How to block porn on iPad (Safari, profiles and a child’s iPad)

Written by the developer of The Blocker. Apple settings checked on 28 September 2026; some linked Apple guides are written for iPhone. Names can differ with your iPadOS version and language.

The same app on iPhone and iPad

The Blocker is one app for iPhone and iPad, with one App Store listing. It needs iOS or iPadOS 17.2 or later. The free app’s adult category is on from the start, and you can add up to 10 websites of your own. Pro adds more categories, unlimited sites, schedules, a delay to unblock and private iCloud sync, which can sync your rules between iPhone and iPad. Without Pro, add your sites on the iPad too.

A Pro purchase is tied to your Apple Account, not to one device. If Pro doesn’t show up on the iPad, open Settings in the app and tap Restore Purchases.

Turn it on in Safari on iPad

1. Download The Blocker from the App Store and open it. The app walks you to the right setting.
2. Open Settings → Apps → Safari → Extensions → The Blocker and turn on Allow Extension. On iPadOS 17, Safari is directly in Settings.
3. Or do it from Safari: tap the button on the right side of the search field, tap Manage Extensions, and turn on The Blocker.
4. On the same Settings screen, below Allow Extension In, turn on every Safari profile you use.

Apple describes both routes in its iPad extensions guide. Installing the app alone does not turn on blocking. Full walk-through: how to block porn on iPhone (same Settings path).

Test it

Go back to The Blocker and tap Test it: a page opens in Safari and says Blocking is ON when Safari really blocks.

You can also open the blocking test page yourself, which is the easy way to check each Safari profile and a Private tab. A pass shows the blocker is on. It does not mean every unwanted page is on the list; no list catches every page.

Safari profiles and Private Browsing

Profiles. Safari extensions are turned on per profile, not for all of Safari at once. In Settings → Apps → Safari → Extensions → The Blocker, turn on each profile you use below Allow Extension In (Apple: Safari profiles). A profile left off is not covered.

Private Browsing. Apple says Safari extensions “that have access to browsing data” are turned off in Private Browsing, and that you can turn an extension back on there (Apple: browse privately). Apple doesn’t say whether a content blocker like The Blocker counts. So check: look at Settings → Apps → Safari → Extensions → The Blocker, then open the test page in a Private tab. If it doesn’t say Blocking is ON, private tabs are not covered on that iPad.

A child’s iPad

If the iPad belongs to a child in your Family Sharing group, start with Apple’s own filter. Apple says Limit Adult Websites is on by default for children under 18 (Apple: parental controls); the age varies by country or region. It limits access to “many adult websites”, not all of them (Apple).

• iOS and iPadOS 26: on your own device, open Settings → Screen Time and pick your child below Family. There you can set a Screen Time passcode and block apps, downloads and websites (Apple, version 26).
• iOS and iPadOS 27: Settings → Family → your child’s name → Apps & Websites → Restrictions; Limit Adult Websites is under Filtering for Websites (Apple, version 27). This needs every device in your Family Sharing group on version 27. If you can’t update them all, keep using the previous Screen Time controls.

Then install The Blocker on the child’s iPad and turn it on in Safari. It adds its own adult list and any sites you choose. Because Limit Adult Websites is usually already on for a child, note what The Blocker’s own setup says: this setting keeps Safari extensions switched on, and to change extensions you set Web Content back to Unrestricted, make the change, then choose Limit Adult Websites again (names can differ on version 27). That needs your Screen Time passcode, which is also what stops your child switching The Blocker off in Settings. They can still change its lists inside the app. Keep the Screen Time passcode yourself. For a fuller family setup, see how to block porn on a child’s iPhone.

Other browsers and apps on iPad

The Blocker works in Safari and in apps that open web pages in a Safari view. Chrome, Firefox, Brave and other browsers are not covered, and neither is everything inside other apps.

So remove other browsers, then stop new ones from being installed: Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions (turn it on) → iTunes & App Store Purchases, and restrict installing apps (Apple: restrictions). Apple’s built-in filter can restrict “Safari and third-party apps”, but Apple doesn’t list which browsers follow it, so test any browser you keep.

Tips for a shared family iPad

• The adult keeps the Screen Time passcode. Anyone with that passcode can switch the settings off. For a child, Apple says the parent resets a forgotten passcode on their own device, not the child’s (Apple: passcode recovery).
• Know what the app lock covers. The Blocker’s lock is on by default and accepts Face ID, Touch ID or the iPad’s passcode. If others know the shared iPad’s passcode, they can open the app. Use a separate Screen Time passcode that only the adult knows.
• Check every profile. Each person may use a different Safari profile. Turn The Blocker on for all of them, then test each one.

More ways to keep the setup in place: make a porn blocker hard to turn off. To block other sites too: block websites in Safari.

Download for iPhone

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