7 Ways to Block Websites on Chrome without Extension in 2026

Blocking access to distracting websites on Chrome helps reduce distractions. Blocking inappropriate websites on Chrome can also keep children safe online. One way to block websites on Chrome is using a website-blocking extension. However, you may not like it. Uninstalling extension (which can be easily done by anyone with access to the browser) will unblock the websites. You may want a more reliable way that doesn’t use an extension.

This article shows you how to block websites on Chrome desktop and mobile without extension.

 

#1 Cisdem AppCrypt (best, for all devices)

Cisdem AppCrypt is a website blocker and app lock rolled into one. It can prevent you from accessing certain websites on Chrome (and other browsers). Parents can use it to protect children from adult sites and other inappropriate sites.

• Add specific websites to the block list
• Add popular websites in a certain category to the block list with a click
• Block all URLs containing any user-specified keyword
• Also provide an allowlist feature
• Protect the blocking with a password
• Allow you to schedule the blocking
• Support Chrome, Safari, Edge, Opera, and Brave
• Let you lock any unsupported browser with a password

(Note: This note is for Windows users. Although the Windows version requires the installation of an extension, it will lock Chrome immediately once the extension is uninstalled or disabled. This ensures that the blocking of websites continues.)

Steps on Mac and Windows

1. Download and install AppCrypt.

Free Download macOS 10.12 or later Free Download Windows 11/10/8/7

2. When you open it for the first time, set a password.

3. Click the lock icon in the menu bar. Choose Open Main Window.

4. Enter the password to access the main window.

5. In the main window, click the Web Block tab. Do any or all of the following based on your needs:

• To block a specific website, enter its domain name (such as youtube.com) in the URL field and then click Add.
• To block a certain keyword, enter it in the URL field and then click Add.
• To block popular websites in a certain category (such as social media), click the Import dropdown menu and then choose this category.
• If you have a text file with a list of unwanted websites, add them to the block list by clicking Import > TXT file.

Now these websites are blocked on Chrome (and other supported browsers), including in the incognito browsing mode. When you or someone else tries to open a blocked site on Chrome, it won’t open.

There are a few ways to unblock a website, such as removing the website from the block list or quitting AppCrypt. However, any of these ways requires the password. So the blocking is hard to bypass.

Tips

By default, all websites on the block list will be blocked on Chrome all the time, as long as AppCrypt is running. But the custom schedule feature allows you to schedule the blocking of a specific site, e.g. blocking youtube.com from 9:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 17:00 on workdays.

It’s recommended to select the "Launch at system startup" checkbox in Preferences.

With the allowlist feature, you can block access to all websites except the ones you allow.

 

Steps on iPhone and iPad

Sometimes you may want to block yourself or your kid from certain websites on iPhone. Luckily, this is an easy thing to do. You can use AppCrypt to block any websites on Chrome mobile.

1. Install AppCrypt.

Download on theApp Store

2. Choose the Web Block tab. Type a website that you want to limit access to and tap Add. Add other unwanted sites by repeating this step.

Now the websites you specified are blocked on Chrome (and other web browsers).

3. Optionally, choose the Preferences tab and turn on the Adult Blocking option. This will automatically block adult sites.

4. Tap Notifications in Preferences and then turn it on. In the screen that appears, enable the Notification unlock option. And you will be prompted to set a PIN.

The PIN will lock AppCrypt so that all the settings are protected. On a side note, if you use AppCrypt's app lock feature, the PIN can be used to unlock apps.

To effectively restrict your child's website access, make sure that the PIN you set is hard to guess.

 

Steps on Android

Cisdem AppCrypt is also available for Android, allowing you to block specific websites as well as URLs containing certain keywords on browsers including Chrome.

1. Install AppCrypt.

GET IT ONGoogle Play

2. The first time you open this app, set a PIN or pattern. To prevent your own access to certain websites, you can ask someone, like a family member, to set it for you.

3. Choose the Web Block tab. There are two ways to specify the websites you want to block.

• Add the specific websites (such as youtube.com) one by one.
• Add the specific keywords (such as "porn") one by one.

Now the added websites are blocked on Chrome and other browsers that it supports (such as Samsung Internet and Firefox). AppCrypt also blocks all URLs containing any of the added keywords.

By default, the blocking of websites is turned on all the time. If you need to set the blocking to be active only during certain hours, you can use the schedule feature.

 

#2 Wi-Fi router (for all devices)

This method requires you to change your Internet settings on router. If you are not tech savvy, you can ignore it. Some routers offer a parental controls feature or web filtering feature, allowing you to block websites without extension on all devices connected to the network.

1. Access the settings of the Wi-Fi router in your home or office.

2. In settings, find a feature named Block Sites or Parental Controls or alike. If you can’t find it in basic settings, try the advanced settings.

3. There should be an option for you to add websites to block. Some routers also let users block websites by category.

4. Add website URLs and save your settings.

This should block the added websites on all browsers including Google Chrome on all or selected devices connected to this particular network. Here are more details of this method.

