App To Block Social Media On Mac Rating: 8,2/10 3275 reviews

Social media connects us with friends, family members, and other folks with common interests. A smart, non-intrusive way to stay updated on what’s happening around the world as well as around your locality. Today, it has taken an entirely different form.

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Oct 20, 2018  1. First up in the list is App Block. After you have enabled the app and given it necessary permissions, App Blocked will find any social media app on your smartphone and offer to block.

There are more than a handful of social media platforms to choose from, each vying for your attention, sending you constant updates and notifications. What surprises me the most is how we have become addicted to these platforms!

A study by Pew Research Center in 2015 found that 24% of Americans can’t stop checking their feeds constantly. We are almost nearing 2020, and things are only worse. Australians have taken things to a whole new level where 13.4 million of their population is spending up to 18 hours a day on social media. I work online for a living, and even I don’t spend that much time glued to the screen.

  • Apr 05, 2016  Use other apps to block your apps! Study Lockdown, for example, allows you stay focused. But this one is more about ‘shaming’ you every time you interrupt your study session for answering a text or check social media. SelfControl, on the other hand, is actually blocking certain media.
  • Jun 12, 2015  As the name implies, the Focus app lets you stay focused by preventing you from accessing social media and other sites in all the browsers on your Mac. You can choose what sites you want to be blocked, including Facebook, Reddit, and IMs. Once you have blocked a website, you will see an inspirational quote to get motivated.

Alright, enough with the statistics. Let’s take a look at some possible solutions that will help you control this addiction. After all, that's why you came here.

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1. AppBlock

First up in the list is App Block. After you have enabled the app and given it necessary permissions, App Blocked will find any social media app on your smartphone and offer to block them on weekdays. You can choose to Enable these ‘profiles’ and Activate them or create your unique profile with hand-picked apps.

Choose the days of the week that you want to be more productive and set your timings. You can then add/remove apps from the list and determine if you wish to block the app from launching or/and prevent it from sending you notifications every 2 seconds.

You can also duplicate profiles to create a new set of rules for a different set of apps based on your preference. There is a Strict Mode that will prevent you from changing settings during the particular app's block time.

When you unblock an app, you can view all the blocked notifications. No need to get anxious!

The app is free to download and use but comes with ads and in-app purchases to unlock unlimited profiles, remove ads, and enable unlimited app blocks and notifications.

Download AppBlock

2. Stay Focused

Taking a leaf out of App Blocked, or was it the other way around, Stay Focused offers a similar set of features packed in a slightly different UI. Like App Blocked, you can create a profile by clicking on the ‘+’ icon and choose apps to add to the list.

Control your social media addiction by setting a usage time for all the apps in the said profile by time or number of launches. For example, if you set it to 3, you can only launch Facebook 3 times during the day or the time interval you have set. Finally, Activate the profile on the homepage when you want some sanity in your life.

One particular feature I like was the Usage Timeline where Stay Focused will create timeline with date and time for all the apps that you have used during the day. That way, you will know which app you were using, and for how long, at a particular time. It will help you understand the time spent.

You can create a password that also prevents uninstalling the app from the smartphone, similar to App Block.

Download Stay Focused

3. App Off Timer

While the UI is not that intuitive when you compare it to the previously mentioned two apps, App Off Timer does come with some useful features. You begin with choosing apps that you want to restrict either individually or in groups (profiles).

You then set an off timer which is nothing but the time that is allowed for using the social media apps. The Waiting time setting will prevent you from using the app again for the said duration. So if the wait time is 1 hour, you can’t use Snapchat again for 1 hour after the app blocks it.

For parents who want to help their children fight the resulting stress and frustration, you can record an audio message (under Settings) explaining them the new ground rules, or maybe offer them some suggestions on what they can do in their free time.

You can view app usage stats, but it is not that detailed as in AppBlock and Stay Focused apps.

Like App Block, you can add a password to prevent unauthorized access and uninstallation. The App Off Timer is free but contains ads.

Download App Off Timer
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App To Block Social Media On Mac Computer

4. Flipd

Flipd is an unusual social media app that wants to help you fight social media addiction. Wait, what? You read that right. You can either create a new community or join an existing one to help you stay focused and use the app. Flipd adds a gaming element, so you will see who has saved the most time by using Flipd in the community and rank them in order.

There are two primary ways to use the app. Under Casual Lock, there are different profiles like My Day and Study with a preset timer. When you launch a profile, a timer will begin to log your session. Each session comes with breaks, so you don’t wear yourself out.

Under Full Lock, you can restrict apps by setting timers for locking your entire device. When the device is fully locked, you cannot unlock it or uninstall the app, even with a reboot. Full Lock will also disable notifications.

