In today’s market, there is a wide array of smartphones and tablets, and Android mobile devices have become ubiquitous. These devices are not only used for personal purposes but also for work and business. Particularly, young adults and teenagers, often referred to as the smartphone generation, spend a significant amount of their time on these gadgets.
Consequently, parents and schools recognize the importance of imposing certain restrictions and implementing control systems for device usage. Whether for personal or business use, it is essential to understand how to block websites on Android devices, whether within a corporate network or to ensure the safety of children from accessing inappropriate websites or adult websites.
Understanding the Need for Website Blocking
The need to block websites on Android isn’t about limiting users—it’s about protection. Some websites might be breeding grounds for malware or phishing threats.
Blocking these can be a vital step to prevent security issues. Plus, some sites can be a distraction, reducing productivity. And let’s not forget the data used up by unnecessary web surfing.
While in organizations for enterprise mobility, small, medium, or large organizations provide smartphones and tablets to their employees.
This has led to better employee productivity, which has no doubt resulted in good ROI. However, to ensure that productivity stays high, companies expect their employees to use these mobile devices only for work purposes and not misuse them by surfing irrelevant websites.
The solution to this concern of the employers can be best met by blocking all the irrelevant websites on corporate-owned Android devices.
Blocking unwanted website access allows organizations to limit the time employees spend on nonwork-related websites, such as social networking, games, and videos & movies. It also protects your mobile devices from Internet attacks which can happen when the employee visits these types of websites.
Tools and Ways to Block Websites on Your Android Phones
There are several ways to block a website on Android devices. Android provides built-in settings for this, but if you need more comprehensive features, you can consider third-party apps. For managing multiple devices, Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions are your go-to.
- Built-in Parental Controls: Some Android devices come with built-in parental control features that allow you to block specific websites. You can usually find these settings in the device’s system settings or the “Digital Wellbeing” or “Parental Controls” section.
- Third-Party Parental Control Apps: There are many third-party apps available on the Google Play Store that offer website blocking and content filtering features. These apps allow you to set up restrictions and customize the list of blocked websites.
- DNS-based Website Blocking: You can use a DNS-based website blocking method to block websites on your Android device. This involves changing the DNS settings on your device to use a DNS service that filters and blocks certain websites. You can change the DNS settings in the Wi-Fi or mobile network settings of your device.
- Browser Extensions: If you want to block websites specifically within a web browser, you can use browser extensions. For example, on Google Chrome, you can install website blocker extensions to block or limit access to specific websites.
- Hosts File Modification: Advanced Android users can modify the hosts file on their Android device to block websites. By adding entries to the hosts file, you can redirect specific website domains to localhost or another IP address, effectively blocking websites on Android. However, modifying the hosts file requires rooting your device and should be done with caution.
- Mobile Device Management (MDM) Solutions: If you’re grappling with the question, “how to block sites on Android for numerous devices?”—MDM solutions are your answer. These solutions, such as ‘Scalefusion’, provide you with a central dashboard from which you can control multiple devices.
How To Block a Website on Android Using Scalefusion
Scalefusion browser enables you to whitelist websites. By whitelisting, it means that you can select and allow access to specific websites for employees with corporate-owned devices. After whitelisting websites, you can access the website from the Scalefusion browser and have a controlled browsing experience. In other words, you get to know how to block websites on Android phones or tablets. Here are the steps by which website(s) can be whitelisted on devices that are enrolled in the Scalefusion browser.
To block websites on Android devices with Scalefusion, please follow the step-by-step instructions below:
Step 1
Browse to www.scalefusion.com and click on login to access your Scalefusion account via personal email ID, G-suite, or Office 365.
Click on Enroll Devices located on the left-hand side of the dashboard and select the Android OS platform. Follow the enrollment method on screen and start managing your devices virtually into Kiosk mode after configuring the device profiles to be pushed.
Step 2
Launch the Scalefusion App on the enrolled Android device and access the menu tab by tapping on the three dots located in the upper right-hand corner portion of the screen. Then, enter the passcode to access the settings option (as shown on the right side of the screenshot). To obtain detailed information about the passcode, click here.
Step – 3
In the settings panel, tap on “Manage Apps” and then select the Scalefusion Browser. After selecting the browser, tap on “Save Selected Apps”.
Step – 4
To block unauthorized websites for the end-user and whitelist a URL, click on “Browser shortcuts” and then tap on the “+” icon located at the bottom right corner of the screen to add an authorized/whitelisted URL.
Step – 5
Enter the required details, such as the Name and URL of the website that needs to be whitelisted, in the field box. Afterward, tap on “Save” to save the inserted website URL. The settings will be successfully saved, and the end-user will only be able to access the whitelisted website on the Scalefusion browser, preventing access to any other websites.
| Note: The below Screenshot depicts what will happen if the end-user attempts to access any other website apart from the Whitelisted URL. |
With the above procedure, you have successfully blocked access to unauthorized websites on Android phone and tablet devices.
Key Takeaway
That’s it, IT admins! We hope this guide helps you understand the ins and outs of blocking websites on Android. Scalefusion kiosk browser enables organizations to easily block websites on Android phones & tablets which are not relevant for the work purpose simply by following all the above simple steps. Just like this detailed information, take a look at our comprehensive guide on how to block apps on Android devices.
Again, it also gives you the option to block the websites on Android phones and tablets from web-based dashboards i.e from a PC or laptop.
Start your 14-day free trial and check out the awesome capabilities & features of Scalefusion MDM.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. What are the ways to permanently block a website on my Android phone?
Ans. Blocking a website on your Android phone can be helpful if you want to restrict access to certain sites for yourself or someone else. There are several methods to achieve this, depending on your needs and preferences. Here are some instructions on how to block websites on Android phones permanently.
- Use a website blocking app from Play Store
- Configure your router by checking for website-blocking options
- Use the Android built-in settings
- Use a third-party DNS service by configuring your Wi-Fi settings
Q. How to block websites on my kids’ Android phones?
Ans. The best way to block websites on your kid’s Android phone is to leverage parental control apps available on the Play Store. Google itself offers a free parental control app called Google Family Link. You need to download the app and install it on your and your kid’s Android phone. Follow the setup instructions and link your kid’s device to your account. Thereafter, you can restrict websites by setting up content filtering. Other than this, there are more such apps available with varied degree of control depending on whether they are free or subscription-based.
Q. How to block inappropriate websites on my Samsung phone?
Ans. Knox Manage is a solution developed by Samsung that allows you to manage and secure devices, including blocking inappropriate websites. To block inappropriate websites on your Knox-enabled Samsung phone, opt for an MDM solution like Scalefusion which supports Knox Mobile Enrollment (KME). With KME, you can quickly enroll your Samsung phone to the MDM solution and enforce website blocking with ease.
Q. How to block websites on my Android without using an app?
Ans. You can block websites on your Android device without using a dedicated app by configuring your device’s built-in features and using a popular method like editing the hosts file or enabling SafeSearch on your web browser. However, parental control apps are recommended for more comprehensive control over what content your kid consumes online.
Q. How to block unwanted websites on Android for free?
Ans. To block unwanted websites on your Android device for free, there are two basic options. First, use the built-in controls that your Android phone offers. Keep in mind that these controls can vary among OEMs and model types. Second, enable Google SafeSearch. Alternatively, for a more robust approach to website blocking, try Scalefusion MDM for free.
