How to Block YouTube on Mac for Your Kids or Yourself

While YouTube is a great platform to watch videos, it can be distracting, and some videos may be inappropriate for children and teens. So you may want to restrict YouTube access for productivity or parental control purposes.

In this article, I will show you how to block access to YouTube on Mac, including how to block the entire website, restrict specific videos and searches, and more.

 Cisdem AppCrypt

The Best YouTube Blocker for Mac

• Block websites on Safari, Chrome, and other browsers with a password
• Block specific websites, URLs with certain keywords, and categories (e.g., Video, Social, and Porn)
• Offer an option to restrict all sites except approved ones
• Lock apps with a password
• Block websites and apps 24/7 or at scheduled times
• Easy to use
• Hard to bypass
• Help you block the entire youtube.com, disable Shorts, restrict videos and searches, and do more
• Can be used for your children or yourself

Free Download Windows 10 or later Free Download macOS 10.12 or later GET IT ON Google Play Download on the App Store

Method 1. How to block YouTube entirely or partially on Mac with a password using AppCrypt

Applies to: macOS Sierra 10.12 or later

Supported browsers: Safari, Chrome, Edge, Opera, and Brave (with an option to lock unsupported browsers)

This method uses AppCrypt, a website blocker and app locker in one. It's easy to use and versatile. As a YouTube blocker, it does the following:

• Restrict youtube.com entirely
• Block specific videos and search terms added by you
• Make all Shorts videos inaccessible
• Schedule blocking to be active permanently or only specific hours
• Protect blocking with a password

Here are the steps.

1. Download and install AppCrypt.

Free Download macOS 10.12 or later

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

3. Click the lock icon in the menu bar, then choose Open Main Window.

Then, enter the password to access the app's main window.

4. In the Web Block tab, do any of the following based on your needs:

• Enter youtube.com in the URL field, then click Add. This will block this platform entirely.
• To block specific videos only, simply add video IDs one by one. For example, the ID for this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yTXr5bX2wQ) is "1yTXr5bX2wQ".
• To prevent certain words (e.g., “sexy” or “suicide”) from being searched on YouTube, add these words one by one.
• To make all Shorts videos inaccessible, add https://www.youtube.com/shorts/.

From now on, YouTube or the specified content will be blocked in all supported browsers on this Mac, in both regular and private/incognito browsing. (Lock unsupported browsers if needed.)

It requires a password to quit or uninstall this YouTube blocker, modify its settings, or do other bypassing attempts. Therefore, this method is effective and difficult to bypassing.

Method 2. How to Block YouTube in Safari on Mac with Screen Time

Applies to: macOS Catalina 10.15 or later

Supported browser: Safari

If you need to limit YouTube only in Safari, this method can be the best choice.

The method uses Screen Time, which is built-in to macOS Catalina and later and free to use. With it, you can easily restrict access to unwanted websites in Safari. Non-Safari browsers like Chrome is not supported.

If you are using this method for your children, I recommend setting a Screen Time passcode. Without knowing the passcode, your children won't be able to access Screen Time settings. This way, they can't bypass restrictions by changing your settings.

1. Go to System Settings (or System Preferences in earlier macOS versions).

2. Choose Screen Time in the left sidebar and turn it on.

3. Optionally, turn on Use Screen Time Passcode and set a passcode.

4. Choose Content & Privacy and enable it.

5. Click Content Restrictions.

6. In the dialog that appears, click the pop-up menu next to Access to Web Content and select Limit Adult Websites.

7. Click the Customize button that appears.

8. Click the Add icon in the Restricted section, enter youtube.com in the URL field and click Done, click Done.

9. Click Done.

Now, YouTube is restricted in Safari on this Mac, and Safari's private browsing mode is disabled, making sure that this website can't be opened by this browser.

Method 3. How to restrict YouTube in Chrome, Firefox, and Edge on Mac

Applies to: All macOS versions

Supported browsers: Chrome, Firefox, and Edge

This method uses a browser extension called BlockSite. It's easy to set up and feature-rich. Like AppCrypt, it lets you set YouTube to be restricted all the time or only during specific hours. In addition, its Focus Mode allows you to set the website to be automatically blocked and unblocked based on a Pomodoro timer.

However, despite its Password Protection feature, BlockSite can be easily disabled or removed from a browser. Therefore, if you are looking for a strict way to prevent your children or yourself from using YouTube, this method is not ideal.

The following steps use Chrome as an example to show you how to use the method.

1. Go to Chrome Web Store and install BlockSite.

2. Click the extension's icon in the toolbar of your Chrome and then the setting icon in the top right corner.

3. On the page that opens, click Add to Block List.

4. Type “youtube” in the Type field and click the Add icon next to the youtube.com option that automatically appears. Click Done.

5. Control-click the BlockSite icon in the toolbar and choose Manage Extension. Enable Allow in Incognito on the page that opens.

Now YouTube is blocked in Chrome on this Mac. Even using the incognito mode can't bypass the blocking.

Method 4. How to block YouTube by editing Mac's hosts file in Terminal

Applies to: All macOS versions

Supported browsers: All web browsers

This method involves editing the hosts file (a system file on your Mac) using Terminal (an app built into macOS). The biggest advantage of this method is that blocking will apply to all browsers. However, there are three potential disadvantages.

• The method is not suitable for those who are not comfortable with technology. However, if you are tech-savvy or familiar with command line interfaces, you can definitely try it.
• It's not very effective for the administrator user on a Mac, since knowing the administrator password makes it easy to undo the blocking by editing the hosts file.
• If an VPN is often used on the Mac, this method is not recommended. This method will stop working when there's a VPN.

1. Open the Terminal app on your Mac.

2. Type “sudo pico /etc/hosts” and press the Return key.

3. Enter the administrator password and press the Return key. Now the hosts file opens.

4. Use the Down Arrow key to go to the bottom of the file and add the following two lines.

127.0.0.1 youtube.com

127.0.0.1 www.youtube.com

5. Press Ctrl + O and then the Return key to save the changes.

6. Press Ctrl + X to exit editing.

From now on, no browsers on this Mac will be able to open YouTube.

Method 5. How to configure your router's settings to block YouTube on Mac

Applies to: All macOS versions

Supported browsers: All web browsers

This method requires you to configure the settings of the router to which your Mac is connected. If you can't access the router's settings, this method is not available.

If you do have access to the settings, you can consider this method. Since routers can differ in features and options, I only provide general steps here.

1. Visit your router's settings page in a browser. Then log in with the username and password or password only, depending on your router.

2. Find a feature called Parental Controls, Firewall, Web Filtering, or something similar.

If your router doesn't offer a website blocking feature, this method is not available.

3. Optionally, create a dedicated profile and add your Mac to it.

(If your router doesn't support profiles, the blocking will apply to all devices connected to it. If so, there's no need to manually add your Mac.)

4. Add youtube.com to the block list.

5. Save your settings.

When your Mac is connected to this network, YouTube will be blocked in all browsers on it, such as Safari and Chrome.

Wrapping up

If you find yourself easily distracted by YouTube when using your Mac for work, or if you catch your children using the machine to watch YouTube videos instead of helping with their homework, you can block the platform. There are several ways to block YouTube on Mac. If you want to make sure that restrictions can't be easily bypassed, choose methods that offer password protection.