Social Media
Best ways to Block Facebook on an iPhone
Effectively block Facebook on an iPhone in a way that is difficult to bypass (even for adults).
While some people might decide to deactivate their Facebook account and uninstall the app from their iPhone, it's easy to reactivate the app or install it again from the App Store. A better strategy is to block Facebook completely, restricting access to both the app and website so that Facebook access is effectively controlled.
We'll start by taking a look at the most effective way to block the Facebook app on iPhones.
Choosing the Right Approach to Block the Facebook App
When dealing with apps like Facebook, traditional app blocking might not work well for adults. For example, it's possible to download a "Facebook Blocker" from the App Store, but these types of apps are easily bypassed:
If you're an adult wanting to self-restrict access to Facebook, there are some alternative approaches you should consider.
Add Facebook to a Supervised App Blocklist
Apple provides an alternative to Screen Time called Supervised Mode, which unlocks app blocking capabilities that work well even for adults.
Instead of downloading a typical "Facebook blocker" from the App Store, you'll add a config file to your iPhone with your Facebook app restriction.
These config files can be protected from being removed, which makes this a great option for adults who want to restrict themselves from accessing Facebook.
If you want to prevent the Facebook app from being downloaded from the App Store and installed on an iPhone, you can use a supervised app blocklist and add Facebook to the list.
For example, in the Tech Lockdown dashboard, you can create your own supervised app blocklist for the iPhone with Facebook added to it:
Once you install this list on your iPhone, the selected apps will be completely restricted from being opened or installed.
Disable the Facebook App with a Content Policy
If you want to ensure that both the web and app versions of Facebook are blocked, use a DNS Content Policy to create a rule that blocks Facebook.
If you still want to have access to Facebook Messenger, you can choose to selectively block just the Facebook social media app and keep Facebook Messenger allowed. Many people want to use the Facebook Messenger app to stay in touch with friends or family.
Scheduling Facebook Access with a Content Policy
In some cases, you may not want to completely block Facebook. If you would instead like to reduce how much time your use the app, consider setting a schedule for when you can use the app.
You can update your Content Policy Facebook block rule and assign a schedule to determine when the rule is active:
This will ensure that Facebook is automatically blocked on the recurring days/times you select on the schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I limit the total amount of time I spend on the Facebook app?
It's easies to create an App Time Limit using Screen Time.
I strongly recommend combining Screen Time App Limits with a DNS Content Policy when scheduling access for your iPhone. Screen Time settings alone aren't going to be the best option for you if you're self-managing, since it's been designed with productivity in mind.
Can I Block the Facebook app while still allowing Facebook Messenger?
Yes! Messenger is it's own app, so you can block the normal Facebook app and still use Messenger to keep in touch with family or friends.