Do you want your children’s internet access to be more controlled?
There are plenty of things that the internet can help us with when it comes to our children, but there are just as many sites that we don’t ever want them to see.
Adult language, sensitive images, pornographic videos, and any other adult content should be kept away from the eyes of innocent children – which is why it’s crucial that you know how to block adult content on iPhone.
In this article, I’m going to discuss how you can block adult content on iPhone using various methods that even parents who are not tech-savvy can use.
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How To Block Adult Content On iPhone: Step-By-Step Instructions
Content blocking is a method that has been commonly used even before, so there are plenty of options for you to choose from if you want to do so on your own Apple devices.
In this article, I will tackle how you can do this with four methods.
Block Adult Content Using Built-In iPhone Restrictions
Your iPhone has built-in parental control features that allow you to limit adult content on the device.
This is a hassle-free way that you can keep your children from seeing what you don’t want them to see, especially if they’re too young to change their phone’s Settings on their own.
You can find the content restriction option on your iPhone or iPad under Settings.
It will take you about 3 minutes.
Simply follow the steps below to change the content restriction option on the iOS device of your child.
- Go to Settings and find the Screen Time button.
On more recent devices, this is depicted with an hourglass icon set against a blue background.
- Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions on the list of Screen Time options.
- Tap the grayed-out slider button under the Content & Privacy Restriction.
The button should turn green when enabled.
- If it’s already enabled, enter the Screen Time password.
- Click Content Restrictions on the next screen.
After your phone brings you to a new window, you will see a list of apps you can restrict from operating. Click Content Restrictions.
- Now that you have this option activated, scroll down the list until you see the Web Content option, and then select it.
- Tap the Limit Adult Websites option to enable it.
You will find options that let you limit the web content your child can see. Your phone will be set to unrestricted access by default, but you can tap the Limit Adult Websites option to enable it. There should be a blue check beside the name to indicate which option is enabled.
Block Specific Websites In Safari Browser
In your iPhone’s settings, you will also find the option to block specific adult websites.
While you might think that this is redundant, there are plenty of uses for this option.
One, you can use manual browser blocking if you want to block a few specific websites on the iPhone and leave everything else unblocked.
Two, you can use it to block a specific website that is not blocked by the default iPhone setting restriction mentioned above.
Under Limit Adult Websites, Apple blocks adult websites based on predetermined categories. Mature search terms and adult websites that fall outside the PG category will be blocked. The target device will only be able to access sites considered PG.
However, some websites might escape these search filters, so if you want to make sure those websites are blocked, you’re going to need to add them manually.
Here’s how you can block adult websites so that they won’t display on your children’s Safari browser.
- Go to Web Content Settings by following the first four steps in the method above.
- Tap Limit Adult Websites.
- Below the Limit Adult websites option, you will see categories marked Always Allow and Never Allow.
- If you want to block a specific website, you need to tap Add Website under the Never Allow category and manually input the website URL.
You need to repeat this input process for each website and URL. Desktop and mobile versions of websites have different URLs so you’ll need to block each URL separately if the website has a mobile version.
To ensure that you’ve entered the right URL, you can visit the website yourself and copy the URL. You can then paste it to the Add Website field afterward.
Allow Only Whitelisted Websites
If you’re giving your children iPhones or iPads for one specific purpose, such as online learning or communicating with you, then you don’t want them accessing forbidden content from that device.
What you can do is to block all websites besides the ones you choose to let them view. You can do this via the steps below.
- Once again, go to the Content Restrictions option in Settings and click Web Content.
- This time, instead of tapping Limit Adult Websites, choose Allowed Websites only. This will tell your iPhone to block all other websites that are not on the Allowed List.
- Under the Only Allow These Websites category, tap the Add Websites. Enter the Title of the website and then add the URL manually.
- Once you’ve done all this, you’ve blocked every website except for those you added to the list. Repeat step 8 for all of the websites you want to be allowed on the device.
Once again, it’s worth noting that you need to add the desktop and mobile versions of the website separately if you want your child to access both. To make sure the URL is correct, visit the website and copy the URL yourself before pasting it to the entry field.
Filter Web Content With mSpy
mSpy is one of the most popular parental control apps in the market, with millions of users that have tried its features.
The app offers plenty of features that parents can use to keep tabs on what their children are up to, including a pretty capable web filtering tool.
Parental control apps like mSpy will work in the background of the target iPhone and send the iPhone’s data to the desktop platform, where you can view everything. That way, you can stay updated on the latest activity on the target device.
You can track things such as social media activity and even the device’s location. You can also control the device to some degree from your mSpy platform.
If you want to use mSpy to block adult content on iPhone, the first step is to register and pay for your subscription because mSpy is unfortunately not free.
- Once you have your registered account, install mSpy on the target iPhone.
- With the mSpy app successfully installed on the target device, log in to your web platform.
- At the lefthand side of the dashboard, you’ll see a list of all of mSpy’s features. Click the Restricted tab. You may have to scroll down to see it.
- Three new options will show up. Click Block Websites.
- You will then see the options for blocking websites with mSpy. Here, you will see a list of all the blocked websites, whether the block applied or is enabled or not, and an option to unblock the URL.
- To add a new website to block, scroll down to the bottom of the interface. Here, you will see a field where you can enter the website URL.
- Input the website you want to block and click the blue Block button right beside the field. This will allow you to remotely block adult websites from your child’s phone.
Setting Search Notifications With mSpy
One of the main appeals of this method compared to the others is that you have more control over your children’s iPhones.
This way, you can also set mSpy to notify you whenever your child searches for adult content so that you can immediately initiate a conversation once you find out. This is much better than simply blocking for adult content.
To do this, follow the steps below.
- Go back to the left sidebar on the mSpy dashboard.
- Click the General Features tab.
- A drop-down menu showing various options will appear. Click Keyword Tracking.
- You will then be directed to a window where you can add keywords that you would like mSpy to monitor, as well as notification alerts in case the keyword appears on the target device.
- You can also select specific features you want mSpy to monitor. For instance, let’s say you add the word “drugs.” If you choose “All,” you’ll get notified every time “drugs” is typed on the target device. If you select “Sms,” you’ll only be alerted if “drugs” is typed on any SMS messaging apps.
- One by one, enter all the words that you want to be monitored and press Add. You will then be alerted every time those words are typed on the target device.
mSpy has plenty more features to offer, and if you’re interested in this product, you can check out my comprehensive review to find out more.
There are also plenty of other spy apps, such as uMobix, that have the same functions, with slightly different features, advantages, and disadvantages. Some of them are even completely free to use.
FAQs
How to restrict certain apps on iPhone?
There are multiple ways to restrict certain apps on iPhone from operating. You can use the built-in tools in your iPhone’s Settings or a third-party parental control app, such as mSpy or uMobix. Whatever you choose, they all have their advantages and disadvantages.
How to block a specific app from being downloaded on iPhone?
The easiest way to block a specific app from being downloaded on iPhone is by disabling downloads from the App Store and iTunes. However, this prevents all new downloads and purchases, not just a specific one.
Can I lock my child's iPhone remotely?
You can lock your child’s iPhone remotely using a third-party parental control app, such as uMobix or mSpy. These apps have phone control commands that can schedule iPhone use, limit screen time, and completely lock the device.
How To Block Adult Content On iPhone: Conclusion
The internet can be a dangerous place, and it’s up to you to protect your children from all the harm it can do to them. If they are frequently exposed to the internet, chances are they will come across many things if left unrestricted – good and bad alike.
As a parent, it’s your responsibility to control what your children can and can’t view on their iPhones. This way, you are assured that they can’t access what they shouldn’t.
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