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Block Apps on iPhone
Step-by-step guides for blocking any app on iPhone — what actually works, and where each app leaks.
Every guide below covers the same three layers: the Screen Time limit, the website version most people forget to block, and what to do when you dismiss your own limit. Pick the app you keep reopening.
Guides — Short, practical writing on screen time, walking, and getting your attention back.
Social
- 9GAGSet a Screen Time App Limit on 9GAG, then block 9gag.com in Safari. No companion app, no social cost — it's one of the few apps worth blocking outright.
- BeRealA Screen Time App Limit on BeReal blocks the icon, but the daily notification is the real trigger — muting it matters more than the limit itself.
- BlueskyA Screen Time App Limit blocks the Bluesky app icon — not bsky.app in Safari, and not the custom feeds you already subscribed to. Both need separate steps.
- FacebookSet a Screen Time App Limit on Facebook under Social, then close the gaps it leaves open: facebook.com, m.facebook.com, fb.watch, and Messenger.
- ImgurA Screen Time App Limit on Imgur misses most exposure — Reddit and forum links open straight to i.imgur.com, a separate hostname the App Limit never sees.
- InstagramSet an App Limit on Instagram and block instagram.com in Safari — or lock the app until you've walked your step goal; it unlocks itself when you have.
- Lemon8Lemon8 is filed under Social, so an App Limit catches it — but a TikTok block won't. Close lemon8-app.com in Safari too.
- LinkedInSet a Screen Time App Limit on LinkedIn under Social, but block linkedin.com and lnkd.in too — most LinkedIn use happens in a browser, not the app.
- MastodonAn App Limit stops the official app, but Mastodon has no single domain to block and clients like Ivory or Ice Cubes ignore it entirely.
- PinterestSet a Screen Time App Limit on Pinterest under Social, then block pinterest.com and pin.it too — Google image results route straight back in otherwise.
- QuoraSet a Screen Time App Limit on Quora under Social — but most Quora reading starts from a Google search, not the app icon, so the limit alone misses it.
- RedditSet a Screen Time App Limit on Reddit under Social — then block old.reddit.com too, since it's a separate hostname the app limit misses entirely.
- SnapchatSet a Screen Time App Limit on Snapchat under Social, then block web.snapchat.com and snapchat.com too — the app limit alone won't touch the streak or the website.
- ThreadsSet a Screen Time App Limit on Threads, and block threads.net and threads.com in Safari too — Instagram will keep pointing you back to it.
- Truth SocialA Screen Time App Limit locks the Truth Social app icon, but truthsocial.com loads the same feed in Safari, and notifications run through a separate iOS setting entirely.
- TumblrA Screen Time App Limit blocks the Tumblr app, but every blog lives on its own subdomain — tumblr.com alone doesn't close what you'd actually keep reading.
- VKVK folds a feed, messaging, music, and video into one app icon, so a Screen Time App Limit cuts off your music library too — plus the gap at m.vk.com.
- WeiboA Screen Time App Limit on Weibo won't touch weibo.cn — weibo.com and weibo.cn are separate hostnames, and both need blocking individually in Safari.
- X (Twitter)Block X under Screen Time's Social category, add x.com and twitter.com in Content Restrictions — or lock the X app until you've walked your step goal.
- YuboA Screen Time App Limit only controls how long Yubo stays open — not who can reach your teen inside it. Here's exactly what iOS can and can't do.
Video & streaming
- Apple MusicApple Music is built into iOS, so App Limits don't apply. Turn it off under Allowed Apps, or just filter explicit content instead — both paths, and the real cost of each.
- Apple PodcastsApple Podcasts is built-in, so App Limits skip it — the real control is Allowed Apps. Here's the setup, and why blocking it usually costs more than it fixes.
- Disney+A Screen Time App Limit stops the Disney+ icon, not disneyplus.com in Safari or the shared TV where most of the household's Disney+ time actually happens.
- HuluSet a Screen Time App Limit on Hulu, but hulu.com still plays in Safari — and outside the US, Hulu won't load at all, block or no block.
- KickSet a Screen Time App Limit on Kick under Entertainment, then close the kick.com gap in Safari — the App Limit alone never touches the website.
- LikeeLikee runs a live-streaming gift economy alongside its video feed, so an App Limit only covers time. Block likee.video too, and restrict In-App Purchases separately.
