Blocking Porn on Your Computer? Here's How to Do It Right.

The ultimate guide to blocking porn on all your devices.

With the Internet everywhere these days, it has become easier to give in to our vices. While the open web is the greatest source of information the world has ever seen, it makes it terribly easy to access harmful material. Protecting yourself is where a high-quality porn blocker comes in handy.

Whether it's porn sites, gambling, violent material, or other things, it can be tough to make good choices when temptation is a mouse click away. If you're a parent, it's even more important to protect your family members and to keep young children away from these sorts of websites.

That's why it's important to learn how to block websites. This article will explore how you can block websites on your computers and mobile devices, whether they're Windows PCs, Macbooks, tablets, or anything else.

Blocking porn sites alone is not enough.

Ten years ago, you could simply make a list of the 100 most popular porn sites and call it a day. These days, however, there are far too many different porn apps, explicit social media content, and other loopholes that make blocking porn more difficult.

Instead of playing a never-ending game of whack-a-mole trying to block every inappropriate website, we have rounded up the best parental control services for every platform that takes a comprehensive approach to limit adult content.

The best porn-blocking apps for Windows computers

Blocking websites on Windows computers isn't too hard. Many computers come built-in with certain settings that allow you to deactivate websites. These controls are known as 'parental controls .' They allow you to block websites if you're concerned about your kids looking at them.

There are also different ways that you can block websites if you're worried about accessing them yourself. You can use third-party apps and certain settings to help keep yourself away from tempting websites. You can even block websites through your IP address or by changing host files.

Windows' built-in parental controls are the best porn blocker.

One of the easiest ways of blocking websites on a Windows desktop or laptop is to use the included parental controls. These controls are a useful tool for anybody hoping to block websites from their children.

However, because of how easy it is to use parental controls functionality, it's also easy to disable them. While kids new to computers probably won't figure out how to disable them, this doesn't do much to prevent you from using these websites yourself.

Nonetheless, parental controls are quite easy to set up. All you need to do is open up the Windows search bar and type in family options. Once you do this, you will be presented with an option to create a Windows account that can be useable for your child. After doing this, enable the parental controls.

You will also be asked to set a password. This will keep your kids away from dangerous websites. However, you'll be the caretaker of this password, which means that if you have zero willpower, parental controls won't do much for keeping you away from the websites yourself.

Once this is done, you can disable the administrator preferences so that your children cannot deactivate these parental controls without a password. Then, you can set up a separate account for yourself so you can enjoy access to all websites.

Third-party software

If you're interested in blocking adult sites for yourself, or if your children have figured out how to deactivate parental controls, you may want to look up some third-party porn blocking software that can be useful for helping to block websites.

Third-party software is more beneficial for people who are interested in preventing themselves from looking at websites. There are many different apps that you can use to block access to websites that offer gambling, pornography, or other things you were trying to avoid.

Some of these third-party apps can be plugged directly into Google Chrome for easy use. Others, like CovenantEyes, allow you to set up an accountability partner to keep you on track. At the same time, parental control services like Qustodio or NetNanny are targeted more at protecting and providing real-time monitoring of young children.

DNS settings

One of the best ways to block websites from yourself and your children is to change the DNS settings of your computer.

Changing the DNS servers requires a bit of technical finesse. We won't get into the details here. However, there are many websites online that can guide you through this process. OpenDNS is a great place to start. Keep in mind, network-level solutions can easily be bypassed with the use of a VPN.

One of the best things about changing the DNS settings is that it requires a bit of diligence and time. Even if you have zero willpower, using DNS to block sites is excellent. If you ever have a craving for accessing a certain website, you will have to go through the entire process of changing your DNS settings before you're able to access the website. During this time, the cravings will likely resolve.

The best porn-blocking apps for Mac

There are several different ways to block websites on your computer if you're using a Mac computer.

Screen time for Mac and MacOS

Apple develops the Screen Time app. The purpose of the app is to give people more control over their Internet usage. It is most often used to help parents control their children's access to the Internet.

To use Screen Time, open up system preferences and select the Screen Time option. Switch over to the app limits section of screen time and press the +. This will allow you to look at a list of specific apps.

You will be able to look at many different websites that you can block. You can also set a specific amount of time that they are allowed on the website per day.

Screen Time isn't the easiest to use. However, there are other options.

Third-party apps

There are also many third-party apps that you can use on your Mac computer to block any website. There are too many to discuss in this article. However, a simple Google search will be able to provide you with some options that you can use to block websites.

Different third-party apps are made with different purposes in mind. Some of them mimic the parental controls that you can find built into your Mac. Others are designed to help people who struggle with compulsive Internet addiction or who need access blocked to adult content limit the permissions they have available to themselves.

Depending on what sort of app you choose, you can expect to experience different things. Some of these apps are designed to be rather tricky to uninstall or to remove the block on adult websites. As such, these apps are great for people who struggle with compulsive gambling, pornography addiction, or other Internet problems.

The purpose of these apps is to provide enough of a barrier against Internet use that you are discouraged from accessing the site once you feel the craving. Ultimately, all of these apps can be relatively easily disabled. It's up to you and your willpower and determination to make sure that you don't access these websites at all.

