How to Block Websites on Android Phones or Tablets:  8 Methods for 2026

Blocking websites on Android isn’t as straightforward as it is on desktop, but it’s far from impossible. Whether you’re a parent trying to keep your child away from inappropriate content, someone looking to eliminate social media distractions, or an IT administrator managing company-owned Android devices, there are several effective ways to restrict website access.

In this guide, you’ll find eight tested methods to block websites on Android, ranging from built-in Android features like Private DNS and Google Family Link to advanced enterprise-grade controls. Every method includes step-by-step instructions, limitations, and practical tips to help you choose the right approach.

Which method is right for you? (Quick Comparison)

Why block websites on Android?

Android devices provide access to an almost limitless amount of content, which is both a strength and a challenge. While the internet supports learning, communication, and productivity, it also exposes users to distractions, inappropriate content, phishing attempts, and malicious websites.

For parents, website blocking helps create a safer online environment for children. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends active digital supervision and age-appropriate online experiences to help children develop healthy technology habits.

For individuals, blocking distracting websites can improve focus, reduce screen time, and support productivity goals. Social media platforms, entertainment websites, and clickbait-heavy content often contribute to digital distractions that interrupt work and study sessions.

For businesses, website filtering is increasingly viewed as a cybersecurity measure. Research published through PubMed highlights how online threats such as phishing and malicious websites remain significant security concerns. Restricting access to risky websites can reduce exposure to malware, credential theft, and other web-based attacks.

Whether your goal is parental control, productivity, or security, website blocking offers a practical way to create a safer and more focused Android experience.

Website blocking on Android helps businesses:

• Limit access to non-work websites
• Keep employees focused
• Prevent internet-based attacks

It’s a simple step that protects your data and ensures Android devices are used the right way.

How to blacklist websites on Android

A blacklist blocks specific websites while allowing access to everything else. It’s the opposite of a whitelist (or allowlist), which blocks all websites except those that are explicitly approved. Blacklisting is ideal when users need unrestricted web access except for a limited number of known distracting or unsafe websites.

To blacklist a website on Android:

1. Install a website-blocking app (such as BlockSite), configure a DNS filtering service, or use an enterprise MDM/UEM solution.
2. Add the URLs or domains you want to block.
3. Save and enable the policy. Depending on the solution, the restrictions can apply across multiple browsers or system-wide.

For organizations managing many devices, configuring website blocks individually doesn’t scale. With Scalefusion, IT administrators can create a single blacklist policy and deploy it to all managed Android devices, with policy updates automatically applied across the fleet.

Ways to block websites on Android

Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or business owner, there are times when you need to block websites on Android devices.

So, how to block a website on Android devices? Fortunately, you don’t have to be a tech expert. Here are eight detailed ways that will help you learn how to block websites on Android whether you’re managing one device or hundreds.

Method 1: Google Family Link (Best for Parents)

• Best for: Parents managing children’s devices
• Difficulty: Easy
• Requires app download: Yes
• Works on Android: Android 7.0+

Google Family Link is one of the most reliable ways to block websites on Android for children. It provides basic web content filtering capabilities, allowing parents to restrict access to inappropriate websites and manage content restrictions remotely from their own device.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Install Google Family Link on both devices.
2. Create or connect your child’s Google account.
3. Open Family Link.
4. Select your child’s profile.
5. Go to Controls > Content Restrictions > Google Chrome.
6. Choose Try to Block Explicit Sites.
7. Add specific websites to the blocked list.

Limitations

• Requires a supervised Google account.
• Some websites may occasionally bypass filters.
• Less suitable for adult self-control use cases.

Method 2: Use Google SafeSearch to filter explicit search results

• Best for: Basic content filtering
• Difficulty: Easy
• Requires app download: No
• Works on all Android versions: Yes

Google SafeSearch helps filter explicit content from Google Search results. While it doesn’t completely block websites on Android, it reduces exposure to adult or inappropriate content.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Visit Google Search.
3. Tap your profile picture.
4. Select SafeSearch Settings.
5. Turn on Filter Explicit Results.
6. Save your settings.

Limitations

• Only affects Google Search results.
• Doesn’t block direct website visits.
• Can be bypassed using alternative search engines.

