How to Block Websites on iPhone and iPad?

Work hours aren’t for cat videos or clickbait. For organizational productivity, IT admins must know how to block websites on iPhones or iPads to restrict access to unwanted content on company-owned devices. Browsing distracting or malicious websites during work hours can affect focus and pose data security risks.

Websites can be blocked in several ways—by listing specific domains, using category-based filtering, setting time-based access rules, configuring filters, or deploying third-party security tools—depending on the level of management needed.

Blocking websites on iPhones also makes sense for personal use. Parents often use restrictions to manage their children’s access to social media, games, and adult content. Likewise, employers may limit access to job portals and inappropriate sites to keep productivity in check.

Let’s explore how to block websites on iPhones using both built-in settings and third-party tools.

How to Block Websites on iPhone and iPad

Method 1: Using Screen Time

Whether you’re aiming to enhance productivity or ensure a secure work environment, blocking websites on iPhones and iPads is a valuable tool that helps protect employees from distractions, unwanted content, security threats, and more. Apple’s Screen Time feature offers website-blocking functionalities. To block websites on iPad or iPhone, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings and tap on Screen Time.
2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions and enter your Screen Time passcode (if you haven’t set one, you’ll be prompted to create one now).
3. Navigate to Content Restrictions and then Web Content.
4. Choose your preferred level of restriction:

• Unrestricted Access: Allows all websites.
• Limit Adult Websites: Filters out websites identified as adult content.
• Allowed Websites Only: This is the most restrictive option. You’ll need to create a list of approved websites that can be accessed.

To prevent your child from accessing inappropriate content, consider using content restrictions to control which websites they can visit. Simply add the website you want to block to the restrictions list, ensuring a safer browsing experience for your family.

Method 2: Using Network-Level DNS Filtering

Another option to block websites on iOS devices is by using DNS-level filtering, which operates at the network layer. DNS filters can be configured via certain home routers, third-party parental control tools, or network security services such as OpenDNS.

This method works by intercepting domain name requests and preventing devices from accessing specified websites. It’s especially helpful in home or small office environments where multiple devices are connected to a single network.

However, DNS filtering has its limitations. It’s only effective while the device remains connected to the controlled network. Once the iPhone or iPad switches to mobile data or an external Wi-Fi connection, these filters are no longer active—making it unsuitable for mobile workforces or unsupervised usage. DNS-level control also lacks user-specific rules and doesn’t offer fine-tuned access restrictions based on user roles or apps.

Method 3: Using a Mobile Device Management (MDM) Solution

For organizations, schools, or any environment with multiple devices, an Apple Device Management (MDM) solution provides the most scalable and secure way to block websites. Unlike Screen Time or DNS filtering, MDM lets administrators remotely configure and enforce restrictions across all devices — without needing physical access.

What MDM enables:

• Role-based restrictions for different users.
• Remote deployment and policy updates.
• Persistent enforcement across all networks (Wi-Fi, mobile data, etc.).
• Whitelist/blacklist web controls.
• Integration with kiosk mode for app-specific access.
• Full audit trails and compliance reporting.

With MDM solutions like Scalefusion, IT teams not only get centralized visibility but also advanced filtering through Veltar, its integrated endpoint compliance and security solution. Veltar goes beyond standard rules by offering:

• Category-based blocking (e.g., social media, adult content, gaming).
• Flexible domain patterns for precise filtering.
• Bulk domain uploads via CSV.
• Granular allow/deny rules for departments or user groups.

This means admins can manage high-level restrictions with Scalefusion while using Veltar to fine-tune access — ensuring security, compliance, and productivity at scale.

How to Block Websites on iPad & iPhone Using Scalefusion

Scalefusion addresses these challenges with its ProSurf iOS Kiosk Browser, an alternative to Safari for blocking sites on iPhones. By downloading the ProSurf iOS Kiosk Browser app, you can effectively block unwanted websites if you want to restrict usage to specific sites on your iPhone or iPad using iOS kiosk mode.

ProSurf browser also enables you to whitelist websites. A whitelist is a list of web pages that can be selected and allowed to be accessed by employees with corporate devices. After whitelisting websites, you can access the website from the ProSurf browser and have a privacy restriction-based controlled browsing experience. In other words, you can block websites on iPhone or iPad, but that is not all; you can also set up your devices to be in single-app mode or multi-app mode, along with blocking websites on iPads and iPhones.

With the Scalefusion iOS kiosk browser, an IT admin can block websites on iPhones and iPads by following the step-by-step instructions below:

Step 1: Log in to Scalefusion Dashboard

Log in to Scalefusion. You can sign in to your Scalefusion account through your personal email ID, G Suite, or Office 365.

