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How to block porn on Mac for free, and why it's worth paying for a porn blocker

Block adult sites on a Mac, then check that it worked.

Recommended

Set up LockedWeb

Blocks adult sites across the whole Mac, with safe search enforced in every browser. It supports macOS 27 and earlier. No off switch. Removal takes a 72-hour wait and a one-time code.

You’ll need
  • A LockedWeb plan. One plan covers up to 25 devices in your household.
  • The Mac, and permission to install apps on it.

  1. Step 1: Add the Mac in your dashboard

    Go to: DashboardAdd a deviceMac

    No plan yet? Choose one, then sign in to your dashboard.

  2. Step 2: Install the app on the Mac

    On the Mac you are protecting, download the Mac app from your dashboard. Open the download, drag LockedWeb into Applications, then open it once.

  3. Step 3: Enter the Mac's code

    Your dashboard shows a code for this Mac. Enter it in the app, which finishes setup. Your dashboard confirms when protection is on.

  4. Step 4: Block any other sitesOptional

    Add sites to your blocklist in the dashboard. New blocks apply right away.

Check it worked

Free

Use Apple's Screen Time

Limit Adult Websites is Apple's built-in filter for adult sites, with a restricted list for sites you choose.

Using it anyway? Here are the steps.

Setting it up for a child? Manage it from your own Apple Account with Family Sharing, or sign in to the child's Mac account and follow these steps there.

  1. Step 1: Turn on Screen Time

    Go to: System SettingsScreen TimeManage Screen Time

    If Screen Time is not on yet, click Turn On App & Website Activity.

  2. Step 2: Choose Limit Adult Websites

    Go to: Apps & WebsitesRestrictionsWebsitesFiltering

    Choose Limit Adult Websites. To block a specific site, click Customize and add it to the restricted list.

    On macOS Tahoe 26 and Sequoia 15, choose it under Content & Privacy › App Store, Media, Web, & Games instead.

  3. Step 3: Lock the settings with a passcode

    Go to: Screen TimeLock Screen Time Settings

    Turn it on and choose a passcode. Anyone who knows it can change these settings.

Check it worked

Free

Set up a free DNS filter

Cloudflare's free 1.1.1.1 for Families refuses known adult domains. You add its addresses to each connection the Mac uses.

Using it anyway? Here are the steps.

You’ll need
  • An administrator account on the Mac.

  1. Step 1: Open the DNS settings

    Go to: System SettingsNetworkyour connectionDetailsDNS

    Choose the connection you use, such as Wi-Fi, then click Details.

  2. Step 2: Add the family addresses

    Under DNS Servers, click + and enter the first address below. Repeat for each address, then click OK.

    1.1.1.1 for FamiliesMalware and adult content
    IPv4 · DNS server 11.1.1.3
    IPv4 · DNS server 21.0.0.3
    IPv6 · DNS server 32606:4700:4700::1113
    IPv6 · DNS server 42606:4700:4700::1003

    If you added other servers before, select each one and click − so only these four are listed.

    Use only these addresses. Cloudflare's standard 1.1.1.1 doesn't filter adult content.

  3. Step 3: Repeat for each connection

    If the Mac also connects another way, such as Ethernet as well as Wi-Fi, repeat these steps for that connection.

Check it worked

Questions and troubleshooting

Changes, the test address, menu labels, work Macs
You want to unblock a site or remove LockedWeb
Request it in your dashboard. Protection stays on during the 72-hour wait, and you can cancel the request at any time. After 72 hours, a one-time code completes the change. On a family device, that code goes to the parent who manages it.
Cloudflare's test address still opens
Check the four addresses on the connection you are using, then quit and reopen the browser.
The menu labels don't match
Check your version in Apple menu › About This Mac. The Screen Time steps follow macOS 27, and step 2 notes where the setting is on macOS Tahoe 26 and Sequoia 15.
Which Macs LockedWeb supports
LockedWeb supports macOS 27 and earlier. Your dashboard's Mac setup lists current requirements before you download.
It is a work or school Mac
Ask your IT administrator first. Managed Macs often have filtering set centrally, and installing software or changing network settings may not be allowed.
You want someone told about changes
Name an optional accountability contact in LockedWeb. They hear about requests to loosen protection, never your browsing. See accountability for couples.

Free vs paid porn blockers on Mac

You can block porn on a Mac for free. Screen Time's Limit Adult Websites filters adult sites for the user account you set it on, locked with a passcode, and a DNS filter such as Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 for Families refuses known adult domains on each connection you add it to. Whoever holds the passcode or an administrator account can undo either one in seconds, and nobody is told. A paid porn blocker is worth it when protection has to stay on.

  1. What the free options cover

    Screen Time covers one Mac user account, so each other account on the Mac needs its own settings. A DNS filter covers everyone who uses the Mac, but only on the connections you set it on and only with Cloudflare's categories, so you can't block a site of your own.

  2. Why it's worth paying for a porn blocker

    LockedWeb filters the whole Mac, with safe search enforced in every browser. There is no passcode to know and no off switch: removing it or loosening protection takes a 72-hour wait and a one-time code, while new blocks apply right away. You can block any site from your dashboard, and an optional accountability contact can be alerted if someone asks to loosen protection. A contact can't unlock anything and never sees your browsing. It supports macOS 27 and earlier.

  3. What LockedWeb costs

    $69 a year, about $5.75 a month, or $9.99 month to month. One plan covers up to 25 devices in one household, for your own devices and your family's. It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. See the subscription and refund terms.

  4. Blocking porn on a child's Mac

    Apple's recommended way to manage a child's Screen Time is Family Sharing. Without it, sign in to the child's Mac account and set Screen Time there. With LockedWeb on a family Mac, the parent holds the unlock code, and nobody receives browsing reports, parents included.

  5. Does a porn blocker see what you browse?

    It depends on the app. Some send a partner activity reports or screenshots. LockedWeb takes no screenshots and keeps no browsing history. Domain lookups reach our resolver to apply your rules and are not kept as browsing history. Account and device details, settings and requests are stored to run the service. See What we store, the Privacy Policy and how blocking and reporting differ.

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