The fastest way to block adult websites on an iPhone is Apple's built-in web filter: go to Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions → App Store, Media, Web & Games → Web Content and choose Limit Adult Websites. It's free, takes about two minutes, and works best when you lock it with a Screen Time passcode your child doesn't know. Below are the exact steps, the gaps to watch for, and where an app like Skydo can help.
Step 1: Turn on Screen Time
If Screen Time isn't on yet, start here. You can do this directly on your child's iPhone, or from your own iPhone if your child is part of your Family Sharing group (Settings → Screen Time → your child's name).
- Open Settings on your child's iPhone.
- Tap Screen Time, then turn it on.
- When asked whether this is your iPhone or your child's, choose This is My Child's iPhone (if shown).
- Set a Screen Time passcode (you may see it as "Use Screen Time Passcode" or "Lock Screen Time Settings").
Use a four-digit code that is different from the phone's unlock passcode. If your child knows the code, every setting in this guide can be undone in seconds.
Step 2: Turn on Limit Adult Websites
- In Settings → Screen Time, tap Content & Privacy Restrictions.
- Turn Content & Privacy Restrictions on at the top.
- Tap App Store, Media, Web & Games.
- Tap Web Content.
- Choose Limit Adult Websites.
That's the core setting. iOS will now filter adult content automatically in Safari and, generally, in other browsers that use Apple's web engine.
Add specific sites to block
Under the same Web Content screen you'll see a Never Allow list. Tap Add Website and enter any address you want blocked, even if it isn't adult content. Parents often add video sites, chat sites, or anything they've seen appear in their child's history.
There's also an Always Allow list, which is handy if the filter accidentally blocks a site your child needs for school.
For younger children: Only Approved Websites
If your child is under ten or so, consider the stricter option: Only Approved Websites. Instead of blocking bad sites, it only allows a short list of sites you choose. It's more work to maintain, but much tighter.
Step 3: Close the common gaps
The web filter is a good start, but it's only as strong as the settings around it. Check these too.
- Lock app installs. In Content & Privacy Restrictions → App Store Purchases (on some versions "iTunes & App Store Purchases"), set Installing Apps to Don't Allow. This stops your child from installing a new browser or an app with its own built-in browsing.
- Check the browsers they already have. Open each one and try a site on your Never Allow list. If anything gets through, block that browser app with an App Limit or remove it.
- Turn on SafeSearch. In the Google app or google.com settings, turn on SafeSearch. It filters explicit images and links in search results, which complements the Screen Time filter.
- Watch for links in apps. Social apps and messaging apps can open links inside their own windows. If your child uses them, check whether the filter applies there, and consider limiting those apps (see how to block social media on iPhone).
- Keep your passcode private. If you suspect your child has seen it, change it straight away in Screen Time settings.
If something still seems to slip through, our guide on how kids get around Screen Time covers the other workarounds parents report and how to close each one.
Where Apple's filter falls short
Apple's tools are genuinely useful, and for many families they're enough. Parents tend to run into the same few frustrations, though:
- Settings are buried. The web filter sits four menus deep, separate from app limits and bedtime settings.
- You don't see what happened. Screen Time doesn't clearly tell you when your child tried to open a blocked site.
- Changes mean picking up their phone. Unless you've set up Family Sharing, every adjustment has to be made on the child's device.
- Content filtering is one part of the picture. Kids also find adult content through social apps, which need their own rules.
How Skydo blocks adult websites
Skydo is an iPhone parental control app built on Apple's own Screen Time technology (Family Controls), so the blocks are enforced by iOS itself, not by a VPN or a profile your child can remove.
On your child's iPhone, Skydo lets you:
- Block adult websites in Safari and search with one switch, and add specific sites you want blocked.
- Block whole app categories, such as all social media, in a tap, which closes the "link inside an app" gap.
- Prevent installing and deleting apps, so a new browser can't sneak in.
- Protect settings with a parent PIN and Face ID, so the controls can't be turned off by guessing a code.
- See blocked attempts and a weekly report, so you know if your child is trying to reach blocked content and can talk about it.
You can also pair your own phone once with an 8-character code (no accounts needed) to change limits, bedtime, and school hours remotely. Which apps and sites are blocked is chosen on the child's phone.
What to know before you start
- Skydo has to be installed and set up on your child's iPhone, and it needs a recent version of iOS (iOS 26.5 or later).
- The download is free, but switching protection on requires a Skydo Premium subscription. One subscription bought on the parent's phone also unlocks the child's phone.
- No filter is perfect. Keep talking with your child about what they might see online and what to do if something upsetting appears.
A simple setup that works
For most families, this combination covers the bases:
- Turn on Limit Adult Websites in Screen Time.
- Set a private Screen Time passcode.
- Set Installing Apps to Don't Allow.
- Turn on SafeSearch in Google.
- Add a tool like Skydo if you want stronger app blocking, blocked-attempt alerts, and remote control from your own phone.
If you're setting up a first phone, our first phone rules for kids guide pairs well with these steps.