If you are a student and have a valid email ID, you can log in using that to create/join distraction-free study groups for classmates.

Advanced stats on app usage, ability to add custom time in sessions, and reminders unlockable with the premium plan which begins at $1.99/month.

Download Flipd

5. Your Hour

When I installed Your Hour for the first time, the app prompted that I am dependent on my phone, but not addicted or obsessed.

The hours' figure on the right gave me new life goals. Another neat feature is the floating Clock Timer that, if allowed, will show a non-intrusive timer on any app that you are currently using. An excellent way to keep a check on social media usage in real time.

There is the familiar timeline feature that will show a breakdown of all the apps that you have used during the day, and at what times. You can also drill down to individual apps.

Your Hour, as you may have noticed is taking a different approach. Instead of forcing you to take hard measures and lock your apps, or even your phone, it gives you the freedom to make a conscious decision, giving you a choice. You see a timer on every app reminding you how long you have been going through soap cutting videos on YouTube.

If we compare it with Google SketchUp, easing one’s hand on SolidWorks takes more time.Features of SolidWorks. Best free furniture design software for mac. Create bill of materials with balloon notecallouts. The best part about SolidWorks is that it can easily be integrated with third-party software. In fact, it provides a catalog of partner software and woodworking libraries so that designers can make the best out of the furniture design software free.However, with all its features, SolidWorks is only for seasoned designers.

Download Your Hour

Anything in Excess is Bad

Social media is not necessarily bad. If you can observe some self-restraint and use it judiciously, it can be a real life-saver at times. Use the above apps to learn self-control. Use Facebook and Instagram but sparingly. Upload snaps on Snapchat and chat on WhatsApp but don't forget to spend time talking to people in person and engage in outdoor activities.

Next up: Afraid that people on social media might spoil the ending of your favorite movie? Learn how to fight spoilers by blocking specific keywords on social media.


The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.Read NextHow to Fight Spoilers by Blocking Specific Keywords on Facebook and TwitterAlso See#social media #Android apps

Did You Know

Facebook has a blue theme because Mark Zuckerberg is red-green colorblind.

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One-click website blocker
Use Focus to remove online distractions on demand.

The web has the capacity to be both a blessing and a curse at the same time. On the one hand, it enables us to do the work we do and access the wealth of human knowledge. On the other hand, it distracts us from our goals and can even be outright dangerous for our kids.

Naturally, the topic of limiting web access has been in discussion for decades now. How do we block websites full of porn for our kids? What does blocking websites like Facebook and YouTube mean for a modern workplace? Why do we need to restrict ourselves with website blockers to resist temptation and distractions?

All these are valid questions we’ll explore below, in addition to showing you the best ways to block websites that seem to steal your attention all day long.

App To Block Social Media On Mac Free

Get a solution for sites blocking

Install Setapp on Mac and boost your browsing experience. Or, rather let Setapp boost it by blocking sites that distract you.

How To Block Websites On Mac

Restricting access to apps and websites has been a feature on both Windows and Macs since the early days. Surprisingly, most people aren’t even aware this is a possibility or don’t use it as it seems to be too complicated to set up.

We’ll start by tackling the flow for Parental Controls on Mac. If you’ve used a similar feature on Windows before called Family Safety, the steps would sound familiar, although there are some key differences.

Blocking websites with Parental Controls

As the name suggests, the Parental Controls feature was developed by Apple to help parents put certain restrictions on their kids, such as accessing adult websites, addictive games, endless video streams, etc.

Lately, however, it hasn’t been uncommon for employers to set Parental Controls for their employees, mostly to limit social media usage or deter them from reading news websites throughout the day.

Regardless of your intended application for Parental Controls, here’s how to set it up:

  1. Open Parental Controls from System Preferences
  2. If you have an account you want to restrict already set up, just choose it from the list. If you don’t, click to create a new user account and then Continue.
  3. Fill out all the necessary information and click Create User

Now you should see the full Parental Controls menu with tabs such as Apps, Web, Stores, Time, Privacy, and Other. Feel free to explore all of them and set the restrictions that you deem a good fit. But first, let’s walk through the most popular setups.

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To limit your kids exposure to adult websites, go over to the Web tab and choose “Try to limit access to adult websites.” Click Customize to enter websites you want your kids to visit at any time or never go to at all. Similarly, if you don’t want your employees wasting time on social media, you can include any those websites here too.

If you only allow children to visit a handful of websites overall, then choose “Allow access to only these websites” and list them all in the window below using the plus button.

