How to Block a Site on Safari: Taking Control of Your Digital Space

I've been using Safari since the days when brushing aluminum PowerBooks were the height of cool, and let me tell you, the relationship between users and their browsers has evolved dramatically. We've gone from simply typing URLs to managing complex digital ecosystems, and sometimes that means putting up boundaries.

The need to block websites isn't just about productivity anymore—though heaven knows I've lost entire afternoons to Wikipedia rabbit holes. It's become a fundamental aspect of digital wellbeing, whether you're a parent trying to create safe online spaces, someone battling digital addiction, or just tired of accidentally clicking on that one news site that makes your blood pressure spike.

The Safari Ecosystem and Its Peculiarities

Safari operates differently than Chrome or Firefox when it comes to content blocking. Apple's philosophy has always leaned toward integration rather than customization, which means blocking sites requires understanding how macOS and iOS work together—or sometimes frustratingly don't.

On Mac, you're dealing with a full desktop experience where Safari interacts with system-level controls. On iPhone and iPad, you're navigating iOS's more restrictive but arguably more elegant approach. The methods aren't just different; they reflect fundamentally different philosophies about user control.

Mac Methods: Where Power Users Play

Screen Time: The Nuclear Option

When Apple introduced Screen Time to macOS Catalina, it felt like they finally acknowledged what parents and productivity enthusiasts had been screaming about for years. Located in System Preferences (or System Settings if you're on Ventura or later), Screen Time offers website blocking that actually sticks.

Navigate to Content & Privacy, then Content Restrictions, and you'll find the web content controls. Here's where it gets interesting—you can either limit adult websites (which uses Apple's mysterious algorithm to determine what counts as "adult") or create a custom allow/deny list.

The custom list approach works beautifully if you know exactly what you want to block. Add sites to the restricted list, and Safari will display a rather stern "Restricted Site" message when anyone tries to access them. No wiggle room, no "just five more minutes"—it's blocked.

What I particularly appreciate about this method is its persistence. Unlike browser extensions that can be disabled with a few clicks, Screen Time restrictions require your system password or Screen Time passcode to modify. It's like putting the cookie jar on the highest shelf and throwing away the ladder.

Terminal Commands: For Those Who Like It Raw

Now, if you're comfortable with Terminal—and I realize that's a big if—you can modify your Mac's hosts file to block sites system-wide. This isn't just a Safari trick; it'll block the site across all browsers.

Open Terminal and type: sudo nano /etc/hosts

Add lines like: 127.0.0.1 facebook.com127.0.0.1 www.facebook.com

This redirects the site to your local machine, effectively making it unreachable. It's elegant in its simplicity, though you'll need to remember to add both www and non-www versions of sites.

The downside? It's all or nothing. You can't schedule when sites are blocked, and if you share your Mac, everyone gets the same restrictions. Plus, some sites with complex CDN setups might partially load, creating a zombie-like browsing experience that's somehow worse than a clean block.

Third-Party Extensions: The Middle Ground

Safari's extension ecosystem isn't as vast as Chrome's, but quality often trumps quantity. Extensions like 1Blocker, AdGuard, or BlockSite offer granular control with user-friendly interfaces.

What sets these apart from system-level blocks is flexibility. Want to block Reddit during work hours but allow it on weekends? Done. Need to block specific YouTube channels while keeping others accessible? These extensions handle that beautifully.

I've personally used 1Blocker for years, initially for ad blocking but increasingly for self-control. The ability to create multiple filter lists that can be toggled on and off has saved me from myself more times than I care to admit.

iOS: The Walled Garden Approach

Screen Time on iOS: Familiar Yet Different

iOS Screen Time feels more mature than its Mac counterpart, probably because mobile devices are where most of our problematic browsing happens. The process mirrors the Mac version—Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Content Restrictions > Web Content.

But here's where iOS shines: the integration with Family Sharing. If you're managing a child's device, you can set these restrictions remotely from your own phone. Changed your mind about allowing Instagram? Update it from your device, and the change pushes immediately.

The "Limit Adult Websites" option on iOS seems more aggressive than on Mac, sometimes catching legitimate sites in its net. I once had it block a cooking blog because the recipe included "breast" of chicken. These false positives can be manually overridden, but it's worth noting if you're setting this up for others.

