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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
- 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.
- 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.
- InstagramSet a Screen Time App Limit on Instagram, but block instagram.com in Safari too — the app limit alone won't stop the website or Threads.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- X (Twitter)Block X under Screen Time's Social category — but add both x.com and twitter.com in Content Restrictions, since the rebrand left both hostnames live.
Video & streaming
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Games
- 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 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
- 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
- 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.
- SheinSet a Shopping & Food App Limit on Shein, then block shein.com and us.shein.com — regional subdomains slip past an app limit on their own.
- TemuSet a Shopping & Food App Limit on Temu, then block temu.com in Safari — the spinning wheel and flash-sale alerts survive the app limit alone.
Other
- 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.
- SafariTurn off Safari under Content & Privacy Restrictions → Allowed Apps — App Limits don't touch it. Here's the setup and its real limits.
- the App StoreRestrict App Store installs to stop the delete-and-reinstall trick that undoes other blocks — via Content & Privacy Restrictions, not App Limits.