Mac app to block social media

To limit certain apps, navigate to the Apps tab and check “Limit Applications on this Mac.” Now in the Allowed Apps window, click on the dropdown arrow and select any applications that you’re fine with kids having access to.

When you are done, simply click the padlock icon on the bottom left to lock your settings in place. If you want to ensure that over time you kids don’t find a sneaky way to go around your settings, you can infrequently monitor their logs by going into the Logs menu available on the bottom right of your Parental Controls panel.

One important mention is that if you are searching for how to block a website on Chrome or how to block website on Safari, this description above is the way to do it. Parental Controls doesn’t differentiate between browsers, so its settings will work on Safari, Chrome, Firefox, or any other browser you use.

Easily block websites without changing settings

The truth is Parental Controls are somewhat complicated. It takes a while to get all the settings just right. And every time you catch your kids coming up with a new workaround, you have to devise a way to solve that too.

And what if you share the same computer with your children? Then you need to log out and log in every time you pass the laptop to each other. Some of us just don’t need those complications and wish there was an easier way. Luckily, there is.

Meet Focus - a simple website blocker that also works for apps and even specific webpages, all right from your Mac’s menu bar.

To block out distractions in Focus:

  1. Click on the app’s icon in the menu bar > Preferences
  2. Navigate to the Blocking tab
  3. Add any websites, webpages, and applications to the list using plus icons at the bottom. You’re done!

The beauty of Focus is that it doesn’t enforce the focus mode all the time - it works in sessions, which is perfect for sharing the same computer with your kids. So when your kids are asking for some playtime, you can just click on the app’s icon and select “Focus for 25 minutes” or “Custom focus..” to set the period of time during which blocking websites will be enforced.

To prevent your kids from changing settings, just go to Preferences again and, in the General tab, check the “Hardcore mode.” For extra safety, you can also turn on the “Password mode.”

What if your kids have their own computer? Not a problem. In the Preferences window, you can choose Schedule and set the limits you desire.

Eliminate distractions to be more productive

Another major advantage of Focus over Parental Controls is that it works not only for your kids but for you too. Don’t you sometimes wish you could block websites on Mac? Turn off YouTube, eliminate Facebook, stay away from Reddit - Focus makes it easy.

App To Block Social Media On Mac Download

Just follow the same instructions as you would for your kid: block websites and apps, set up a schedule that mirrors your work hours, and lock preferences during sessions to minimize temptation.

As we all know, it’s impossible to work undistracted for eight hours straight. In fact, small breaks throughout the day are highly beneficial to your productivity. Focus allows you to turn off the website blocker for a small amount of time in the Break mode.

The app would also delight the followers of the Pomodoro technique, which automatically lets you have a short break after an intensive focus session. You can set it up your break periods in Preferences as well.

For extra motivation, you can include a list of your favorite “go get it” phrases in the Quotes tab in the app’s preferences as well. These quotes will appear when you try to access one of the blocked websites and remind you to get back to what’s truly important.

Quickly concentrate on the task at hand

If Focus can easily solve all your problems related to blocking websites and apps that waste your time, it won’t really help you concentrate on a single task amidst your cluttered desktop and a heap of open windows. That’s where you need HazeOver.

HazeOver is essentially a professional screen dimmer. While it’s not a way to block websites on Mac, it’s the perfect solution for your scattered focus. What this app does is highlighting the currently active window and dimming the rest of the screen, including notifications and other apps.

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Even though HazeOver is simple in its application, it allows you to fine-tune every single setting to suit your needs. By going to its preferences from the menu bar icon, you can set how strong the dimming effect is, whitelist apps you don’t want dimmed, which is useful when you work with two windows at the same time, and configure how the apps will work on two or more displays.

As a bonus, HazeOver is perfect for working at night, as it only lets the light from the active app window to go through instead of overwhelming you with an ocean of blue light, which will make it harder to fall asleep later on. Similarly, watching a movie in the evening is so much more pleasant when HazeOver is there to dim everything around the video app.

Use the right website blocker at the right time

Overall, if you’ve used to tinker with all the complex settings in Family Safety on Windows or simply like the granular level of control, using Parental Controls is certainly an option.

For the rest of us, using Focus + HazeOver presents a much more flexible solution - one that can protect our kids and not let us slack off at the same time.

A bundle of apps for free

Every app mentioned above is a part of Setapp. By downloading one, you get access to everything you need to improve browsing.

Best of all, both Focus and HazeOver are available on Setapp, a platform of over 150 highly acclaimed tools, utilities, and apps for your Mac. Sign up to become a Setapp member and try Focus, HazeOver, and all other apps from its catalogue for free during your trial period. In the meantime, how to block websites on Mac should no longer be a pressing issue.