How to Block Porn on Any Device (PC, iPhone & Android) in 2024

The difficulty in blocking porn is that kids always seem to be one step ahead of adults when it comes to technology. One of the most popular solutions is to set Google as the default search engine and enable SafeSearch. It’s free and is supposed to block search terms that are rated 18+. But if they have a specific URL, SafeSearch won’t block them from accessing the content they want.

To prevent them completely for accessing porn, you’ll need a parental control app with a powerful filter. I tested over 20 porn blockers, and while all of them advertise themself as the best and safest solution, I found too many vulnerabilities that kids can exploit to access the porn they want to watch. Some of the other hacks I’ve seen are:

• The child can simply turn off the filter
• The filter isn’t comprehensive and doesn’t block all porn sites
• There is no way to prevent the child from uninstalling the filter
• The free apps collect data on what websites your child visits and sell it to marketers

Only few of the premium parental control apps that I’ve tested managed to prevent my child from accessing porn. Among them all, I found that the Qustodio has the best porn blocking filters, plus a wide range of features that keep children safe online. You can test Qustodio for yourself  free for 30 days – no credit card required – and see for yourself how powerful its filters are.

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Quick Guide: 3 Easy Steps to Block Porn On Any Device in 2024

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The Best Parental Control Apps to Block Porn on All Devices in 2024

1. Qustodio: Powerful Filter That Blocks All Porn and Adult-Themed Websites and Apps

Key Features

When it comes to blocking porn, Qustodio stood out above the rest. After installing Qustodio on my children’s devices, I set up the custom filter. It has porn and mature content blocked by default, and I liked that could adjust each of the 29 categories for each child. There are three options for each category:

Allow: Doesn’t block any sites that match the category criteria.

Alert Me: This gives the child access to the site but creates an alert for the parents. This is helpful for sites that are borderline categories, such as entertainment, forums, health, and religion.

Block: Any website that matches the web criteria will be blocked.

Choose how you want Qustodio to filter each of the categories

After setting up and activating the filter, I logged on to my son’s laptop and checked to see if I could bypass the restrictions. I used a VPN, tried Incognito Mode, and used multiple browsers, but each time I got a lock screen stating the page was blocked.

I was happy to see that Qustodio also lets me block specific apps from opening. I found this helpful since the filter can’t block apps based on content, but I was still in control and prevented apps that have porn, like Reddit, from opening.

Qustodio has several different subscription plans based on the number of devices you want to monitor. But before committing to a plan, try it completely for free for 30 days – no credit card is needed – and see how it blocks porn and monitors your child’s online activity.

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2. Bark: Comprehensive Filters Uses AI to Recognize Porn on Websites and Apps

Bark does a great job monitoring and blocking porn and other adult-themed content. While the filter has just 17 categories, they are all focused on creating a safe and appropriate atmosphere on the internet. The advanced AI has an extensive list of keywords and slang that are used by kids when talking about sex and porn. The filter can also recognize and block images and videos.

As part of the filter, I blocked access to all unknown sites and apps and any sexual content. With these blocks in place together with the general filter, Bark does a great job blocking porn.

In addition to the regular filter, Bark uses AI to recognize content in social media apps and websites. When I created an account for my child, I connected Bark to all his social media accounts. It scans the comments, posts, and chats for keywords related to porn, sexual abuse, and adult-themed conversations. My only complaint is that Bark isn’t great at recognizing context. For example, it’s just as likely to block this post because it will trigger the block with words like “porn” and “sex” as an actual porn site.

All alerts are recorded and stored in the cloud-based dashboard, so I can view them from anywhere. If I see that my child is getting porn links or downloads from friends or online forums, I can use Bark to block those sites and apps.

I was also able to see that Bark enforces SafeSearch for Google, Bing, and Duck Duck Go and prevents the kids from disabling it or creating a new user account to get around the restrictions.

There are two Bark Subscription options; Jr and Sr, and they can each be used on an unlimited number of devices. If all you need is the web filter for blocking porn sites, the Jr option includes the web filter. You will need the Sr package if you also want to monitor your kids’ social media and email activity. Anyway, no need to decide now, since you can get a 7-day free trial and test the feature for yourself to see what works best for your family.

You can always downgrade to Bark Jr at the end of the trial if you see that you don’t need the advanced monitoring tools. Bark does require a credit card to activate the free trial, which they say is required because they access the data of minors, and this proves parental consent.