DNS and VPN Solutions: The Advanced Play

For those wanting industrial-strength blocking, DNS-based solutions like NextDNS or AdGuard DNS can filter content before it even reaches Safari. Configure these in Settings > Wi-Fi > (i) next to your network > Configure DNS.

This approach blocks sites at the network level, meaning they won't load in any app, not just Safari. It's particularly effective for blocking ads, trackers, and specific domains across the entire device.

Some people go further with VPN apps that include content filtering. While effective, this feels like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut for most users. Plus, running a VPN constantly can impact battery life and occasionally break apps that don't play nicely with VPN connections.

Shortcuts: The Creative Solution

Here's something most articles won't tell you: iOS Shortcuts can create pseudo-blocking mechanisms. I've built shortcuts that check the current time and website, then redirect to a motivation quote or reminder if I'm trying to access blocked sites during work hours.

It's not true blocking—a determined user can bypass it—but it adds friction. Sometimes that moment of pause is all you need to reconsider whether you really need to check Twitter for the fifteenth time today.

The Psychology of Blocking

After years of experimenting with various blocking methods, I've realized the tool matters less than the intention. The most sophisticated blocking system fails if you're not honest about why you're blocking sites in the first place.

Are you blocking social media because it genuinely interferes with your work, or because you think you "should"? Are you restricting your child's access as a conversation starter about digital literacy, or as a substitute for that conversation?

The best blocking setup is one that aligns with your actual needs, not your aspirational self. I learned this the hard way after creating an elaborate blocking system that I spent more time managing than the time I would have wasted on the blocked sites.

Cross-Device Considerations

One frustration with Safari blocking is the lack of true cross-device sync for restrictions. Sure, Screen Time settings can sync across devices signed into the same iCloud account, but third-party extension settings rarely do.

This means recreating your blocking setup on each device, which is tedious but also an opportunity. Your blocking needs on a Mac at your desk might differ from your iPhone needs during commute. Maybe Twitter is fine on desktop where you use it professionally, but problematic on your phone where it becomes a mindless scroll-fest.

The Nuclear Options

Sometimes, you need to go beyond blocking. If you find yourself constantly working around your own restrictions, consider more dramatic measures:

Delete bookmarks to problem sites. Remove them from your history and disable Safari's suggestion feature for those domains. Create friction at every level.

For truly problematic sites, I've known people who've had friends set Screen Time passcodes they don't know. It's the digital equivalent of having someone else hide the liquor cabinet key. Extreme? Maybe. Effective? Absolutely.

Looking Forward

As our digital lives become increasingly intertwined with our mental health and productivity, I expect browser-level blocking to become more sophisticated. Apple's focus on privacy and digital wellbeing suggests future Safari versions might include more granular, intelligent blocking options.

Until then, we work with what we have. The tools aren't perfect, but they're good enough if you're clear about your goals and honest about your habits.

Remember, blocking websites isn't about deprivation—it's about intention. It's choosing how you want to spend your finite attention in an infinite digital world. Whether you use Screen Time, Terminal commands, or third-party extensions, the best blocking system is the one you'll actually use.

Start simple. Block one problematic site using Screen Time and see how it feels. You can always add more restrictions or try different methods later. The goal isn't to create an impenetrable fortress; it's to add just enough friction to make mindful choices about where you direct your attention.

Because at the end of the day, Safari is just a window. What matters is what you choose to look at—and what you choose to look away from.

Authoritative Sources:

Apple Inc. macOS User Guide. Apple Support, 2023. support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/welcome/mac.

Apple Inc. iPhone User Guide. Apple Support, 2023. support.apple.com/guide/iphone/welcome/ios.

Gazzaley, Adam, and Larry D. Rosen. The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World. MIT Press, 2016.

Newport, Cal. Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World. Portfolio, 2019.

Pang, Alex Soojung-Kim. The Distraction Addiction: Getting the Information You Need and the Communication You Want, Without Enraging Your Family, Annoying Your Colleagues, and Destroying Your Soul. Little, Brown and Company, 2013.