- NetflixSet a Screen Time App Limit on Netflix, but the post-play countdown makes continuing the default — and blocking your iPhone does nothing about a TV or laptop.
- Prime VideoA Screen Time App Limit blocks the app icon, but Prime Video also plays at primevideo.com and inside amazon.com/gp/video, and autoplay keeps episodes going.
- RumbleA Screen Time App Limit locks the Rumble app, but rumble.com plays the same videos in Safari — block the site too, and set a passcode so it holds.
- SoundCloudA Screen Time App Limit on SoundCloud also cuts background listening — the real habit is often the Stream feed or checking your own play counts.
- SpotifyA Screen Time App Limit on Spotify sits under Entertainment, but it also silences music and podcasts you may still want — often the wrong tool here.
- TikTokTikTok is filed under Entertainment, not Social, so a Social limit misses it. Block it directly, then close tiktok.com and vm.tiktok.com too.
- TrillerTriller leans on music-video editing and live combat-sports streaming, not a pure feed. Its own web domain is currently parked — here's what that changes.
- TwitchSet a Screen Time App Limit on Twitch, but live streams create a fear of missing out no on-demand video does — block twitch.tv and m.twitch.tv too.
- VimeoA Screen Time App Limit blocks the Vimeo app, but not vimeo.com or videos embedded elsewhere — and for many readers, Vimeo isn't the app to block at all.
- YouTubeSet a Screen Time App Limit on YouTube under Entertainment — but the Google app plays videos inline and YouTube Music streams the same catalog, so both need limits too.
- YouTube KidsYouTube Kids has its own built-in timer, so Screen Time may not even be needed — but neither one reaches the separate YouTube app or youtubekids.com in Safari.
- YouTube MusicA Screen Time App Limit on YouTube Music is separate from YouTube's own limit, and music.youtube.com still plays the same catalog in Safari.
Messaging
- DiscordA Screen Time App Limit blocks Discord under Social, but discord.com, discordapp.com, and the desktop client, where most use happens, are untouched.
- imoAn App Limit blocks imo entirely, but it's often the low-bandwidth line to family abroad. Downtime with imo on Always Allowed usually fits better than a hard block.
- KakaoTalkA Screen Time App Limit blocks KakaoTalk under Social, but kakao.com stays open in Safari, and where it carries family or work contact, a full block has a real cost.
- LINEA Screen Time App Limit blocks LINE under Social, but line.me survives in Safari, and where LINE is the primary messenger, blocking it outright can cut real contact.
- MessagesMessages is built-in, so App Limits don't apply. Communication Limits controls who can reach you, not how long — here's the setup, and who it's actually for.
- MessengerSet a Screen Time App Limit on Messenger under Social, but the Facebook app reaches the same inbox — blocking Messenger alone rarely closes the loop.
- Microsoft TeamsScreen Time files Teams under Productivity & Finance, but it's usually installed by an employer, can carry calls as well as chat, and a company profile can put it back.
- SignalSignal has no feed to pull you back in — the compulsion is checking, not scrolling. A Screen Time limit works, but it may cut off someone's only safe channel.
- SkypeSkype was retired by Microsoft on May 5, 2025, folded into Teams. What's actually left to restrict, why Teams inherited the traffic, and the real cost of a hard block.
- SlackA Screen Time restriction files Slack under Productivity & Finance, but a nightly Downtime schedule fits the real goal — quiet after hours — better than an App Limit.
- TelegramSet a Screen Time App Limit on Telegram under Social, then close the gaps it misses: web.telegram.org, t.me links, and Telegram X, a separate app.
- ViberA Screen Time App Limit blocks Viber under Social, but in the Philippines, Greece, and Ukraine it's the default line to family — Downtime fits better than a hard block.
- WeChatA Screen Time App Limit can lock WeChat's icon, but it also blocks WeChat Pay, work chats, and every mini-program inside it — scheduling usually fits better.
- WhatsAppA Screen Time App Limit blocks WhatsApp under Social, but for many people it's the only route to family or work — a Downtime schedule usually fits better.
- ZoomZoom has no feed to scroll — the pull is meeting obligation. Downtime plus muted notifications guards evenings better than a flat block, which risks a missed call.
Games
- Among UsA Screen Time App Limit on Among Us only tracks time — it says nothing about open chat with strangers in public lobbies, which is the risk most parents actually mean.
