Short answer: Quitting goes more smoothly when most of the work happens before day one: know why you are doing it, pick a start date, make porn harder to reach, and tell one person. Then plan the first two weeks around your usual trigger times instead of relying on willpower. Slips are common, and research on this is still limited and mostly short-term.
This guide is not about shame, and it does not label you.
Some people stop completely; others cut down first. A paper on people who tried to abstain notes that, in clinical programmes for problematic pornography use, reduction or controlled-use goals "have been seen as a valid alternative to abstinence goals". Pick the goal you will actually try and write it in one sentence.
One caution: "porn addiction" is not a formal diagnosis. The World Health Organization's ICD-11 has a separate diagnosis, compulsive sexual behaviour disorder, and its description says that distress "entirely related to moral judgments and disapproval" is not sufficient to meet its distress requirement. So this guide cannot tell you whether you have a problem. Only a qualified professional can assess that. You can quit for any reason that is yours.
On a calm day, write three to five reasons in your own words. Keep them specific, such as "I want my evenings back" or "I want to stop hiding things". In our view, reasons rooted in what you value are easier to return to than reasons rooted in guilt. Keep the list where you will see it at a hard moment, such as a note on your phone.
A common approach is to choose a date three to seven days away. The days in between are for setup, so that day one starts with the easy routes already closed.
Do this on a calm day, not during an urge. Start with what you already own:
Built-in settings are easy to switch off yourself, and no filter removes the urge. In a qualitative study of 104 journals written by male members of an online forum for people trying to abstain, the authors report that barriers such as blocking applications were described as "somewhat useful", while social support and accountability appeared to be the external resources "most instrumental" to members sustaining abstinence. In that same study, the most common external triggers were electronic media such as social media feeds and ads, so it can help to unfollow or mute accounts that regularly set you off.
You do not need to announce it. One trusted person is enough. In the forum study above, members described help from "family, partners, friends, support groups (e.g., 12-step groups), and therapists". This was a self-selected online group, so it shows what people reported, not what works for everyone.
If you hand that person a passcode for your blocks, then in our view a ten-second decision becomes a conversation. The NHS also lists connecting with other people as the first of its five steps to mental wellbeing.
The research is mixed, so nobody can promise you a particular experience.
Some people notice little, others notice urges and a flat or irritable mood, and the studies so far are limited: one relied on memory, one lasted only 7 days, and one read forum journals. A strong urge in week one does not mean the plan is failing.
This is a suggested outline, not a research-backed schedule.
Many people have at least one wobble. In the 7-day study, 45.35% of the abstinence group reported using pornography at least once, and its authors write that "lapses are common" in real-world attempts. In the forum study, 55 of 104 members reported at least one lapse. A slip shows a gap in your plan, not a verdict on you. Restart the same day. For urges and slips, see our practical plan: https://mamoriblocker.com/guides/how-to-stop-watching-porn/
Consider a GP or a licensed therapist if you keep returning to porn despite wanting to stop, or if it affects your sleep, work, relationships or mood. A 2025 narrative review says psychotherapy and cognitive-behavioural therapy are the preferred treatment methods for compulsive sexual behaviour disorder (CSBD), and it also stresses the limits of the current research. In the UK, the NHS says to speak to a GP if you are not sure about referring yourself for talking therapies, and that they can help you find out what is available in your area. Our guide on signs of porn addiction explains the ICD-11 criteria: https://mamoriblocker.com/guides/porn-addiction-signs/
If you ever feel you cannot keep yourself safe, call your local emergency number (in the UK, call 999 or go to A&E). For urgent mental health help in the UK you can also call 111 and select the mental health option, or call Samaritans on 116 123.
Do I have to quit completely?
No. Clinical programmes have used both stopping and cutting down as goals. Choose the one you will follow, and review it after two weeks.
How long until it gets easier?
No reliable timeline exists. The one randomised trial here ran for 7 days, so it cannot tell you what week six looks like. Treat any promised number of days as a guess.
Will quitting cause withdrawal?
The evidence is mixed: a survey of recalled attempts found many people reported effects such as irritability, while a randomised 7-day trial found no evidence of withdrawal-related symptoms. Either way, you may notice urges or a low mood.
What if I slip on day three?
Close the device, change rooms, and look for the trigger. Then carry on from the same day and learn from it.
Everything above works without an app. Mamori is a newer app for iPhone, iPad and Android that adds one layer to the setup step. It blocks 2.5M+ adult sites across the whole phone, not just one browser. On Android it uses an on-device DNS filter, 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.
Its locks are set before you need them: a cooldown timer, a random phrase, or a PIN or passphrase that a trusted person can hold. While protection is on, it is protected against uninstall. Protection off means off, so you can then uninstall it normally; the friction is the lock you chose in advance. Honest limits: Android allows only one VPN at a time, so another VPN or blocker can switch Mamori's filter off, and no blocker replaces support from people or a professional. It is built for adults blocking for themselves, so for a child's device use Screen Time or Family Link.
There is a 7-day free trial on the monthly and annual plans, plus a one-time lifetime option.
Last checked 21 Oct 2026. This guide is general information, not medical advice.