How to block porn on iPhone, step by step
By Antoine Fraboulet, creator of VOW, updated November 3, 2026 · 3 min read
Method 1: the filter built into Screen Time
iOS includes a free web content filter. It works in Safari, in other browsers and in web pages opened from apps. Here's the path on a recent iPhone.
- Open Settings, then Screen Time. If you've never used Screen Time, turn it on.
- Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions and turn on the switch at the top. Without it, the whole section stays greyed out.
- Tap App Store, Media, Web & Games, then Web Content.
- Choose Limit Adult Websites.
To check, open an adult site in Safari. The page should say it's restricted.
These labels follow Apple's official help for iOS 27. Apple renames these menus regularly: if you can't find a line, look for the closest label in the same section.
What about Chrome, Firefox or Brave?
No extension needed. Apple states that the filter applies to Safari and to other supported browsing apps, Chrome included. Porn sites, adult sites, whatever you call them: it's the same setting. To check, open a well known adult site in Chrome once the filter is on. It should be blocked there too.
The problem: three taps and it's gone
Without a passcode, anyone can go back into that menu and pick Unrestricted again. And that anyone is you, on a night when the urge is stronger than this morning's decision. So you need a Screen Time passcode.
- Set the restrictions above first. Order matters: once the passcode is set, iOS asks for it to change Content & Privacy Restrictions.
- Then set a Screen Time passcode. In recent versions of iOS, Apple's help calls this Lock Screen Time Settings; older versions say Use Screen Time Passcode.
The real question is who knows that passcode. If it's you, the lock only lasts until the next urge.
Method 2: a filtering DNS to cover apps
Apple's filter works on the web. To also cover traffic from apps, you can route the phone's lookups through a DNS resolver that refuses adult domains, such as Cloudflare for Families (address 1.1.1.3).
Set by hand, iOS only applies it to the Wi Fi network you configure it on (Settings, Wi Fi, the i button, Configure DNS). On cellular, it doesn't apply. And a DNS setting can be switched back to Automatic without any prompt. Good coverage, not a lock.
Who should keep the passcode?
| Option | Upside | Downside |
|---|---|---|
| You know it | Simple | Doesn't protect you during an urge |
| Someone you trust keeps it | Solid | You need someone, and to tell them |
| A random passcode you never see | Solid, no one involved | You need a way to get it back |
Careful with the third option done by hand: if you type a random passcode without writing it down and decline the recovery option tied to your Apple Account, iOS offers no way to recover it. Your only way out is erasing the iPhone. Don't do it without a recovery plan.
That's exactly the problem VOW solves: the app draws the passcode, has you type it one digit at a time so you don't remember it, keeps it, and gives it back 24 hours after you ask. Long enough for an urge to pass, with no dead end.
Does it work in private browsing?
Yes. The Screen Time filter also applies to private browsing in Safari, and a DNS filter works below the browser.
VOW
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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
How do I block porn on iPhone for free?
Use the Limit Adult Websites filter in Screen Time, which is free and built into iOS. Add a Screen Time passcode that you don't keep yourself, or it's easy to switch off.
Does Limit Adult Websites work in Chrome?
Yes. Apple applies it to Safari and other supported browsing apps, Chrome included. Turn it on, then check by opening a known adult site in Chrome.
Does the filter block porn on X, Reddit or Telegram?
Not fully. Those apps show content from their own servers, which neither the web filter nor a DNS can sort image by image. The safest move is to delete those apps or limit them in Screen Time.
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.