- Brawl StarsA Screen Time limit on Brawl Stars gets spent in three-minute matches, not one sitting — and it does nothing for gem purchases, which need a separate setting.
- Candy Crush SagaSet a Screen Time App Limit on Candy Crush under Games — but king.com and the other King titles are why the limit alone won't hold.
- Clash of ClansA Screen Time App Limit blocks Clash of Clans in the Games category, but clan-war attacks and troop donations run on the clan's clock, not yours.
- Clash RoyaleBlocking Clash Royale on iPhone means a Screen Time App Limit under Games — but chest timers and clan-war windows are what actually pull you back in.
- Genshin ImpactA Screen Time limit on Genshin Impact doesn't touch the daily resin clock or gacha spending — those need Content & Privacy Restrictions instead.
- MinecraftMinecraft has no web version on iOS, so a Screen Time App Limit under Games comes close to a complete block — the real problem is usually other devices.
- Monopoly GO!A Screen Time App Limit on Monopoly GO is easy to set — the harder part is dice timers and Partner Events that keep running without you.
- PUBG MobilePUBG Mobile matches run 20–30 minutes and can't be paused, so a flat App Limit abandons teammates mid-round. How to size one that doesn't, plus the age gap parents miss.
- RobloxBlocking Roblox on a child's iPhone runs through Family Sharing, not a limit set on your own phone — plus the roblox.com browser gap a limit alone won't close.
- Royal MatchA Screen Time App Limit locks Royal Match's icon, but its life-refill timer and short events are built to pull you back the moment the limit lifts.
- SteamSteam's iPhone app is a store and chat companion — the actual games run on a PC, outside Screen Time's reach. Here's what an App Limit really stops.
- Subway SurfersA Screen Time App Limit works, but Subway Surfers has no natural stopping point — a run ends in a crash and restarts on one tap, so minutes vanish in fragments.
Dating
- BumbleSet a Screen Time App Limit on Bumble under the Social category, then block bumble.com in Safari — the app limit alone won't stop the website.
- Coffee Meets BagelCoffee Meets Bagel already limits itself to one curated batch a day, so a Downtime schedule fits the daily check-in habit better than a minutes-based App Limit.
- GrindrSet a Screen Time App Limit on Grindr under Social, turn off its notifications separately, and close the narrow grindr.com web gap in Safari.
- HingeSet a Screen Time App Limit on Hinge under the Social category — its web version at hinge.co is limited, so an app-level block works better here.
- TinderSet a Screen Time App Limit on Tinder under Social — then block tinder.com in Safari too, since the web client is fully featured and survives an app limit.
Shopping
- AliExpressSet a Shopping & Food App Limit on AliExpress, then block aliexpress.com and aliexpress.us — coupon games and weeks of tracking checks survive it alone.
- AmazonAmazon runs on nine separate country domains, so a Screen Time App Limit alone won't stop the spending — here's every domain you need to block too.
- DepopDepop is filed under Shopping & Food in Screen Time, but it runs like a social feed — set the App Limit, block depop.com, and see what still slips through.
- eBayeBay's auction countdowns and outbid alerts outpull a time limit, and its country storefronts don't stop at ebay.co.uk and ebay.de. Here's what actually works.
- EtsyEtsy splits into buyers and sellers. Buyers can use a strict App Limit; sellers whose shop lives in the app need Downtime and muted notifications instead.
- SheinSet an App Limit on Shein and block shein.com too — or lock the Shein app until you've hit your step goal, and let the walk decide when it opens.
- TemuSet an App Limit on Temu and block temu.com in Safari — or lock the Temu app until you've walked your step goal, so a flash sale can't pull you back.
- VintedSet a Shopping & Food App Limit on Vinted, then close the real gap: vinted.com, vinted.co.uk, vinted.fr, and vinted.de keep working, and so do buyer messages.
- WishSet a Shopping & Food App Limit on Wish, then block wish.com — the discount feed's countdown timers keep running whether the app is locked or not.
News
- Apple NewsApple News is built in, so App Limits skip it — restrict it under Content & Privacy Restrictions → Allowed Apps instead. Setup, and what still gets through.
- BBC NewsAn App Limit blocks the BBC News app, not its alerts or bbc.com in Safari — or lock the app until you've walked your step goal and read on your terms.
