How to block any app or website on Android
The built in categories cover the usual suspects, but your particular time sink might be a news site, a game or a shopping app. The Blocklist tab is where you add your own, and unblocking goes through the same accountability check as everything else.
Blocklist is for the things you choose
It is worth being clear about which tab does what, since this is where people most often look in the wrong place. The Blocking tab holds the ready made switches: adult content, Reels, Shorts, Snapchat, browsers and so on. The Blocklist tab is empty until you put something in it, and it is only for apps and sites you pick yourself.
Block an app
Apps and websites are separate lists inside the tab, with a counter on each so you can see at a glance what you have.
- Open the Blocklist tab and make sure Blocklist is selected rather than Whitelist.
- Choose the Apps list.
- Tap the round plus button in the bottom right.
- Search your installed apps and switch on the ones to block. Blocked apps are listed newest first, so what you just added is at the top.
Block a website
Switch to the Websites list in the same tab and type the exact domain, such as reddit.com, then tap Add. A blocked domain covers its subdomains, so you do not need to add the mobile version separately.
The Whitelist, on the other side of the switch at the top, is the escape valve for a site that is being caught by mistake. Treat it with care: a whitelisted domain skips every other check, including the adult blocker, which is why adding one goes through your accountability partner.
Catch apps installed later
A blocklist you wrote today says nothing about an app you install at midnight tomorrow. Block newly installed apps, in the Advanced Blocking card on the Blocking tab, blocks anything installed after you set Blockerflow up, from its first launch.
Anything caught that way shows in your Blocklist tab tagged Auto blocked on install, and the block screen explains why rather than leaving you staring at a refusal for an app you do not remember adding. Apps that were already on the phone before you set the blocker up are never touched by this.
Permanent, or only while you work
Everything in your Blocklist stays blocked during a Focus session too. If you only want something gone while you work, the Focus tab has its own Also block during Focus list, which applies for the length of a session and then lifts.
That distinction is worth using. Reserve the permanent Blocklist for things you never want, and put the ones that are only a problem during work hours into the Focus list instead.
Removing something is deliberate
Unblocking an app, deleting a domain from the Blocklist and adding a domain to the Whitelist all run your accountability check first. Adding a block is instant, since that only strengthens things. Taking one away is the direction that needs a moment of thought.
Frequently asked questions
Can I block any installed app?
Yes. The plus button in the Blocklist tab lists your installed apps, and you switch on the ones to block.
Do I need to add the mobile version of a site separately?
No. A blocked domain covers its subdomains, so adding the main domain is enough.
Can I whitelist apps as well as websites?
No. The whitelist is for websites only, which the app tells you on the Apps list.
What happens to apps I install later?
With Block newly installed apps on, anything installed after setup is blocked from first launch and tagged Auto blocked on install in your Blocklist.
Try Blockerflow
Block adult content and distracting feeds on Android, with an accountability system behind it.