 

#3 Chrome Enterprise (for all devices)

Google Chrome Enterprise by Google is a solution to manage Chrome browsers and devices. It’s designed for business use. Unlike the standard version of Chrome, Chrome Enterprise comes with a built-in way to block URLs. But only an admin can set up the blocking.

1. Sign in to Google Admin console.

2. Go to Devices > Chrome > Settings > Users & browsers.

3. Choose to apply the website blocking to all users and browsers or specific ones of them.

4. Go to URL Blocking.

5. Add individual website addresses.

6. Click Save.

7. Ask the affected users to restart their Chrome browser for the blocking to take effect.

It’s a great way to minimize distracting websites and improve workplace productivity.

 

#4 FocalFilter (for Windows)

Here’s a scenario. Your son needed to use your computer and Chrome for homework, and you allowed it. However, he ended up spending hours on YouTube when not supervised.

To prevent things like this from happening, you can use an app called FocalFilter. With it, you can block unwanted websites temporarily for a certain amount of time, such as one hour. It’s easy to add websites to the block list and set up a blocking session.

1. Download and install FocalFilter. Open it.

2. Click Edit My Site List.

3. In the dialog that appears, enter the unwanted websites one by one as instructed. Click Save.

4. Click the Block for dropdown menu. Choose an amount of time. But you can only choose from the given options, which range from 5 minutes to 12 hours.

5. Click Block My Site List. And a blocking session will start immediately.

During this session, the websites you’ve specified will be blocked on Chrome browser. In addition, you can’t edit the FocalFilter settings, which prevents the blocking from being bypassed. However, restarting the computer will remove the blocking session.

When the time is up, websites will be automatically unblocked and stay accessible until you start a blocking session again.

 

#5 Hosts file (for Windows, Mac)

The hosts file on your computer is an operating system file. It’s possible to limit access to websites by modifying this file. With this method, the blocking takes place at the device level. In other words, all web browsers (including Google Chrome) installed on your computer will prevent the blocked websites from loading. You can follow the detailed steps below to edit the hosts file on Windows.

Note: With this method, the blocking won’t work if a VPN is used.

Read this article to learn how to block a websites when connected to a VPN.

1. Type NotePad in the Windows search box.

2. Right click on NotePad and select the option says Run as administrator.

3. Click on File > Open. Navigate to the hosts file. On a Windows PC, it is normally located in c:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc\hosts.

4. Change the file type from Text Document to All Files on the bottom right.

5. Open the hosts file.

6. Scroll down to the last line. Type the specific website name and then type 127.0.0.1 before the name.

For example, if you want to block Facebook on Chrome, type the following text.

127.0.0.1 facebook.com

127.0.0.1 www.facebook.com

Now Facebook is blocked on Chrome. If you no longer want to block the site, go back to hosts file and delete those texts.

On a Mac, the hosts file is located in /private/etc/hosts. It can be opened and modified through Terminal.

 

#6 Screen Time (for Mac, iOS)

On Apple devices, the built-in Screen Time feature allows you to block specific websites on Chrome as well as Safari without extension. It’ll also block most adult websites automatically. Below are steps on iPhone:

1. Open the Settings app.

2. Scroll down. Find Screen Time. Click on it.

3. Click Apps & Website Activity. Then enable the feature.

4. Click Content & Privacy Restrictions. Enable the feature too.

5. Select App Store, Media, Web, & Games.

6. To block a specific site, select Limit Adult Websites first.

7. Click Add Websites under NEVER ALLOW.

8. Enter the URL. Click Add. Click Done.

 

#7 Family Link (for Android)

You may have heard of Google Family Link, a parental controls service developed by Google. It’s available on Android devices, which helps parents to control which websites their children can access. Below are the steps:

1. Download and install Google Family Link to your device.

2. It will ask you who is using this phone. Select Parent.

3. Click on Next > Continue.

4. Tap on No to create a Google account for your child.

5. Google Accounts for children under 13 need to be linked to a parent. Then enter your email or phone number to be linked.

6. Agree to the Parental Consent. Then you will be asked for credit card info to verify that you are a parent.

7. Click Next. Now your child’s account has been created. Sign in this account on child’s device.

9. On your device, go to Family Link Settings.

10. Tap Filters on Google Chrome.

11. Enable Try to block mature sites and then tap Manage Sites.

12. Tap Blocked and manually add the sites that you don’t want your child to access.

Now the websites are blocked on your child’s Google account.

This service can also be used to block or allow certain sites for kids on Chrome browser on Chromebook.

 

FAQs

How to stop unwanted web pages from opening in Chrome?

With Cisdem AppCrypt, you can easily block unwanted web pages from opening in Chrome by adding their URLs to the block list.

How do I block 18+ websites on Google Chrome without extension?

If you want to block all 18+ websites on Chrome without extension, the best way is to use Cisdem AppCrypt. With this tool, you don’t need to manually add adult sites to the block list one by one. Its category-based blocking feature (available on Windows, Mac, iPhone and iPad) allows you to block all 18+ websites effectively.

 

Conclusion

Despite being easily accessible and usable, site blocker extensions are not effective enough. This article shows seven methods on how to block websites on Chrome. Some are free built-in ways, and some are powerful third-party software. The first method is easy for everyone to use.