- CNNA Screen Time App Limit locks the CNN app, but breaking-news alerts use a separate iOS permission that survives it, and edition.cnn.com still opens in Safari.
- FlipboardA Screen Time App Limit blocks the Flipboard app, but flipboard.com still opens in Safari, and its paced page-turn interface disguises how long a session actually ran.
- Google NewsA Screen Time App Limit stops the Google News app, but the same Discover headlines still reach you through the Google app, a home screen widget, and Chrome.
- NaverA Screen Time App Limit on Naver blocks Korea's main search portal, not just a feed — naver.com and m.naver.com still work in Safari unless you close them too.
- Yahoo NewsA Screen Time App Limit stops the Yahoo News app, but the same headlines still surface in Yahoo Mail, Search, and Finance, and news.yahoo.com still loads in Safari.
Other
- BinanceA Screen Time App Limit locks the Binance icon, but Spot, Futures, Earn, and price alerts keep working — and binance.com still opens in Safari.
- BraveBrave is third-party, so an App Limit blocks it — but Web Content restrictions only cover Safari, and Brave can keep YouTube running with the screen locked.
- ChatGPTChatGPT works at chatgpt.com and chat.openai.com in Safari, so an App Limit alone barely helps. This is an unusual block too — usually integrity or focus, not compulsion.
- ChromeChrome is a normal third-party app, so a Screen Time App Limit blocks it — unlike Safari, which needs Allowed Apps. Blocking one alone changes nothing.
- CoinbaseA Screen Time App Limit locks the Coinbase icon, but price alerts and coinbase.com in Safari keep working — crypto trades 24/7, so neither pauses on its own.
- DuolingoA Screen Time App Limit blocks Duolingo, but the streak is the real pull — schedule a window, mute the alerts, or make the app earn its opening with a walk.
- FirefoxFirefox is third-party, so an App Limit blocks it — but Safari's Never Allow list never touches it, and Firefox Sync keeps your tabs alive on your laptop anyway.
- GmailA Gmail App Limit blocks the icon, not your inbox — mail.google.com still opens in Safari and the same account still lands in Apple Mail. Here's the real fix.
- Microsoft EdgeEdge is a normal third-party app, so a Screen Time App Limit blocks it — Safari's Web Content restrictions never touch it. Often a managed work app, too.
- NotionNotion loads fully at notion.so in Safari, so an App Limit alone does little. The fix is limiting it during deep-work blocks, not blocking a real work tool all day.
- OnlyFansOnlyFans has no App Store app, so App Limits can't apply — the real block is Web Content, and it only covers Safari.
- OperaWeb Content restrictions under Content & Privacy Restrictions only govern Safari — Opera opens the same sites freely. The fix is an App Limit on Opera itself.
- OutlookA Screen Time limit on Outlook can be undone by a company device profile, and Apple Mail or Teams still carry the same after-hours messages.
- PhotosBlocking Photos kills your whole camera roll. Turn off Memories and the widget instead — plus the Allowed Apps route for when you do want it gone.
- Pocket FMPocket FM's real risk is coins, not minutes — episodes lock at the cliffhanger. Content & Privacy Restrictions → In-App Purchases covers the spend; here's the setup.
- RobinhoodA Screen Time App Limit locks the Robinhood icon, but price-alert notifications and robinhood.com in Safari both keep working — here's what actually needs closing.
- SafariTurn off Safari under Content & Privacy Restrictions → Allowed Apps — App Limits don't touch it. Here's the setup and its real limits.
- SettingsSettings has no App Limit and never appears in Allowed Apps — it can't be blocked. What actually holds is a Screen Time passcode someone else controls.
- StravaAn App Limit on Strava also blocks your GPS recording. Notification control and a scheduled Downtime window cut the feed's pull without touching your tracking.
- the App StoreRestrict App Store installs to stop the delete-and-reinstall trick that undoes other blocks — via Content & Privacy Restrictions, not App Limits.
- the Google appA Screen Time App Limit blocks the app icon, but Discover — its real pull — and inline YouTube playback need naming. Safari's address bar covers the search.
- WattpadWattpad is reading, not a feed — the real issues are cliffhanger chapters that run past bedtime and mature-tagged stories a Content Restrictions rating actually handles.
- WEBTOONA Screen Time App Limit blocks WEBTOON's icon, but Fast Pass and Daily Pass timers regenerate on schedule, and webtoons.com reads the same library in Safari.