Open Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions, turn it on, then go to App Store, Media, Web, & Games → Web Content and choose Limit Adult Websites. Add any extra sites under Never Allow. Set a Screen Time passcode you don't know (ask someone you trust to type it) so you can't undo it in a weak moment. Apple's filter misses some sites, so pair it with a blocker you control or an accountability app.
Most people who want to stop watching porn already know the hard part isn't the decision. It's 1am, the phone is in your hand, and the site is one tap away. Blocking it on your iPhone puts something between you and that tap. This guide covers the free option built into every iPhone, where it falls short, and how to make a block that actually holds when you're tired.
Method 1: Apple's free Screen Time filter
Every iPhone has a built-in adult content filter. It's free and it works in Safari and, because Apple requires browsers on iPhone to use its WebKit engine in most countries, in other browsers too.
- Open Settings → Screen Time. Turn on Screen Time if it's off.
- Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions and switch the toggle on.
- Tap App Store, Media, Web, & Games → Web Content. On older versions of iOS this is under Content Restrictions.
- Choose Limit Adult Websites. Apple's filter now limits many adult sites automatically.
- Add specific sites under Never Allow. If you know which sites you go to, add them here. This catches what the automatic filter misses.
- Lock it with a passcode you don't know. Back in Screen Time, tap Lock Screen Time Settings and let someone you trust type the code. If you set the code yourself, the block only lasts until the first strong urge.
Where the built-in filter falls short
- It doesn't catch everything. Apple says the setting limits "many" adult websites, not all of them, and people regularly report sites getting through. That's why the Never Allow list matters.
- It's easy to turn off if you know the passcode. Most people set their own code. In the moment, you'll remember it.
- Nobody knows if you switch it off. There's no record and no one to notice.
- It doesn't touch apps. Social apps with adult content aren't covered by the web filter. You'd need App Limits or a separate blocker for those.
- Browsers in the EU can use their own engines since iOS 17.4, so check that your filter still applies if you use one.
Method 2: Block it with Forge Shield (free trial)
Forge Shield for iPhone uses the same Apple Screen Time system, so it covers Safari and every other browser on your phone. It adds what the built-in setting doesn't: you can block any site or app you pick, all day or only at night, a 60 second wait before you can switch it off, and an optional email to an accountability partner if you do. Forge never sees which sites you visit. It's part of Forge Pro, with a 7-day free trial.
- Download Forge and open Journey → Recovery Tools → Forge Shield for iPhone (or tap the Shield card on the Home screen).
- Allow Screen Time with Face ID or your passcode. This is Apple's own permission screen.
- Leave "Block adult websites" on, then type in any extra sites and pick any apps you want blocked.
- Choose when: always, nights only (11pm to 7am), or around the time cravings usually hit.
- Add an accountability partner if you want one. They're only told when Shield is turned on or off. Never what you visit.
Try Forge Shield free for 7 days
Which should you use?
| Screen Time (built in) | Forge Shield | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Included in Forge Pro, 7-day free trial |
| Adult site filter | Yes | Yes (same Apple filter) |
| Block sites you type in | Yes (Never Allow) | Yes |
| Block apps | Through App Limits | Yes, any apps you pick |
| Schedule (nights only) | Through Downtime | Yes |
| Slows you down before turning off | Only if someone else holds the passcode | 60 second wait |
| Someone is told if it's turned off | No | Optional partner email |
| Help in the moment | No | "Get support" opens SOS tools |
If you just want the basics, the free Screen Time steps above are genuinely good. Use them today. If you've tried that and kept turning it off, a speed bump plus someone in your corner is usually what's missing.
A block is a seatbelt, not a steering wheel
No blocker is perfect, and anyone who claims theirs "can't be bypassed" isn't being straight with you. Blocking works best as one part of a plan: know your hardest hour, charge your phone outside the bedroom, have something to do with your hands when an urge hits, and tell one person what you're doing. If it feels out of control, a doctor or therapist can help, and compulsive sexual behaviour disorder is a recognised diagnosis (WHO ICD-11).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does iPhone have a built-in porn blocker?
Yes. Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions → App Store, Media, Web, & Games → Web Content → Limit Adult Websites turns on Apple's adult content filter. It's free and works in Safari and other browsers that use Apple's WebKit engine.
Does Limit Adult Websites block everything?
No. Apple describes it as limiting many adult websites, not all. Add the specific sites you're worried about under Never Allow to close the gaps.
Does the filter work in Chrome and other browsers on iPhone?
In most countries, yes, because browsers on iPhone are built on Apple's WebKit engine and follow Screen Time settings. In the EU, browsers can use their own engines since iOS 17.4, so test yours.
Does private browsing get around Screen Time?
Private browsing doesn't switch off the Screen Time web filter. The filter applies to the device, not the browsing mode.
How do I stop myself turning the filter off?
Lock Screen Time with a passcode someone else types. Or use a blocker like Forge Shield that adds a 60 second wait and can email an accountability partner if it's switched off.
Can I block porn apps and social media too?
The web filter only covers websites. Use Screen Time App Limits, or pick the apps in Forge Shield to block them all day or at night.
Will my accountability partner see what I visit?
Not with Forge. Forge never sees which sites you visit. Your partner is only told whether Shield is on or off.
Is it normal to keep turning the block off?
Very. That's why the passcode and a short wait matter. A slip is information: note the time and what you were feeling, then turn it back on.
Sources
- Apple Support: Set up parental controls and Content & Privacy Restrictions
- Apple Support: App Store, Media, Web, & Games settings in Screen Time
- Apple Community: reports of Limit Adult Websites missing sites
- Tech Lockdown: How iOS 27 changes Screen Time
- WHO ICD-11, code 6C72: compulsive sexual behaviour disorder