There is an app, called Self Control, an open-source application for Mac OS X. Through the app, you can block the websites, URL, mail, and so on. The best thing about the app is when you block the sites/mail/URL, you cannot access the blocked sites unless and until the. Take note that this website blocker does not only apply to Safari, but to other browsers as well, such as Google Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, etc. Aside from using Parental Controls to block websites on Mac, it is also important to clear your computer of cache files, unneeded log files, broken downloads, diagnostic reports and other.
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Probably, most of you view a large number of sites on the Internet. In addition to all sorts of sites with useful information, there is a lot of undesirable content not suitable for adolescents and children. One reliable method to block access to inappropriate websites is to put a firewall and block access there.
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However, if you do not have this program or you do not want to spend time setting, you can use any one of the website blocking software listed below.
The Web Blocker
A totally free website blocking software which can be used either at home or at the office, blocking access to all such websites that are unsuitable for children, and prevent your employees from spending time on Facebook, etc. It’s a great monitoring tool with various useful features like password protecting access to websites, monitor web surfing history, and blocking all undesirable websites.
Simple Website Blocker
This is free software for blocking any website on your PC. Its main feature is its universal blocking ability which means the blocked website cannot be opened in any browser on your PC, and the best part is that no additional plugin or extension is required to be installed on each of your browsers.
Romaco Timeout
A free website blocking program that uses various built in modules for restricting the access to a website, places, time restrictions on website sessions, and also monitors web surfing by the users. It’s a good tool used for preventing a child from spending too much time on the internet.
Focal filter
It’s not your usual website blocking application—in fact it’s a productivity tool too at the same time which helps a web surfer to keep focused on his task at hand by blocking unwarranted and distracting websites. It’s very simple to use, just install it and block websites in two steps for a specific time period on all browsers.
Browse Control
Easy to use website blocking tool that implements internet usage policy and prevents distracting and time wasting websites from opening in your browser. You can choose over a wide variety of categories of websites and content to block. By restricting access to recreational websites in the workplace, an organization can increase the productivity of its employees by many folds.
Stop Procrastinating
This is yet another productivity tool as well as a website blocker software with many features like blocking distracting websites and even emails, ability to set goals on your main task and block the internet while working. If you want to be focused on your tasks, then this is a must-have tool on your PC.
Website Block
This is a simple website blocking software that when enabled on your PC will prevent the opening of the contents of a web page in the browser resulting in the opening of a blank page. It stops banners, popups and other advertisements from opening while a user is surfing the internet. It can also block chat rooms, and prevents children from opening unwanted websites.
Any Weblock
The website blocking software is compatible with all browsers, and its features greatly helps in preventing unwanted websites opening on your PC. It not only blocks main URL but also all the sub-domains that are being hosted on the main website. You can easily block any website and any category of content.
What is Website Blocker Software?
A website blocking software is a tool used for restricting access to the internet and websites, both at home and at the office. At home it can be used for multiple purposes, which include preventing access of children to pornography, chat rooms, and other unwanted social websites. Some of the website, blocking programs comes equipped with productivity features which helps a user to stay focused and stops distracting websites from opening in any browser. At a workplace, an organization can keep its employees focused on work by restricting access to certain social and recreational websites, and at the same time can monitor the internet usage history of its employees. The website blocking software comes with different features suitable for each class of customers and users, and operating systems including Windows and Mac.
How to Install Website Blocker Software?
Usually, the website blocking software comes with an easy to use installer which guides you through a few simple clicks and installs the software on your PC. Sometimes you will be required to configure the main categories of internet filters during the installation process, and at other times, the website blocker software installer wizard may require you to customize the settings of the program according to your requirements. Some of the website blocking software comes as a trial version for a specific period of time, and you’ll be required to buy a license key to run the full version of the software on your PC.
Website blocking software is must have for concerned parents that want to protect their children from cyber bullies, and predators. A must have tool for monitoring your child’s activity on the internet, and preventing his access from undesirable websites and content.
A website blocker software is also a very useful tool in the hands of school authorities who wants their students to remain focused on their studies in school time, and keeping unwanted websites out of the reach of their students.
Any business or organization can use the website blocking program to keep its employees focused on their jobs, and restrict their internet access, thus increasing the productivity of the employees at work.
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One-click website blocker
The web has the capacity to be both a blessing and a curse at the same time. On the one hand, it enables us to do the work we do and access the wealth of human knowledge. On the other hand, it distracts us from our goals and can even be outright dangerous for our kids.
Naturally, the topic of limiting web access has been in discussion for decades now. How do we block websites full of porn for our kids? What does blocking websites like Facebook and YouTube mean for a modern workplace? Why do we need to restrict ourselves with website blockers to resist temptation and distractions?
All these are valid questions we’ll explore below, in addition to showing you the best ways to block websites that seem to steal your attention all day long.
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How To Block Websites On Mac
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Restricting access to apps and websites has been a feature on both Windows and Macs since the early days. Surprisingly, most people aren’t even aware this is a possibility or don’t use it as it seems to be too complicated to set up.
We’ll start by tackling the flow for Parental Controls on Mac. If you’ve used a similar feature on Windows before called Family Safety, the steps would sound familiar, although there are some key differences.
Blocking websites with Parental Controls
As the name suggests, the Parental Controls feature was developed by Apple to help parents put certain restrictions on their kids, such as accessing adult websites, addictive games, endless video streams, etc.
Lately, however, it hasn’t been uncommon for employers to set Parental Controls for their employees, mostly to limit social media usage or deter them from reading news websites throughout the day.
