To block an app on an iPhone, you can delete it, set a Screen Time limit on it, or turn off app installs in Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions. All three can be undone on the phone in under a minute. To block an app so it cannot come back, block it by app on a supervised iPhone with a locked profile.
Below are the steps for each way, and what each one leaves open. Apple renamed parts of Screen Time in iOS 27. I use the iOS 27 names and give the old name the first time.
The four ways, side by side
| Method | Can you undo it in a weak moment? | Does the app come back? |
|---|---|---|
| Delete the app | Yes. Download it again from the App Store. | Yes, in about 30 seconds |
| A time limit in Screen Time | Yes. Apple lets you ignore the limit, or you change the setting. | Yes, the same day |
| Installing apps turned off | Yes, if you know the Screen Time passcode. You can also reset that passcode with your Apple Account. | Yes, after you turn installs back on |
| Blocked by app on a supervised iPhone, locked profile | No. It cannot be removed on the iPhone itself. That takes erasing the iPhone, or a Mac with Apple Configurator. | No |
Way 1: delete the app
- Touch and hold the app on the Home Screen or in App Library.
- Tap Remove App, then tap Delete App.
- Tap Delete to confirm.
What it leaves open: the App Store keeps a list of every app you downloaded. Tap your picture, then Apps & Purchase History, and the app is one tap away. The website also still works in Safari.
Deleting is enough if you do not miss the app.
Way 2: set a time limit with Screen Time
- In Settings, open Screen Time, then Time Allowances (called App Limits before iOS 27).
- Pick a category, such as social apps or games, and set the time. Before iOS 27, tap Add Limit first. Then tap a category name to pick one app inside it.
Then check the Always Allowed list in Screen Time. An app on that list ignores every limit, so remove the app from it.
What it leaves open: Apple's guide for iOS 26 says, "By default, Screen Time limits can be ignored once reached." When the time is up, the phone shows an Ignore Limit button. You can also switch the limit off in Settings.
Way 3: turn off app installs, and hide built-in apps
Delete the app first, then stop new installs.
- In Settings, open Screen Time, then Content & Privacy Restrictions, and turn it on.
- Open iTunes & App Store Purchases.
- Find the setting for installing apps and set it to Don't Allow. On iOS 26 and earlier, the App Store then disappears from the Home Screen.
To hide a built-in Apple app such as Camera, stay in Content & Privacy Restrictions. Open Other Features (called Allowed Apps & Features before iOS 27) and turn off the app.
To block the app's website too, use the website filter in Screen Time. On iOS 26 and earlier it is in Content & Privacy Restrictions > App Store, Media, Web, & Games > Web Content. Choose Limit Adult Websites, then tap Add Website under Never Allow. On iOS 27 the filter moved. The steps are in how to block adult websites on an iPhone.
Then set a passcode. In Screen Time, open Manage Screen Time and tap Lock Screen Time Settings.
What it leaves open: you set the passcode, so you know it. If a friend sets it, you can still reset it with your Apple Account email and password. And with installs off, you cannot install any app at all. The first time you need a new app, you turn installs back on, and the old app can come back too.
Way 4: block the app for good on a supervised iPhone
Supervised mode is the Apple mode that schools and companies use for their iPhones. It allows stronger rules than Screen Time. One rule is a list of blocked apps. Apple's documentation says: "the device hides only the apps you specify and prevents them from running."
- The app disappears, even if it is installed.
- The App Store stays on, so you can install every other app.
- You can block websites in the same profile, so the app's website is closed too.
- You can lock the profile. Then nobody can remove it on the iPhone itself. Undoing it takes erasing the iPhone, or a Mac with Apple Configurator.
There are two free ways to set this up.
The free Mac app. attention awareness supervises your iPhone without erasing it. It makes a fresh backup, changes one setting in it, and restores it. Your photos, messages and apps stay. Back up your iPhone first, with Finder or iCloud. Then it installs the profile. You need a Mac with Apple Silicon and macOS 14 or later, a cable, and about one afternoon. There is no payment, no account and no app on the iPhone. Nobody can see or track the phone.
Manually via Apple Configurator. The manual guide does the same with Apple Configurator on a Mac. It erases the iPhone first. Only what syncs to iCloud comes back.
Start in trial mode. In trial mode you can remove the profile in Settings. When the list is right, plug in once more to lock it.
I use this setup on my own iPhone. My screen time went from more than 5 hours a day to 1 hour 45 minutes.
How to block YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and X
For each one, block the app and the website. If you block only the app, the website in Safari gives you the same addictive feed.
YouTube
Block the YouTube app and youtube.com. If you need YouTube for work, keep it on the computer. Our free browser extension hides Shorts there.
Block the Instagram app and instagram.com. Your account stays, and you can still use it on a computer.
TikTok
Block the TikTok app and tiktok.com.
X
Block the X app, x.com and twitter.com.
Games, shopping and betting apps
The same steps work for any app from the App Store. Add the app to the blocked list, and add its website if it has one.
What this cannot do
- It cannot block an app you did not put on the list. A new app with a similar feed is open until you add it.
- It cannot block the Phone app or Settings. Apple always allows them.
- It does not work on Android or Windows. It is iPhone only today.
- It needs a Mac. Without one, the Screen Time ways above are what you have.
- A locked profile cannot be removed for one evening. If you want that, stay in trial mode.
- If you restore a backup from before supervision, supervision is removed.
- It is not a treatment. It only removes the app.
FAQ
Can I block one app on an iPhone without deleting it?
Yes. A Screen Time limit dims the app but keeps it installed. On a supervised iPhone, a blocked app is hidden and cannot open, and its data stays on the phone.
How do I block an app from being downloaded on an iPhone?
In Settings, open Screen Time, then Content & Privacy Restrictions, then iTunes & App Store Purchases, and set installing apps to Don't Allow. This stops all installs, not one app. To stop one app and keep the App Store, block that app on a supervised iPhone.
What is the best app blocker for iPhone?
Most app blocker apps from the App Store work through Apple's Screen Time permission. You can usually delete them or switch off that permission in Settings. They help if a reminder is enough for you. A locked profile on a supervised iPhone cannot be removed on the phone.
Can I block Safari on an iPhone?
Yes. In Content & Privacy Restrictions, open the list of allowed apps and features and turn off Safari. Before iOS 27 the list is called Allowed Apps & Features. You can also block Safari by app on a supervised iPhone. Links in other apps may then not open.
Block the app once
If deleting the app works for you, stop there. If the app comes back every time, use a block you cannot undo on the phone: the free Mac app, which does not erase your iPhone, or do it manually via Apple Configurator, which erases the iPhone first.
For company phones, see how to lock down work iPhones without an MDM server.