Mamori / Guides

Free Ways to Block Porn: Built-In Tools on iPhone, Android, Mac and Windows

Updated

On this page
  1. iPhone: Screen Time
  2. Mac: Screen Time
  3. Android: Private DNS
  4. Windows: DNS and Family Safety
  5. SafeSearch
  6. Family DNS services: what the free options are
  7. Router: one setting for the whole home
  8. Where the free tools fall short
  9. FAQ
  10. Where Mamori fits

Short answer: You can block a lot of adult content without installing a blocker app. Screen Time on iPhone and Mac is built in, and SafeSearch, a free family DNS from Cloudflare or CleanBrowsing, and a router setting cost nothing to use. Each one has gaps, and most can be switched off by whoever holds the device, so the useful question is which gaps matter to you.

Version note: Checked on 27 Oct 2026. iPhone steps follow Apple's iPhone User Guide for iOS 26, and Mac steps follow Apple's Mac User Guide for macOS Tahoe 26 and macOS Sequoia 15. Apple's pages for iOS 27 and macOS 27 no longer show the Limit Adult Websites steps for your own device, so on those versions check the Screen Time screens yourself. The Windows steps follow Microsoft's page, which applies to Windows 10 and Windows 11, and Cloudflare's page says Private DNS is supported on Android 9 and later.

iPhone: Screen Time

Apple's iPhone User Guide for iOS 26 gives the route under "Block websites":

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Tap Screen Time.
  3. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions, then turn on Content & Privacy Restrictions.
  4. Tap App Store, Media, Web, & Games, then tap Web Content.
  5. Select Limit Adult Websites, tap Add Website below Never Allow, and enter the URLs you want to block.

Our full walk-through, including the passcode: How to Block Porn on iPhone (and Adult Websites on iPad Too).

What it does not cover: Apple's page does not list which browsers the filter applies to, so test the browsers you use. Without a Screen Time passcode that someone else holds, you can turn the filter off yourself.

Mac: Screen Time

Apple's Mac User Guide for macOS Tahoe 26 and macOS Sequoia 15 says to choose Apple menu > System Settings, click Screen Time in the sidebar, click Content & Privacy, then click App Store, Media, Web, & Games. Under Safari, you can pick Unrestricted Access, Limit Adult Websites or Allowed Websites Only. Apple says Limit Adult Websites "automatically limits access to many adult websites" and that Customize lets you enter additional allowed or restricted websites.

The setting is listed under Safari. The page does not say it applies to other browsers, so check each browser you have installed. To require a passcode before Screen Time settings can be changed, Apple's page on setting up Screen Time for yourself names the option Lock Screen Time Settings, and the same page notes that if the family member has an administrator account, you are prompted to convert it to a standard account.

Android: Private DNS

Android has no built-in adult-site filter for an adult's own phone that we can point to on an official page, but it has Private DNS, which sends your phone's lookups to a family DNS service. Google's Android Help gives the path: open Settings, tap Network & internet, tap Private DNS, pick Private DNS provider hostname, enter the hostname and tap Save. Cloudflare's page for the "Block malware and adult content with 1.1.1.1 for Families" option gives the hostname family.cloudflare-dns.com. Cloudflare says that on Android 9 and later your device then uses that resolver on all networks, including cellular.

Our DNS guide covers the hostnames and the cautions: DNS to Block Porn: Free Family DNS on Android, Step by Step.

Family Link is Google's tool for a parent to manage a child's account, so it is not an option for your own phone.

Windows: DNS and Family Safety

Windows has no Screen Time equivalent for an adult's own account that we can point to. Two routes exist.

Change the DNS server. Microsoft's support page says to go to Network & internet settings, choose the network you are connected to, and next to IP assignment select Edit. Under Edit IP settings, choose Manual, turn on IPv4, and type the addresses in the Preferred DNS and Alternate DNS boxes. Cloudflare's Windows 11 page words the same area as DNS server assignment and lists 1.1.1.3 and 1.0.0.3 for IPv4 under "Block malware and adult content with 1.1.1.1 for Families". Follow the labels on your own screen.

Microsoft Family Safety. Microsoft says its web and search filters work on Windows, Xbox and mobile devices that have the Microsoft Edge browser and the Family Safety apps. Its page tells you to select a family member, select Edge as a platform and turn on the Filter inappropriate websites and searches toggle. By default, Microsoft says, mature websites are blocked and Bing searches are filtered. It also says the filters "only work in the supported browsers" (currently Edge), and that unsupported browsers are blocked while the filter is on, though a browser can be manually unblocked on the device. It is built around a family group.