However, these apps can certainly be useful for helping to provide you with an extra step that can be useful for reframing your Internet usage.

The best porn-blocking apps for iPhone and iOS

On iOS, there are several quality options available.

Screen time for iOS

Like Screen Time for Mac, the iOS version of screen time allows you to block explicit content. With a few simple clicks.

To enable -

1. On your iOS device, open "Settings."

2. Scroll down to "Screen Time."

3. Tap "Content restrictions."

4. Finally, select "Restrict adult content."

Screen time makes it easy to block adult content in Safari and forces search engines like Google and Bing to enable "Safe Search", which automatically filters out a lot of adult content.

You also have the option of setting up a PIN here to make these settings a little more difficult to change later. Remember to also disable third-party browsers like Firefox or Chrome to prevent workarounds.

The best porn-blocking apps for iPad and Android tablets

Most tablet owners are the only people who use their tablets. Unfortunately, their built-in settings for blocking inappropriate content are generally not that great for helping people prevent themselves from viewing porn. Deactivating the settings is just as easy as activating them, which can present challenges if you are pressed by the urge to look at certain websites.

Nonetheless, we will provide you with step-by-step instructions to block websites on your tablet.

How to block porn on your iPad

Blocking websites and iPad is not difficult. You can use the parental control settings to do this.

First, go to settings, then select General, then select Restrictions.

Next, select enable restrictions. You will be prompted to set a password. Set a password, preferably a different one that you used to unlock your device. Once you've set a password, you can scroll down in the settings and select websites. Now, you can choose several websites that you want to restrict access.

If you want, you can select the option to disable adult websites. This will prevent your tablet from accessing a number of websites that Apple has deemed to be inappropriate.

That's all. If you try to access the website you've blocked, your browser will not allow you to do so. Unfortunately, all you have to do to look at the website is enter the password you selected. Nevertheless, the added friction buys you time to make a different choice.

Another way to block websites on an iPad is to use software designed for this purpose. There are lots of different programs that you can download from the App Store. Different apps will have different degrees of complexity, and some of them will be more useful for blocking different types of websites than others.

If you're trying to block sites for your kids, parental control setings should be enough. As long as you're the only one with the password, family safety is assured.

Many of the apps, however, come with different degrees of protection and settings. Some of them make it easier for you to avoid looking at websites. For example, certain apps will make you run through many different steps before you can disable the settings. If you are prone to experiencing cravings or spontaneously looking at websites, going through the steps can give you time to reconsider your decision.

How to block porn on your Android device or smartphone

Android devices are preferred by those who use them because they can provide a greater level of control over your device. Android devices let you use more of the system features and specialized experience to yourself.

As such, there are several more options that you can use on an Android device that you're hoping to block pornographic content. You will have even more options on the type of content you can restrict if your phone is rooted.

Using a rooted phone to block websites and requires a bit of technical skill. You need to use the ES file explorer and create a specialized file with a text editor that tells your Android to redirect you to a different website once you access the one you were trying to block.

Most people, however, don't want to figure out how to root a device so that they can block websites. Fortunately, there are other tools that you can use.

One of the easiest things that you can do is install an antivirus device or software that allows you to block certain websites.

Many antivirus software will also provide you with the option to use parental controls. When you activate these controls, you will be able to disable certain websites. If you try to access these websites, your browser will inform you that they are blocked.

Unfortunately, one of the challenges of going through this route is that it's not entirely difficult to regain access to these websites. If you're trying to prevent yourself from watching pornography or gambling, all you'll have to do is enter a password or readjust your settings to access the webpage.

How to block a website on your network

One of the best ways to enable content filtering for yourself and other people in your household is using the Wi-Fi router.

Safeguard your DNS Servers

Most routers have a setting that allows you to block sites directly from the router. This means that any computers in your house will be unable to access these websites and in order to access them, you will have to readjust the entire router settings.

OpenDNS is another excellent solution. Simply change two numbers in your router settings to point your DNS Servers their way, and they automatically filter and block porn sites, for free.

Unfortunately, this isn't always the easiest thing to do if you are unfamiliar with Wi-Fi technology. Secondly, the steps will tend to vary from router to router. While the basic process is generally quite similar among different routers, it's a good idea to look up specific instructions to help you with your particular router.

It's essential to do this properly because making a mistake could disable the wrong websites or impair your Wi-Fi connection. If this happens, you're going to have to get in touch with your Internet service provider so that they can provide you with a solution.

How to Block Porn Websites Using the Brainbuddy Filter

If you have an iPhone or iPad, our Brainbuddy filter is a great way to instantly block access to adult websites while also giving you the power to block individual websites and even specific keywords contained in a URL.

You can choose to block websites for a duration of time from 1 day to 1 year or set a passcode that must be entered to disable the filter. The Brainbuddy filter is a great solution for those struggling with pornography to help improve their self-control.

Conclusion

The Internet is one of the most critical pieces of technology available to people nowadays. However, with this technology comes many challenges. People who struggle with compulsive Internet addiction and Internet usage may be curious how they can prevent themselves from using the Internet too much.

Fortunately, there are plenty of options that you can use to block pornography. Whether you are using a Mac, a Windows computer, or a tablet, you can find solutions to prevent you from using unwanted Internet websites.