Method 3: Use Android Private DNS Settings

• Best for: Blocking adult content and malicious sites without an app
• Difficulty: Medium
• Requires app download: No
• Works on Android: Android 9+

Private DNS on Android is a built-in feature that routes DNS traffic through a chosen provider. Not every DNS provider filters content — general-purpose options like Google or Cloudflare just resolve domain names faster and more privately, without blocking anything. To actually block adult or malicious sites, the provider needs to run its own blocklist. Here are three that do.

Using CleanBrowsing (Family Filter)

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Network & Internet.
3. Select Private DNS.
4. Choose Private DNS Provider Hostname.
5. Enter:

family-filter-dns.cleanbrowsing.org

This blocks adult and explicit content, along with proxy/VPN domains commonly used to bypass filters. For malware and phishing protection only (no adult content), use security-filter-dns.cleanbrowsing.org instead.

Using OpenDNS FamilyShield

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Network & Internet.
3. Select Private DNS.
4. Choose Private DNS Provider Hostname.
5. Enter:

familyshield.opendns.com

This is pre-configured to block adult content — no account setup required.

Using AdGuard Family Protection

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Network & Internet.
3. Select Private DNS.
4. Choose Private DNS Provider Hostname.
5. Enter:

family.adguard-dns.com

This blocks adult content along with ads, trackers, and known malicious domains.

Limitations

• Usually blocks categories rather than specific URLs.
• Some apps use encrypted DNS independently.
• Requires a compatible DNS provider.

Managing more than a few Android devices? See how Scalefusion makes website blocking easy.

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Method 4: Use a Third-Party Website Blocking App

• Best for: Productivity and self-control
• Difficulty: Easy
• Requires app download: Yes

Dedicated blocker apps offer precise control over which websites can be accessed.

BlockSite

BlockSite lets users block specific websites and apps while creating schedules for focus sessions.

AppBlock

AppBlock provides timed restrictions and productivity modes.

Limitations

• Some features require premium plans.
• Users with administrator access can uninstall apps.

Method 5: Block websites through your router

• Best for: Entire households
• Difficulty: Advanced
• Requires app download: No

Router-level blocking works across every connected device, including Android phones, tablets, laptops, and smart TVs.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Log in to your router’s admin panel.
2. Locate Parental Controls or Website Filtering.
3. Add URLs or categories to block.
4. Save changes.
5. Restart the router if required.

Limitations

• Only works while connected to that network.
• Users can bypass restrictions using mobile data.

Method 6: Use Android Digital Wellbeing

• Best for: Reducing distractions
• Difficulty: Easy
• Requires app download: No

Digital Wellbeing helps manage screen time and app usage.

How to use it

1. Open Settings.
2. Select Digital Wellbeing & Parental Controls.
3. Choose Chrome.
4. Set daily usage limits.

Limitations

• Doesn’t block specific websites.
• Focuses on app usage rather than URL filtering.

Method 7: Use Browsers With Built-In Blocking Features

• Best for: Browser-specific restrictions
• Difficulty: Easy

Some browsers offer enhanced privacy and blocking capabilities.

1. Firefox + Extensions

• Firefox supports extensions like uBlock Origin that can restrict access to certain domains.

2. Brave Browser

• Brave includes advanced content filtering and privacy controls.

Limitations

• Only affects that browser.
• Doesn’t block websites in other apps.

Method 8: Scalefusion MDM (Best for Businesses and IT Admins)

• Best for: IT teams managing Android devices across corporate, education, retail, healthcare, logistics, or frontline environments
• Requires app download: No additional website-blocking app required
• Works across all browsers: Yes

Most block apps on Android work reasonably well on a single phone. The moment you need to manage dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of Android devices, they quickly become difficult to maintain. Someone has to configure each device individually, users can often reverse the settings, and IT teams have little visibility into whether restrictions are actually working. Scalefusion allows IT administrators to centrally manage website access across an entire Android fleet from a single dashboard. Instead of manually configuring devices one by one, admins can create web access policies once and deploy them instantly to every managed device.