SafeSearch

Google says SafeSearch "only works on Google Search. It doesn't affect content on other search engines or websites." It offers Filter, Blur or Off. Filter "Blocks all explicit results". Blur "Blurs explicit images", but Google says "explicit text and links can show if they're relevant for your search", and Blur is the default when Filter does not apply. If you manage your own Google Account, you can change the setting yourself.

Bing has Strict, Moderate (the default) and Off; Microsoft says Strict "filters explicit text, images, and videos out of your search results".

Our SafeSearch guide has the steps: How to Turn On SafeSearch on Google, Bing and YouTube.

Family DNS services: what the free options are

Cloudflare's setup page says 1.1.1.1 for Families "automatically blocks DNS queries to domains associated with malware, phishing, or (optionally) adult content", and lists a second option, "Block malware and adult content", at 1.1.1.3 and 1.0.0.3. Cloudflare's launch post says "we're providing it for free".

CleanBrowsing's free filters page describes a Family Filter that "Blocks access to all adult, pornographic and explicit sites" and an Adult Filter that "does not block proxy or VPNs, nor mixed-content sites". Its free tier is listed as "Throttled Service" and "No Support".

Router: one setting for the whole home

Cloudflare says configuring 1.1.1.1 on your router "applies the DNS setting to every device on your network", with no need to change phones or computers one by one. Router menus differ by maker. Steps and limits: How to Block Porn on Your Home Wi-Fi.

Where the free tools fall short

These are gaps the pages above describe, plus one point of our own:

  • Cellular data on iPhone. Cloudflare's iOS page says manual configuration "only applies to the Wi-Fi network you are currently connected to" and "does not work for cellular connections". Its app route installs a VPN profile instead.
  • Changing the DNS. CleanBrowsing says changing a device's DNS "can be done in under a minute on any operating system", and that Firefox and Chrome have built-in DoH (encrypted DNS) support "that can be enabled with a few clicks", which sends lookups to a resolver of the user's choice.
  • Search only. SafeSearch does nothing for sites you open directly.
  • One browser. Family Safety works through Edge, and Apple's Mac page lists the setting under Safari.
  • The off switch. On every device above, the person who holds the device or passcode can turn the setting off. In our view, a setting you can undo in a minute is weak against a strong urge, and a common approach is to hand the passcode or router password to someone you trust.

Nothing here replaces support from people or a professional.

FAQ

Is there really a free porn blocker?

Yes, several: Screen Time, SafeSearch and the family DNS services above cost nothing to use. They are separate layers, and none covers every device and browser alone.

Which free option works on mobile data?

Cloudflare says Android 9 and later uses Private DNS on all networks, including cellular. On iPhone, manual DNS settings apply only to the Wi-Fi network you set them on.

Can I use Family Link on my own phone?

Family Link is made for a parent managing a child's account, so it is not an option for an adult's own phone.

Can I combine these?

Yes. SafeSearch, a family DNS and Screen Time are different layers, and they can run together.

Where Mamori fits

Everything above works without an app. Mamori is a newer app for iPhone, iPad and Android. It blocks 2.5M+ adult sites across the whole phone, not just one browser. On Android it is an on-device DNS filter using Android's VpnService, with no remote VPN server, no browsing logs and nothing uploaded. On iPhone and iPad it uses Apple's Screen Time web content filter plus its own blocklist. The list is built to also cover Japanese adult sites, and it forces SafeSearch on Google, Bing and other search engines.

In our view, where Mamori differs from the free tools is the lock: before you can switch it off, you pass a cooldown timer, a random phrase, or a PIN or passphrase that a trusted person can hold. While protection is on, uninstalling is protected. When protection is off, everything is off and Mamori can be uninstalled normally.

Honest limits: Mamori is for phones and tablets, not Mac or Windows. Android allows only one VPN at a time, so another VPN or blocker that takes the slot switches Mamori's filter off. It has no accountability reports and does not replace support from people or a professional. It is built for adults, so for a child's device use Screen Time or Family Link as the base layer.

There is a 7-day free trial on the monthly and annual plans, plus a one-time lifetime option. No account, no tracking.

Related guides

How to Block Porn on Android and Samsung Phones (Free Methods First)Free ways to block porn on Android and Samsung phones: SafeSearch, Google Play limits, Private DNS and Family Link, plus how to make them harder to undo. How to Block Websites and Adult Content on a Mac (Screen Time and Safari)Block a website in Safari on a Mac with Screen Time: Limit Adult Websites, your own Restricted list, a Screen Time passcode, and what it does not cover. Porn Blockers Compared: DNS, Screen Time, Apps and Router FiltersPorn blockers compared: Screen Time, Family Link, DNS filters, VPN-based apps, extensions and router filters. What each covers and how it is undone.

Sources

Last checked 27 Oct 2026. This guide is general information, not medical advice.