Regardless of your intended application for Parental Controls, here’s how to set it up:
- Open Parental Controls from System Preferences
- If you have an account you want to restrict already set up, just choose it from the list. If you don’t, click to create a new user account and then Continue.
- Fill out all the necessary information and click Create User
Now you should see the full Parental Controls menu with tabs such as Apps, Web, Stores, Time, Privacy, and Other. Feel free to explore all of them and set the restrictions that you deem a good fit. But first, let’s walk through the most popular setups.
To limit your kids exposure to adult websites, go over to the Web tab and choose “Try to limit access to adult websites.” Click Customize to enter websites you want your kids to visit at any time or never go to at all. Similarly, if you don’t want your employees wasting time on social media, you can include any those websites here too.
If you only allow children to visit a handful of websites overall, then choose “Allow access to only these websites” and list them all in the window below using the plus button.
To limit certain apps, navigate to the Apps tab and check “Limit Applications on this Mac.” Now in the Allowed Apps window, click on the dropdown arrow and select any applications that you’re fine with kids having access to.
When you are done, simply click the padlock icon on the bottom left to lock your settings in place. If you want to ensure that over time you kids don’t find a sneaky way to go around your settings, you can infrequently monitor their logs by going into the Logs menu available on the bottom right of your Parental Controls panel.
One important mention is that if you are searching for how to block a website on Chrome or how to block website on Safari, this description above is the way to do it. Parental Controls doesn’t differentiate between browsers, so its settings will work on Safari, Chrome, Firefox, or any other browser you use.
Easily block websites without changing settings
The truth is Parental Controls are somewhat complicated. It takes a while to get all the settings just right. And every time you catch your kids coming up with a new workaround, you have to devise a way to solve that too.
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And what if you share the same computer with your children? Then you need to log out and log in every time you pass the laptop to each other. Some of us just don’t need those complications and wish there was an easier way. Luckily, there is.
Meet Focus - a simple website blocker that also works for apps and even specific webpages, all right from your Mac’s menu bar.
To block out distractions in Focus:
- Click on the app’s icon in the menu bar > Preferences
- Navigate to the Blocking tab
- Add any websites, webpages, and applications to the list using plus icons at the bottom. You’re done!
The beauty of Focus is that it doesn’t enforce the focus mode all the time - it works in sessions, which is perfect for sharing the same computer with your kids. So when your kids are asking for some playtime, you can just click on the app’s icon and select “Focus for 25 minutes” or “Custom focus...” to set the period of time during which blocking websites will be enforced.
To prevent your kids from changing settings, just go to Preferences again and, in the General tab, check the “Hardcore mode.” For extra safety, you can also turn on the “Password mode.”
What if your kids have their own computer? Not a problem. In the Preferences window, you can choose Schedule and set the limits you desire.
Website Blocker Software For Mac Free
Eliminate distractions to be more productive
Another major advantage of Focus over Parental Controls is that it works not only for your kids but for you too. Don’t you sometimes wish you could block websites on Mac? Turn off YouTube, eliminate Facebook, stay away from Reddit - Focus makes it easy.
Just follow the same instructions as you would for your kid: block websites and apps, set up a schedule that mirrors your work hours, and lock preferences during sessions to minimize temptation.
As we all know, it’s impossible to work undistracted for eight hours straight. In fact, small breaks throughout the day are highly beneficial to your productivity. Focus allows you to turn off the website blocker for a small amount of time in the Break mode.
The app would also delight the followers of the Pomodoro technique, which automatically lets you have a short break after an intensive focus session. You can set it up your break periods in Preferences as well.
For extra motivation, you can include a list of your favorite “go get it” phrases in the Quotes tab in the app’s preferences as well. These quotes will appear when you try to access one of the blocked websites and remind you to get back to what’s truly important.
Quickly concentrate on the task at hand
If Focus can easily solve all your problems related to blocking websites and apps that waste your time, it won’t really help you concentrate on a single task amidst your cluttered desktop and a heap of open windows. That’s where you need HazeOver.
HazeOver is essentially a professional screen dimmer. While it’s not a way to block websites on Mac, it’s the perfect solution for your scattered focus. What this app does is highlighting the currently active window and dimming the rest of the screen, including notifications and other apps.
Even though HazeOver is simple in its application, it allows you to fine-tune every single setting to suit your needs. By going to its preferences from the menu bar icon, you can set how strong the dimming effect is, whitelist apps you don’t want dimmed, which is useful when you work with two windows at the same time, and configure how the apps will work on two or more displays.
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As a bonus, HazeOver is perfect for working at night, as it only lets the light from the active app window to go through instead of overwhelming you with an ocean of blue light, which will make it harder to fall asleep later on. Similarly, watching a movie in the evening is so much more pleasant when HazeOver is there to dim everything around the video app.
Best Web Filtering Software For Mac
Use the right website blocker at the right time
Overall, if you’ve used to tinker with all the complex settings in Family Safety on Windows or simply like the granular level of control, using Parental Controls is certainly an option.
For the rest of us, using Focus + HazeOver presents a much more flexible solution - one that can protect our kids and not let us slack off at the same time.
A bundle of apps for free
Every app mentioned above is a part of Setapp. By downloading one, you get access to everything you need to improve browsing.
Best of all, both Focus and HazeOver are available on Setapp, a platform of over 150 highly acclaimed tools, utilities, and apps for your Mac. Sign up to become a Setapp member and try Focus, HazeOver, and all other apps from its catalogue for free during your trial period. In the meantime, how to block websites on Mac should no longer be a pressing issue.