You can Use BlockSite on Android Phone for blocking unwonted websites.
What is BlockSite?
BlockSite is a cross-browser website with URLs and app blockers on Android phones that help you control your website usage and manage distractions and addictions.
How can I block websites on my Android phone Using BlockSite?
The reasons you may want to block a site on your Android device can vary. For one, you may share your device with your kids and don’t want them to have access to any inappropriate content. Whatever the reason may be, you may be happy to know that blocking any website on your Android device is an easy task.
The most reliable way to block a website on Android is by modifying the host’s file. However, this is only possible on a rooted device, which is more work than most people probably want to go through. Here are some of the possible solutions:
How to Block Websites on Android Using BlockSite
Unfortunately, there’s no built-in way to block websites in Chrome on Android. Since Android’s version of Chrome doesn’t offer extensions, you can’t even turn to third-party add-ons to do the job.
While you can block sites using add-ons in Firefox, that’s not a great solution because it only blocks them in one browser. One can easily open another browser (or install a new one from Google Play) to get around the blockage.
Instead, you can look at a free app called BlockSite. It is free, doesn’t contain ads, and has no in-app purchases. To add a website to the blocked sites list in BlockSite:
1. Launch BlockSite and tap the plus sign (+) in the bottom-right corner.
2. Type the URL of the website you want to block, then tap the green checkmark.
3. Tap the Alarm Clock in the top-right corner.
4. Choose the times and days of the week you want the website blocked.
5. Tap the toggle switch beside Schedule to apply the settings, then tap the Back arrow to return to the Block Sites page.
How to Block Websites on Android using Samsung Internet Browser
If your preferred browser is Samsung’s integrated browser, then the Trend Micro Mobile Security app is a great choice. Once you’ve installed the app, swipe down until you see the “Network Protection” option. Make sure it’s toggled on at the top, and then swipe down to the “Blocked list” option.
Tap on it and on the plus icon to add the site you want to block. After entering the name and URL address, select Save, and the site will be automatically placed on the blocked list. You can also set the protection level to either high, average, or low as well.
To test it, open Samsung’s Internet browser, and go to the site you blocked. You should now see a message from the security app telling you that this site is blocked. Unfortunately, the app does not work on browsers such as Firefox and Chrome.
How to Block Websites on Android Using a Firewall
Firewalls provide security by monitoring access to your device and blocking data using a set of rules. Think of a firewall as a fence between you and the internet. Make sure to choose a no-root firewall so that you don’t have to root your Android device.
One of the most downloaded firewalls for Android is NoRoot Firewall. It allows you to create filters based on domain names, IP addresses, and hostnames. You can even control the specific connection of apps. To block a website using NoRoot Firewall:
1. Open NoRoot Firewall and swipe left on the gray bar at the top to select the Global Filters tab.
2. Tap New Pre-Filter.
3. Enter the full URL of the site you want to block including HTTP or HTTPS in front of the domain name.
4. In the Port line, tap the down arrow, then tap the asterisk (*).
Tip: Tap the Wi-Fi icon if you want to block the website when the device is online; tap the Data icon if you want to block the website when using an LTE connection.
5. Tap OK
6. Swipe right on the gray bar at the top to go to the Home tab.
7. Tap Start. The pre-filter you created to block the website will be added to the list of firewall rules.
How to Block Websites Using OpenDNS
If you want something that will do the heavy lifting for you, one of the best options is OpenDNS. This service provides reliable content filtering and even tech-savvy kids will have trouble finding a workaround. You can use the preconfigured Family Shield plan to block certain content on any How to Block Websites on Android Using BlockSite or your entire network.
To apply Family Shield filtering on an Android device,
1. Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi.
2. Tap the network name you want to apply filtering to, then hit the Pencil icon to make changes.
3. In the resulting window, expand Advanced options and scroll down.
4. Change IP settings from DHCP to Static.
5. Then, in the DNS 1 and DNS 2 fields, enter 207.67.222.134 and 207.67.220.123 respectively.
6. Save your settings.
For more control, the company also offers a free Home plan. This requires that you sign up for an account, but allows you to customize what kinds of websites you want to filter on your network. The exact instructions for setting up OpenDNS in this way depend on your router.
How to Block Websites Using Google’s Safe Search
This is the native feature in Android phones that can be used by parents to block websites on phones. By enabling the “Safe Search” option, all the inappropriate adult websites would be blocked on the device. Though, the option would only work on Google’s native search. Also, your kids can easily go to the device settings to disable it as well.
1. Unlock the device and go its Settings > Google. In some versions, it is under Settings > Accounts > Google.
2. Now, you simply have to visit the “Search & Now” feature.
3. Out of all the options, go to “Accounts & Privacy”. In some versions, it is simply listed as “Privacy”.
4. From here, you can turn on the option for Safe Search Filter.
Once the filter is on, Google will only display the appropriate results by filtering any adult content. You can also go to Chrome’s Settings and turn the Safe Search filter on from there as well. The only shortcoming is that your kids can disable it anytime they want.
Conclusion
Despite many other website-blocking solutions on Android, most of them are inferior or duplicates of the above. There’s not much point in installing any website blocking browser extensions, since they only apply to one browser.
For the average user, BlockSite is simpler to use. Also, because it acts as a VPN, you can’t use a normal VPN alongside it.
Many Android security apps also offer a website blocking feature. However, to use these features, you need to install the antivirus app, which is often bloated and bog your device down with a bunch of features you don’t need. This is a heavy-handed solution that, again, BlockSite does better.
Because of this, I would recommend using BlockSite on each device you want to protect, paired with OpenDNS on your home network. That way, even if they uninstall BlockSite, OpenDNS acts as a backup at home since they can’t uninstall it. Consider using AppLock or Google Family Link if you’re concerned about your child removing BlockSite.
