As we all know, there are many commonly used social media distractions like SnapChat, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and so on. Social media platforms and websites make communication easier and life more fun. At the same time, it’s a fact that we often distracted by them while studying or working. This is especially troublesome when we’re writing a huge paper for school or doing a work project on a major deadline. If you are one of us, don’t worry, this article will recommend you the best social media blocker tools including app blocker for Mac to help you stay focused and improve productivity. Without further ado, let’s check them out.
Cisdem AppCrypt
Free Download
When it comes to blocking social media websites on Mac, many users may want to modify hosts files on their devices. But it is super tedious and not easy for Mac novice; furthermore, using Firewall options to block social media apps is complicated. To avoid all these fussy things, all you need is a websites and app blocker tool like Cisdem AppCrypt. It is a Mac app that blocks social media apps and locks social media websites.
Cisdem AppCrypt also offers free trial for you. Click the Download button to download free trial of this social media blocker app for Mac and follow the guidance below.
Download and install Cisdem AppCrypt on your Mac. Open it and you will see the main interface as below. Set the password that is used to access AppCrypt and unlock blocked apps and websites. And don’t forget the password because you have no way to retrieve it once forgetting. I recommend you asking your family or friends to set the password in case you can’t control yourself and change settings.
To block social media apps:
Click the plus icon + under the App Lock tab to add FaceBook, YouTube or other apps that you want to block. Every time you try to open these apps, AppCrypt will ask you for the password to access.
If you don’t want to block the social media app anymore, just select the app and press the delete key.
To block social media websites:
If you want to block specified websites, choose the Web Block tab. Add websites' URLs such as youtube.com and snapchat.com. When you access youtube.com or other sites by using any browsers, AppCrypt will redirect it to a safe page saying that the site is blocked.
If you don’t want the sites to be locked anymore, just highlight them and remove them from Block list.
Avoid social media distractions during working time
Social media is now important and necessary for us. It allows us develop relationships with others and keep an eye on current topics. Want to avoid social media distractions only on working time? AppCrypt’s Schedule feature can help you. Click on Schedule on the tool bar to create a general schedule, which will apply to all locked apps and websites. Or you can create a custom schedule for a certain locked app/website by selecting the locked app/website then clicking the small clock icon that appears.
Allow only certain websites to be more productive
The Allow list feature let you block all websites and only allow specific, regardless of your browser. If you think above blocking is not enough, you can go to Web Block tab and switch from the default Block list mode to the Allow list mode. Add necessary websites to the list. Then all websites cannot be accessed on your computer except those you approved.
Customize Preferences settings for your blocking
You can go to the Preferences window and make your blocking more effective. Check the box: Launch at system startup. Then next time you or your child start the computer, the social media sites and apps in Block list will be automatically blocked.
With this social media blocker app for Mac, you will find yourself become more productive and more aware of your own work or study patterns.
Nowadays we just can’t do without smartphone. Many of us spend hours on social media apps everyday. What if we want to become more productive and get rid of these distractions? The good news is that there are quite a few iOS apps that can help us out. Freedom is an app designed to prevent users from being distracted by apps and websites. It’s easy to use.
Block social media apps and websites
Launch the Freedom app on your iOS device and log in. Click the Blocklist tab at the bottom. To restrict the distracting social media app, find the app from the list and enable the switch next to it. You can also click on Add a blocklist and then enter the URL of social media sites in the fields. Name your blocklist and click Save.
Schedule a session and stay focused for a certain amount of time
You can also schedule the session of how long the apps and websites will be blocked. You will not be able to access to the social media until the session is over. To do that, select Sessions tab at the bottom. Select the block list you want to include in your session. Select the Session Length and End Time. Click on Save. You can start the session to stay focused now or later, as you like.
Locked mode makes it impossible to break your blocker during a session
The Locked mode is designed to help you get rid of social media distractions forcibly and you cannot quit the blocker or change any settings during sessions. To enable it, select Settings tab at the bottom. Toggle Locked mode. You can become more productive and less distracted once enabling locked mode.
There are also great social media blockers available for Android users. AppDetox is among the best of its kind. When you need to have some work down or get focused, you can use AppDetox to lock social Facebook, Twitter, or any other distracting apps. It is very user-friendly.
AppDetox let you create different rules to control your app usage. Set usage time limits for specific apps. Restrict number of launches. Or block this distracting app forever. If you fail to stick to your setting, the app will remind you.
In addition to be an effective social media blocker app, it also allows you to know how often and how much you are using each of your apps and to create different rules to control or usage. It’s a great tool to use to get rid of smartphone and social media addiction. Also can be a parental control tool for monitoring kid’s screen time.
Rosa has worked in Mac software industry for more than eight years. She believes that the purpose of software is to make life better and work more productively. In addition to writing, Rosa is also an avid runner.