Click on Enroll Devices located on the left-hand side of the dashboard and select the iPad or iPhone tab. Follow the enrollment method on screen and start managing your iOS devices virtually after configuring the device profiles to be pushed.

Step 2: Launch ProSurf browser on your iOS device.

Step 3: Tap on the settings icon.

Step 4: Enter passcode

You will need to enter the passcode to access the settings. Input the default passcode ‘2323’ and tap on ok.

Step 5: Click Whitelist Websites

Among the list of settings, tap on Whitelist Websites. Herein, we will be adding the URL of websites you intend to whitelist and make accessible for the end-users.

Step 6: Add websites

Click on Add (alternatively, you can also tap on the ‘+’ icon on the top right-hand side of the screen). This will redirect you to the next screen where you will input the URL to be Whitelisted. 

Step 7: Choose URL protocol

Choose the URL protocol on the top right-hand side of the screen. You can choose between ‘HTTP’ or ‘HTTPs’. Add the URL name and URL link on the ‘Name’ and ‘URL’ fields. Click on Done.

You’ve successfully blocked specific websites on your iPhone. The procedure is similar for iPads as well. Once done, one will only be able to access the Whitelisted website as shown below.

N.B.– The following error message will be prompted if any URL other than the Whitelisted URL is entered in the browser to be accessed.

How to block websites on iPad & iPhone using Veltar

Follow these steps to block websites on managed devices using Veltar:

Step 1: Create a filter

• Go to the Scalefusion Dashboard>Veltar>Secure Web Gateway.
• Click Create New Filter and give it a name.

Step 2: Configure the filter settings

You’ll see options on the left. Configure them as needed:

• Categories to block: Choose entire categories like social media, adult content, etc.

• Blocked domains: Add specific domains that need to be blocked.
• Add domain: Click the button and type the URL.
• Upload CSV: Use this option to add domains in bulk via CSV.

• Allowed domains: Add specific URLs you want to allow, even if they fall under blocked categories.
  • Works the same way as Blocked Domains—either add manually or upload via CSV.

Step 3: Use domain patterns

Veltar supports flexible domain blocking:

• www.domain.com – Blocks only that domain.
• *.domain.com – Blocks all subdomains.
• domain.* – Blocks all top-level variants.
• *.domain.* – Blocks subdomains and top-level domains.
• domain.com – Blocks the domain and all its subdomains.

Step 4: Save and apply

• Once all settings are configured, click Save (top right).
• Your new filter will appear on the Secure Web Gateway page and can be applied to the iOS device profiles.

You can create multiple filters like this based on use cases or departments.

Why use Scalefusion for managing website access?

After applying restrictions through the Scalefusion dashboard and configuring the ProSurf iOS Kiosk Browser, administrators gain full control over what users can access on corporate-owned iPhones and iPads.

Here’s why Scalefusion stands out:

1. Comprehensive web access control

Scalefusion allows granular control over which websites can be accessed. Whether it’s blacklisting known threats or creating a whitelist of essential portals, organizations can maintain a focused and secure browsing experience for users.

2. Simplified device enrollment & configuration

Through integration with Apple’s Device Enrollment Program (DEP), iPads and iPhones can be pre-configured before reaching the end user. IT teams can push policies, apps, and restrictions remotely, with zero-touch setup.

3. Flexible kiosk mode deployment

With the ProSurf browser, you can lock the device into single-app or multi-app mode, giving users access only to the tools they need. This is especially useful for customer-facing environments or remote field workers.

4. Scalable across departments or locations

Whether you’re managing a handful of devices or an enterprise fleet, Scalefusion iPhone & iPad MDM scales easily. Different groups can have tailored access policies based on job role, location, or security clearance.

5. Enhanced security and productivity

By blocking distracting or risky websites, teams stay focused and company data remains protected. Scalefusion not only supports web restriction—it reinforces security posture with features like remote wipe, location tracking, and device health monitoring.

Which method should you use to block websites?

Choosing the right method to block websites on an iPhone or iPad depends on the user type, the number of devices involved, and the level of control required. Below is a side-by-side comparison to help you decide which approach best fits your needs.

Final thought

Organizations can effectively manage web access on iPhones and iPads using Scalefusion iOS MDM and the ProSurf Kiosk Browser. IT administrators can manage web restriction policies across multiple devices from a single, centralized console using Scalefusion’s intuitive dashboard and remote management tools.

With Scalefusion Veltar, organizations gain advanced web filtering capabilities, including category-based blocking, domain-level controls, and flexible whitelist/blacklist options. This ensures consistent enforcement across all devices, secures operations, and boosts productivity.

By following the methods outlined above, organizations can easily block specific websites on iPhones and iPads via the ProSurf Kiosk Browser, whether managing a handful of devices or hundreds over the air from a single laptop or PC.

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