iPhone Screen Time: how to block adult websites on your kid’s device

Block adult sites on your kid's iPhone with Screen Time on iOS 17.6.1, then lock new apps and VPNs so the block stays on.

What you need before you change anything

You need your child's iPhone and your Apple ID if you use Family Sharing. This guide was tested on iOS 17.6.1 on an iPhone 14. Steps look the same on iOS 16 and 17, but menu names shift a little on iOS 12 to 15.

You also need a Wi-Fi or cellular link to test blocks after you set them. Screen Time filters Safari and WKWebView in apps, but it does not see traffic the same way when Private Relay is on. Turn Private Relay off for the child's account while you test.

For your home network you can add a second layer with a category-filtering DNS like CleanBrowsing Family Filter, Cloudflare for Families, or OpenDNS Home. Pick the Adult category list in that service. That layer helps at home, but it stops the moment the phone leaves your Wi-Fi and uses cellular.

• Child's iPhone on iOS 12 or later, tested here on 17.6.1
• Parent iPhone with Family Sharing set up, or direct access to child's phone
• Apple ID password for Screen Time passcode recovery
• Optional home DNS: CleanBrowsing, Cloudflare for Families, or OpenDNS Home on Adult filter

Screen Time passcode stays on with Family Sharing

You can set this from your own phone so you do not need to borrow your child's. On your iPhone go to Settings > Family > Screen Time and pick your child's name, then follow the prompts. On older iOS you set it on the child's phone at Settings > Screen Time > Turn On Screen Time. There is more on how does a web browser work in a separate guide.

You will create a 4-digit Screen Time passcode. Pick one you do not use to unlock the phone. Save it in your password manager and tie it to your Apple ID when prompted.

If you forget the passcode, you can reset it with your Apple ID. On the Enter Screen Time Passcode screen tap Forgot Passcode and sign in with the Apple ID that set it. That is the only built-in recovery path, so do not skip the Apple ID step.

Keep that passcode private. Kids try the unlock code first, then birthdays and repeats like 1111. A separate code keeps Content & Privacy Restrictions from being switched off in seconds. People in this spot often ask about vpn not connecting windows 11 as well.

1. On your iPhone open Settings > Family > Screen Time and select your child's name. On iOS 12 to 15 use the child's phone at Settings > Screen Time.
2. Tap Turn On Screen Time and set a 4-digit Screen Time passcode when asked.
3. Approve the Apple ID recovery option so you can reset the code later.
4. Return to Screen Time and confirm Content & Privacy Restrictions shows as On.

Web Content set to Limit Adult Websites

Open Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions and switch it on. Then tap Content Restrictions > Web Content. You will see three choices: Unrestricted, Limit Adult Websites, and Allowed Websites Only.

Pick Limit Adult Websites for most kids. It blocks many known adult domains and filters explicit language in Safari. Allowed Websites Only is stricter and shows only sites you list, which suits younger kids but needs more upkeep.

This choice changes what happens in browsers. Under Limit Adult Websites, Safari and any app that uses WKWebView gets filtered, but some third-party browsers with their own engine still load pages. Under Allowed Websites Only, those same third-party browsers show a blank or error page because no site is on the allow list. There is more on my google account hacked how to secure without recovery email in a separate guide.

Delete browsers that use their own engine if you stay on Limit Adult Websites. Remove Chrome, Firefox, Opera, and Brave from the child's phone and leave Safari. That closes the most common dodge without extra tools.

1. Open Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions and turn it on.
2. Tap Content Restrictions > Web Content.
3. Select Limit Adult Websites. For a tighter setup choose Allowed Websites Only and add each allowed site.
4. Go back and check that Web Content still shows your choice after you lock the phone.

Sites Screen Time misses go on Never Allow

Limit Adult Websites catches a lot, but it will miss new or coded domains. Use Never Allow to add those by hand. Go to Web Content > Never Allow and tap Add Website.

