How to block porn on iPhone and Android (free)

You don't need to pay to start. Both iPhone and Android have free blockers built in. Set them up tonight, then make them hard to undo.

iPhone: Screen Time (free, built in)

1. Open Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions and switch it on.
2. Tap App Store, Media, Web & Games (on older iOS: Content Restrictions) > Web Content > Limit Adult Websites.
3. Go back to Screen Time and set a Screen Time passcode. Ask someone you trust to type it, so you don't know it.

This blocks most adult sites in Safari and in apps that use Apple's web view.

Android: Private DNS (free, built in)

1. Open Settings > Network & internet (or Connections > More connection settings) > Private DNS.
2. Choose "Private DNS provider hostname" and type family.cloudflare-dns.com.
3. Save. Adult sites now stop loading on Wi-Fi and mobile data.

Turn on SafeSearch everywhere

In Google, go to Settings > SafeSearch > Filter. On a shared computer, set it in the router or use the same family DNS there.

The real problem: turning it off at 1am

Every blocker can be undone by the person who set it up. The trick is to make undoing it slow. A late-night urge peaks and fades, so a blocker that takes a long time to switch off usually outlasts the urge.

• Let someone else hold the passcode.
• Remove the easy workarounds: other browsers, and apps with built-in browsers you don't need.
• Charge your phone outside the bedroom. Most relapses happen in bed.

That's why the Quit90 blocker takes 24 hours to turn off: by the time you can, the urge is long gone. For the moment itself, read what to do when an urge hits.

Questions