How to Block Adult Websites on Safari (iPhone, iPad, Mac)
Block adult websites in Safari across all your Apple devices using Screen Time — and lock the settings so they actually stay blocked.
How to Block Adult Websites on Safari (iPhone, iPad, Mac)
Safari has a built-in adult content filter that works on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Here's how to enable it — and what changed in iOS 26 that most guides haven't caught up to yet.
On iPhone & iPad
- Open Settings → Screen Time
- Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions → toggle on
- Tap Content Restrictions → Web Content
- Select Limit Adult Websites
- (Optional) Add specific URLs under Never Allow
On Mac
- System Settings → Screen Time
- Click Content & Privacy → turn on
- Under Content Restrictions → Web Content → Limit Adult Websites
Important: this changed in iOS 26
Older guides say Limit Adult Websites blocks private browsing too. As of iOS 26, that's no longer automatic. A setup that fully worked on iOS 17 or 18 can have a gap on iOS 26 if you skip one extra step.
The fix: if you're restricting your own device, also turn on Supervised Mode in Screen Time setup. This closes the private-browsing gap that Limit Adult Websites alone no longer covers by default on iOS 26.
This is exactly the kind of thing that makes "I set this up once" different from "this is actually working" — Apple changes the OS, and a setup that worked last year can quietly stop covering everything this year.
Block other browsers too
Limiting Safari is pointless if you can install Chrome, Firefox, or Brave.
In Screen Time → Content & Privacy → iTunes & App Store Purchases: - Set Installing Apps to Don't Allow - Set Deleting Apps to Don't Allow (so blockers can't be removed)
Lock the passcode so settings can't change
All of the above is reversible in 30 seconds — if you know the Screen Time passcode.
LockIn replaces your passcode with a sealed code you don't see. For 1 day, 30 days, or a year, you literally cannot disable Safari's adult content filter, Supervised Mode, or app installs.
FAQ
Do I need Supervised Mode if I'm not on iOS 26 yet? No — on iOS 17/18, Limit Adult Websites still covers private tabs on its own. Supervised Mode becomes necessary specifically because of the iOS 26 change.
Will Supervised Mode break anything else on my phone? It adds restrictions typically used for managed devices. For a personal phone used specifically to enforce a block, most people don't notice a difference day to day.
What if Apple changes this again next year? Probably, eventually — Apple adjusts Screen Time behavior most major iOS releases. That's exactly why a locked passcode matters more than any one setting: it forces you to actually check what's enabled, instead of assuming a two-year-old setup still holds.
That's the difference between "I tried" and "I can't."