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3. Mobicip: Reliable Filter Gives Parents Control Over the Content Their Kids Can Access

Mobicip comes with several default web filters that are based on the child’s age. I was happy to see that I was able to adjust the filters to fit my child. I tested the filter by trying to access porn sites on the web and through some apps. I saw the Mobicip lock screen each time and was unable to find a way to bypass the protection.

Nevertheless, the filter showed no impact on applications. I employed the Reddit app and effortlessly accessed explicit content subreddits by simply confirming my age as 18+. Mobicip’s sole resolution was to entirely restrict the app. Unfortunately, this approach wasn’t very effective since my son frequently engages in discussions on sports-related subreddits.

One porn-blocking feature that I really like is the Whitelist. Some porn or adult sites are designed to bypass filters based on the text on the site. The Whitelist allows me to add URLs for approved sites, and it automatically blocks every other website. There is also a Blacklist where I was able to manually add URLs that I didn’t want my son visiting, regardless of the filter settings.

All three of the Mobicip plans include the web filter and website blocker, but if you want to add social media monitoring and app limits, you will need the Premium plan. If you’re not sure which plan to choose, start with the 7-day free trial and see which features and how many devices you want to monitor. At the end of the trial, choose your plan and prevent your kids from watching porn online.

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What About Google Family Link or Apple Screen Time?

Android and iOS devices have free filters that, in theory, can block porn, but in reality, the protection is extremely weak. Here’s why:

Google Family Link

Provides decent protection for small children. However, the official Google policy is that the child can remove all supervision and filters after turning 13. Even if they don’t remove the supervision, bypassing the filter is extremely easy. A child can create a new Google account, add it to their Android device, and Family Link won’t monitor or restrict the websites they visit.

Apple Screen Time

Not only is Apple’s free filter and screen time limiting tool easy to bypass, but the filter also isn’t very good. It doesn’t seem to have an extensive list of keywords, phrases, or slang that it blocks. So while a basic search for “Sex” will block the website, even a health-centered site about safe sex or how to report sexual abuse will be blocked. Meanwhile, I found that more creative or even explicit search terms will go unfiltered.

Google and Apple are not in the business of creating filters or blocking different websites. So, they do the bare minimum, releasing a free app that isn’t updated or well maintained, so they can say they did it in a press release.

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How to Choose the Best Parental Control App for Blocking Porn on All Devices

each app went through rigorous tests to make sure it can completely block porn and prevent access to adult-only websites. While many apps failed at it, my list contains only the apps that greatly managed to meet the following criteria:

• Filter: A strong filter is a must-have when it comes to blocking porn. I searched for different keywords, misspelled words, and slang during my testing to try and beat the filter.
• Difficult to Bypass: While nothing is 100% hack-proof, I tested all the filters for weaknesses to see if my kids or I could get around the filter and access restricted content.
• Ways to Block Weaknesses: Most filters don’t work with apps, so I needed a Parental Control tool that lets me block apps. I wanted an alert if the child somehow changed the filter settings or deactivated the app.
• Detailed Reporting: I want to look at the parental dashboard at the end of the day and see a report of what websites were visited and what apps were used. Even though the filter is blocking porn, there are plenty of inappropriate things available online that I want to stop my kids from seeing.
• Additional Parental Control Features: As a responsible individual, my main focus revolves around preventing access to explicit content. However, it is equally crucial to establish appropriate boundaries for screen usage, track search history, utilize live location tracking, keep an eye on social media interactions, and undertake other necessary measures to guarantee the safety of children.

FAQ on How to Block Porn on All Devices

Only a Premium Parental Control App Can Block Porn on All Your Devices

For all the good on the internet, it can be a dangerous place for kids. Having the right tools to prevent your kids from visiting websites filled with porn, graphic sexual content, or other adult-themed content is essential for all parents. The issue lies in the abundance of apps that assert to effectively block all pornography, yet the majority fall short in delivering satisfactory results. These apps prove to be ineffective at blocking explicit content and can be easily circumvented by technologically adept children with internet access.

Instead, get a premium parental control app that makes it easy to set up and enforce a web filter. Qustodio has the strongest filter among all the apps that I’ve tested and it has a great selection of other parental control features. Try it free for 30 days – no credit card is needed, and see for yourself how it works on all of your family’s computers, tablets, and smartphones.

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