Read on to choose a suitable option for blocking a website on Safari.
Blocking a Website on Safari Is Simple
Unfortunately, you can’t block a website directly from the Safari browser on your Mac. And, in many cases, this is the thing that’s stopping people from doing it since they think that this process may get highly complicated.
But there are a couple of ways to restrict access to a site that won’t take much of your time and are very straightforward—by enabling the Screen Time feature or by resorting to a third-party app.
You can also use the Terminal app and edit the Hosts file to block your Mac from accessing a certain site, but that is a lot more intimidating. It also leaves the chance that something could go wrong.
This is why the two methods we’ve chosen below are the best ones.
1. Use Screen Time to Block a Website on Safari
On Macs that are running macOS Catalina or higher, you can use Screen Time to block a website on Safari. You can also use this feature to limit the amount of time you or your children spend on a specific site or block it entirely.
If you’ve never used Screen Time before, first you need to turn it on.
To do this, follow these steps:
Head to your Mac’s System Preferences and click Screen Time. In the bottom-left of your screen, click Options. Select Turn On to start using this feature on your Mac.
Now, to block a website on Safari using Screen Time, you should:
Open System Preferences on your Mac and go to Screen Time. From the sidebar, click App Limits. Click Turn On to enable App Limits on your Mac. Under the App Limits box, you’ll find a plus (+) and minus (-) icon. Click the plus (+) icon. Scroll down looking for Websites. Click it to see all of the possible websites that you can block on Safari. If you don’t find the site you want to block, you can type in the website URL in the example field. In the Time field, you can choose the exact amount of time that you want to be able to spend on the chosen website. If you want to block it completely, type in 0 h 0 m. When you’re ready, click Done.
You can also set a different limit for a site depending on the day. To do this, click Custom > Edit and type in the amount of time that you wish to be able to spend scrolling through that website for any specific day.
If you’re blocking a website, not for yourself, but to prevent your child from visiting it, you should also set a passcode for Screen Time. That way, only the people who know that passcode would have the ability to change the settings.
To do this, head to System Preferences > Screen Time > Options > Use Screen Time Passcode. Then enter a memorable passcode to use.
Knowing how to turn off Screen Time on your Mac is also a handy skill to have since you might want to disable this feature after some time. You’ll need your Screen Time passcode to do this.
2. Get a Safari Site Blocker For Your Mac
Many Mac users find it a bit complicated to use Screen Time to block a Safari website. It actually may take a while to get everything just right. The easier way around this problem is to install a dedicated Safari site blocker app instead.
A great example of such an app is 1Focus.
1Focus
It’s free to download and use, but has a monthly and yearly pro subscription available. Among the features that come with the free version is the ability to block websites, so if that’s what you’re aiming for, you won’t need to get a paid subscription.
Here’s how to block a website on Safari using the 1Focus app:
Download 1Focus on your Mac. Head to Launchpad on your device, and click 1Focus to open the application. Click the plus (+) icon and type in the website URL in the field that appeared. Hit Enter on your keyboard.
Focus City
If you’re looking for a fancier option, take a look at the Focus City app. People who like to use a Pomodoro timer to increase their productivity levels will enjoy this application even more.
It is also free to install and use. However, to get all of the features that come with this app, you’ll need to get the Pro version.
Here’s how to use Focus City to block a website on Safari on your Mac:
Install Focus City on your Mac. Go to Launchpad > Focus City to open the application. Click on Blocked to add a website that you want to block on Safari. In the example field type in the full URL of the site and hit Enter on your keyboard. To add another website, click on the plus (+) icon.
These two apps are a good option when you want to block a website for yourself to minimize distractions while working on something important. But if you want to block a site so that your child won’t open it, it’s best to use the Screen Time feature since you’ll be able to set a passcode to leave no chances for your kid getting access to that site.
Quickly Block a Website on Safari Using Any Method
Depending on what your preferences are, you can choose either the Screen Time feature to block a site on Safari or get a suitable third-party app. Both of the methods are straightforward, and you shouldn’t have any issues when blocking a site on your Mac.
You can also use the Screen Time feature and the third-party apps mentioned above to block websites on Chrome. However, there are some other options that you can try for this.
