the settings you will grant the necessary access rights to the application (according to the integrated instructions).

   

   

3. In the pop up window you Press "Got it" and enter to the settings.
4. Find the column "BlockSite" and carry out the slider to light up blue.
5. On the pop up window press "Ok". At this stage the software may ask to enter the PIN code of the phone or to scan the fingerprint of the owner.
6. Keep on the bottom right side, press the green "plus" and enter the addresses of the pages to be blocked.

   

7. Confirm the blocking by checking the "√".

Here you will find the "Block Adult Websites" option, to the right of which you can move the slider to the active position.

Safe Browser: filter access to adult web sites

Producer : Kodemuse Inc.

Beware ! On Android 12 on Samsung Galaxy S21 devices the application does not work yet.

Safe Browser is one of the easiest ways to monitor sites you visit. You can use it instead of the default Android browser or instead of Chrome.

Basic functions of Safe Browser:

• Block adult content sites
• Multitasking support
• Bookmark popular sites
• View the history of visited sites

Please note! If you have other browsers installed on your smartphone, you will have to block the same suspicious site or any other banned resource for each browser separately. Removing the other web browsers on Android would make the task easier.

After Safe Browser has been downloaded and installed, follow the simple steps step by step:

1. Launch the browser, go to "Menu".
2. Select "Admin", enter password (8 symbols or more), save.
3. Log in to the site to be blocked.
4. Return to "Menu", select "More", then "Add blacklist".
5. Log out from the Administration account.

From this moment, the Smartphone users not knowing the password set, cannot access the mentioned site from this phone.

Block it! - Block it and VPN

Developer : SciencEinstein

This application allows the blocking of sites without modification of the browsers settings.

This application is based on the use of DNS addresses. For this purpose Block it! uses the VpnService that intercepts and blocks the Internet traffic. However the application itself does not block sites by default, the addresses must be entered manually.

Limit the access to the application through a password:

Important! The user will have to authorise the VPN on the device to operate the application.

Download Block it! on Google Play at the following link.

Edit hosts file (requires root access)

A complex but efficient way to block the "harmful" pages on a smartphone.

The user must have the root rights (so called "root" status). Furthermore, the address of the website to be blocked must be known exactly. To modify the hosts file,

1. make sure you have root access (download a root checking application)
2. go to "etc",
3. open the hosts file using a text editor,
4. write in the last blank line,
5. enter "127.0.0.1 www. (address of the banned site).
6. following this, the changes have to be saved,
7. access to the blocked page is denied to any browser.

This way, on any smartphone with Android, it is possible to block the websites to be visited for different reasons. This can be either apps or editing the hosts file on the rooted device.

Which of the suggested ways to choose is a matter of personal preference, as all of them will be effective. Be sure to share in the comments which application helped you.