Whether you’re securing a fleet of delivery tablets, shared warehouse scanners, retail kiosks, healthcare devices, or company-issued smartphones, website restrictions remain enforced at the device management level. On properly enrolled and managed devices, policies can restrict users from changing settings or bypassing controls.

Beyond blocking individual URLs, Scalefusion supports advanced web control capabilities, including:

• Website allowlisting and blocklisting
• Category-based content filtering
• Browser restrictions
• Kiosk Mode for website-only access
• Role-based access policies
• Centralized policy deployment and reporting

For organizations that require tighter control, Veltar Secure Web Gateway extends protection even further by allowing administrators to block entire categories of websites such as social networking, streaming platforms, gambling sites, adult content, and other non-business-related destinations.

One of the biggest advantages is scalability. A policy update made in the Scalefusion dashboard can be pushed centrally and syncs when devices check in or are online. MDM-based controls are designed for long-term management, security compliance, and operational efficiency. For businesses that issue Android devices to employees, contractors, students, or frontline workers, this approach provides the highest level of control with the least administrative overhead.

How to block a website on Android permanently

The methods above work well for casual website blocking, but long-term enforcement means users can’t easily remove the restriction by changing a setting or uninstalling an app.

For personal or family devices:

• Set up Google Family Link and secure the parental controls with a PIN or parent account so children can’t easily disable website restrictions.
• Use Private DNS with a filtering service (such as CleanBrowsing). Where supported, combine it with parental controls that limit changes to network or device settings.

For enterprise devices:

Manual methods are relatively easy to bypass because users may be able to change DNS settings, switch browsers, or remove blocking apps. On fully managed Android devices, an MDM solution can enforce website filtering policies centrally, restrict changes to critical settings, and prevent users from removing managed apps or management policies without administrator authorization. This provides the most reliable way to maintain website restrictions across an organization’s devices.

How to block websites using Scalefusion MDM

1. Sign in to the Scalefusion Dashboard.
2. Navigate to Device Management > Device Profiles.
3. Select the Android profile assigned to your devices.
4. Open Policies > Browser Restrictions or Web Content Filtering.
5. Add websites to a blocklist or create an allowlist containing only approved websites.
6. If using Veltar Secure Web Gateway, enable category-based filtering and select the content categories you want to restrict.
7. Save and publish the profile.
8. The policy will automatically sync to all devices assigned to that profile.
9. Monitor compliance and browsing activity through the dashboard’s reporting and device management tools.

Choosing the best way to block websites on Android depends on your needs and how many devices you manage. But if you’re responsible for more than just a few devices, Scalefusion Android MDM gives you the power and simplicity to handle website blocking across all your Android devices from one easy-to-use dashboard.

Give your Android a productivity upgrade with Scalefusion.

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FAQs

1. Can I block specific URLs on Android devices?

Yes, you can block specific URLs on Android by adding them to a blacklist in a parental control app, firewall app, or through an MDM platform if managing multiple devices.

2. How do I block websites on Google Chrome?

If you’re using Google Chrome on your Android device, you can block sites by using browser-specific extensions or apps. Tools like BlockSite offer seamless integration with Chrome, allowing you to block sites on Android directly from the browser. Additionally, enabling SafeSearch in Chrome settings helps filter harmful or inappropriate content.

3. What’s the safest way to block websites on Android without rooting or third-party apps?

Using built-in Android features like parental controls or browser settings is the safest way to block websites without rooting your Android device or installing third-party apps.

4. How to block websites on Android phone permanently?

You can block websites permanently on Android using parental controls, safe browsing apps like BlockSite, or by setting up DNS filters. For businesses or schools managing multiple devices, using a Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution is the most effective way. Scalefusion MDM lets you remotely block websites on Android phones through policy control, ideal for workplace or school environments.

5. Can I configure Android to block websites at specific times?

Yes, some third-party apps and MDM tools let you configure time-based rules to block websites during work or study hours on Android devices.

6. How do I block a website on all browsers on Android?

To block a specific website across all browsers on an Android device, using a third-party app like BlockSite or other similar apps via the Google Play Store is the best solution. Alternatively, you can also use the Scalefusion agent to add the website to block list and effectively restrict access to it across supported browsers.