Which porn blocker should you use on iPhone?
By Antoine Fraboulet, creator of VOW, updated November 10, 2026 · 3 min read
Full disclosure: we make VOW, one of the apps below. Every option is described with the same criteria, limits included.
Which criteria actually matter?
- Coverage. Every browser and app, or only Safari?
- Resistance. How long does it take to switch everything off in the middle of an urge? Three taps, a Face ID, or a real wait?
- Help in the moment. Does the app do anything when the urge hits, or does it only block?
- Tracking. Streak, relapses, triggers: something that helps you understand what is going on.
- Privacy. What the app collects, and whether you have to involve someone else.
The options
Screen Time (built into iOS)
Free, a decent web filter, nothing to install. Its weakness: unless someone else keeps the passcode, you can turn it off in seconds. No help during an urge, no tracking. A good starting point, rarely enough on its own. Step by step setup: how to block porn on iPhone.
Accountability partner apps
Services like Covenant Eyes rely on someone close to you who gets reports or keeps a code. Solid when you have that person and you are willing to talk about it. Many people have nobody, or don't want to.
QUITTR
A popular app with blocking, a streak counter and a motivation program. Its block relies on Apple's Screen Time permission, which can be revoked in Settings with a Face ID. Prices on the US App Store when we checked on October 2, 2026: $9.99 to $14.99 a month, $49.99 lifetime.
VOW
Built to quit alone, without a partner. The block covers every browser and the web pages inside apps. The lock relies on a Screen Time passcode you never see, handed back 24 hours after you ask for it. One tap emergency mode, the monk to talk to at any hour, and a log of your urges and triggers. $5.99 a month, or $29.99 a year with a 3 day free trial.
Summary table
| Screen Time | QUITTR | VOW | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole phone | Web only | Yes | Yes |
| Turning it off | Seconds, unless someone else has the code | Face ID in Settings | 24 hour wait |
| Help during an urge | No | Yes | Yes |
| Needs another person | To keep the code | No | No |
Apps change. Check each App Store listing before you choose.
Our take
If someone can keep your passcode, free Screen Time is a real option. If you want to quit alone, without telling anyone, the deciding criterion is how the block holds up when the urge hits. That is the exact case VOW was built for. For nine apps compared with their prices, see the best apps to quit porn.
VOW
Unlock it? Come back in 24 hours.
VOW blocks porn in every browser on your iPhone and keeps the passcode for you. Your urge won't last 24 hours. 3 day free trial.
Try VOWFrequently asked questions
Is there a free porn blocker for iPhone?
Yes. The Screen Time content filter is free and built into iOS. What it lacks is a lock that holds during an urge when nobody else keeps the passcode.
Can a porn blocker on iPhone be turned off?
On iOS, any block you set up for yourself can be undone in the end. The real question is how long it takes. A few seconds won't stop an urge; a 24 hour wait usually outlasts it.
Written by Antoine Fraboulet, who builds VOW. He is not a health professional: this guide doesn't replace advice from a doctor or a therapist.