Type the domain as it appears in the address bar, like example.com. We tested on iOS 17.6.1 and adding example.com blocked both example.com and www.example.com. Add both forms if you want to be sure, and add the app's domain too if the content lives in an app.

Apple does not publish a limit on Never Allow entries, so add what you need without counting. Keep the list tidy and remove dead domains every few weeks. A short, current list is easier to check than a long stale one.

In-app browsers and Private Relay can change what you see. Apps that open links inside the app still use WKWebView and get filtered, but full browsers that you left installed do not. Turn off Private Relay for the child's account at Settings > [child's name] > iCloud > Private Relay if you need consistent filtering on Safari.

1. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Content Restrictions > Web Content.
2. Under Never Allow tap Add Website.
3. Enter the domain you want to block, for example example.com, and save.
4. Add the www form of the same domain if you want double coverage.

Check that blocks work on the phone

Test on the child's phone in Safari after each change. Open Safari and try a site you set to Never Allow. A blocked page shows a centered notice that the site is restricted and offers an Allow Website link that asks for the Screen Time passcode.

Try the same domain with and without www to confirm your entry worked. If one form loads, add that form to Never Allow. Do not test with real adult sites in front of your child; use the domains you just added.

Check cellular as well as Wi-Fi. Home DNS filters do not follow the phone onto cellular, but Screen Time does. If a site loads on cellular and not on Wi-Fi, your DNS is doing the work and Screen Time needs the Never Allow entry.

Check Screen Time reports once a week. Look at most-used sites and add any new adult domains to Never Allow. Reports tell you what the filter met in real use, not just in your test.

1. Open Safari on the child's iPhone on Wi-Fi and try a Never Allow domain.
2. Try the same domain with www and without.
3. Switch to cellular and try again to see that Screen Time still blocks.
4. Review Screen Time reports for new domains to add.

Stop new browsers and VPNs from opening a side door

Kids often get around filters by adding a new browser or a VPN app. Close that path before you hand the phone back. You do this in Screen Time, not in the App Store.

Block new installs and changes to VPN settings. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > iTunes & App Store Purchases and set Installing Apps to Don't Allow. Then go to Allow Changes and set VPN to Don't Allow. This stops new browsers and stops VPN configs that would tunnel past your home DNS.

Also set Deleting Apps to Don't Allow if you want to keep Safari as the only browser. Kids sometimes delete Safari and reinstall a different browser. With deleting blocked, your setup stays put.

If you see a VPN or a new browser already on the phone, delete it and then apply the blocks above. Talk with your child about why the filter is there. A short chat cuts down on repeat tries more than a hidden setting does.

1. Open Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > iTunes & App Store Purchases.
2. Set Installing Apps to Don't Allow and Deleting Apps to Don't Allow.
3. Go back to Content & Privacy Restrictions > Allow Changes and set VPN to Don't Allow.
4. Remove any VPN or extra browser already on the phone, then lock the phone and test Safari again.

Common mistakes that leave adult sites open

Leaving Installing Apps on lets a new browser appear after you finish. Set it to Don't Allow and keep it that way until you need it. That one switch prevents most bypass attempts.

Leaving Private Relay on while you test hides whether Screen Time is working. Turn it off for the child's account, test, then decide if you want it on later. Screen Time still filters Safari, but your home DNS will not see the traffic.

Forgetting the Apple ID recovery step locks you out of your own controls. If you skipped it, go back and set it now. You will need it when you change the 4-digit code next time.

• Installing Apps left on: new browsers slip in after setup
• Private Relay left on during testing: you cannot tell what filtered what
• No Apple ID recovery for Screen Time: you cannot reset a forgotten 4-digit code
• Allowed Websites Only chosen without an allow list: nothing loads and kids ask to turn it off

Questions people still ask

Tested on iOS 17.6.1 on iPhone 14 using Family Sharing. No VPN or DNS provider paid for placement. Home DNS names are given as category-filtering examples only.