How to block websites on a Mac (Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X)
Last updated:
You can block any website on a Mac or MacBook for free with Screen Time, which is already built in. This guide shows the steps and the exact addresses to block for Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X (Twitter), Reddit and Facebook. If you block one site and just open another, the stronger fix is to turn off the whole internet for a set time.
The quick answer
- To block a few sites for free: use Screen Time, which is already on your Mac. Steps below.
- To block one site for a set time: use a free blocker like SelfControl. See free internet blockers for Mac.
- If you block one site and just open another: block the whole internet for a while instead. That’s what Vow does.
How to block a website on a Mac with Screen Time (free)
Screen Time is built into every Mac and MacBook. It costs nothing and needs no download.[1]
- Click the Apple menu, then System Settings, then Screen Time.
- Click Apps & Websites, then Restrictions.
- Under Websites, click Filtering and choose Limit Adult Websites. Then click Customize.
- Under Restricted, click +, type the website, like instagram.com, and click Done.
- Back in Screen Time, turn on Lock Screen Time Settings and set a passcode, so the block can’t be switched off in one click.
Good to know: Apple only promises it works in Safari. Other browsers, like Chrome or Firefox, may not follow it. And if you set the passcode yourself, you know how to undo it. If that’s a problem, ask a friend or family member to set the passcode for you.
Which addresses to block for each site
Most sites use more than one address. Block all of them, or the block has a hole.
How to block Instagram on a Mac
Add instagram.com to the Restricted list above. Reels and Explore are built to never end. On a Mac you mostly use Instagram in the browser, so blocking the website is enough for the Mac. Your phone needs its own limit.
How to block TikTok on a Mac
Add tiktok.com to the Restricted list above. The For You feed is the hardest one to put down. Block the website on your Mac, and keep the phone app out of reach while you work.
How to block YouTube on a Mac
Add youtube.com, youtu.be and m.youtube.com to the Restricted list above. Autoplay and the sidebar turn one video into an evening. Block all three addresses, or links from other sites will still open videos. Need one video for class? Download it first, then block.
How to block X (Twitter) on a Mac
Add x.com and twitter.com to the Restricted list above. Block both names. Old links still use twitter.com and quietly send you to X.
How to block Reddit on a Mac
Add reddit.com, www.reddit.com and old.reddit.com to the Restricted list above. Reddit has several addresses. If you block only one, the others still work.
How to block Facebook on a Mac
Add facebook.com and messenger.com to the Restricted list above. Block Messenger too if chats are what pull you back in.
Why blocking one site often doesn’t work
Block Instagram, and you open TikTok. Block TikTok, and you open YouTube. Block YouTube, and Reddit fills the gap. You end up adding sites to a list forever, and the list always has one you forgot.
If that sounds like you, stop blocking sites one by one. Turn off the whole internet for a set time instead. Then Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X, Reddit and every other site are blocked at once, in every browser and app, and there’s nothing left to switch to.
The toughest option: block everything until the timer ends
Vow is a Mac app that turns off your Mac’s internet for anywhere from 5 minutes to 24 hours.
- Every site and app: Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Discord and the rest, all at once.
- No list to keep up: nothing to forget, no extension to turn off.
- Hard to undo: quitting Vow or restarting your Mac won’t bring the internet back. To end early, you ask, then wait 15 more minutes. Usually the urge passes.
- On a schedule: in Vow, click Schedules, then Add Schedule. For example, every weekday at 9:00 for 3 hours.
Vow can’t block just one site and keep the rest. If that’s what you need, use Screen Time or a free blocker. For adult sites, see how to block adult sites on a Mac.
Questions
How do I block Instagram on my Mac?
Open System Settings, click Screen Time, then Apps & Websites, then Restrictions. Under Websites, click Filtering, choose Limit Adult Websites, click Customize, and add instagram.com to the Restricted list. To block Instagram and everything else at once, use Vow to turn off your Mac’s internet until a timer ends.
How do I block YouTube on my MacBook?
Add youtube.com, youtu.be and m.youtube.com to the Restricted list in Screen Time. Block all three, or links from other sites will still open videos.
Can I block TikTok and X (Twitter) on a Mac for free?
Yes. Screen Time is free and built in. Add tiktok.com, x.com and twitter.com to its Restricted list. Free apps like SelfControl can also block sites until a timer ends.
Does Screen Time block websites in Chrome?
Not reliably. Apple only promises it works in Safari, and other browsers may not follow it. To block every browser at once, turn off the whole internet with an app like Vow.
Can Vow block just Instagram?
No. Vow turns off your Mac’s whole internet, so Instagram is blocked along with everything else. To block only some sites, use Screen Time or a website blocker.
Try Vow free
Vow is a Mac app that turns off your internet and keeps it off until your timer ends, from 5 minutes to 24 hours. Try 3 full sessions free, then pay $9.99 once. Requires macOS 26 or later on Apple Silicon.
Sources
- Apple. “Change Apps & Websites Restrictions settings in Screen Time on Mac.” Mac User Guide. support.apple.com