How to Block Websites on Android Phones (Chrome and Apps)

By ChildCyberGuard Team · 12 November 2026 · 6 min read

You block a website in Chrome, and ten minutes later your child opens it in another browser. Android makes that easy, because installing a second browser takes a minute. Here are the main ways to block websites on an Android phone, and what each one can and cannot do.

Method 1: Chrome and Google settings

Chrome and Google search have Safe Search and some "restricted" settings. They are useful as a first layer, and they cost nothing. The weakness is that they are settings inside an app or account. A child who knows where they are can switch them off, and they only affect that app.

Method 2: Family and Digital Wellbeing tools

Android includes tools for screen time and app limits. They are good for time control, but their website filtering is limited and depends on the browser, so test it yourself: open a site you blocked in a second browser. Features and menu names change between Android versions and phone brands, so check your own phone's options.

Method 3: Changing the phone's DNS

Every site visit starts with the phone asking "where is this website?". Android has a Private DNS setting that lets you choose a DNS provider, including family-friendly ones that block known adult sites. It works across browsers, but it is a single setting on the phone, so a child who finds it can change it back, and there are no schedules or per-child rules.

Method 4: A DNS-level parental control app

An app such as ChildCyberGuard uses Android's own VPN service to catch the phone's name lookups on the phone itself. It answers "blocked" for the sites and categories you choose, whichever browser or app asked. You pick categories (adult content, scams, gambling, social media, games and more) and add your own sites, and the rules apply across the phone without touching each browser. It also supports pause, bedtime and homework mode, and a visit log.

Setting it up with ChildCyberGuard

1. Create a parent account (free for 7 days).
2. On your child's phone, open the Add an Android phone page and download the app. It is installed from the website rather than Google Play, so Android asks you to allow installs from your browser once.
3. Open the app and enter the 8-character code shown on the page. Give the phone a name.
4. Allow the protection (the VPN), notifications and, if you want the locate feature, location access.
5. Choose what to block in your dashboard.

Test it properly

• Visit a blocked site in Chrome and in a second browser. Both should fail.
• Try a blocked site inside an app that opens web pages.
• Switch the phone to a different Wi-Fi network or mobile data and test again. Protection on the phone travels with it.

Limits you should know

No DNS-based filter can catch everything. Apps that use their own encrypted DNS can bypass it, and Android's Private DNS setting, if set to a specific provider, can too. ChildCyberGuard blocks the well-known browser DNS addresses and warns you about Private DNS. A determined child can still try, which is why a parent password, a clear family agreement and good conversation matter. See can kids bypass or delete Android parental controls?

What to block first

Work in this order: adult content (see blocking porn sites), scams and phishing (see scams that target children), gambling, and then the categories you want to schedule, such as social media and games. Start strict and loosen over time. That is far easier than the other way round.

Keep it fair

When a site your child needs is blocked by mistake, allow it quickly and say so. Children accept rules that are fair and fixable. Explain why, ask what they think is reasonable, and review the settings every term.

Blocking websites for different ages

Young children: block everything except what they need. An allow-list is the tightest option and is described in our guide to limiting a phone to approved sites.

Ages 10 to 12: block adult content, gambling and scams, and decide on social media, video and games. Many families allow those on weekends only.

Teenagers: keep adult content and scams blocked, and focus on bedtime, homework mode and conversation. Heavy blocking at this age mostly teaches children to hide what they do.

Common problems and fixes

• A site still loads. Close the browser fully and try again, because the browser may be using a saved copy. Then check that protection shows as active on the phone.
• Everything is slow or offline. Check that another VPN app is not running, since Android allows one VPN at a time.
• A needed site is blocked. Add it to your allowed list, or pause the block briefly from your dashboard.
• The app stops after a while. Some phone brands put background apps to sleep. Allow the app to run in the background in the battery settings.

Why home Wi-Fi blocking is not enough

Router-level filters only work on your home network. A phone leaves the house, joins school Wi-Fi, a friend's network or uses mobile data, and the router filter no longer applies. Protection installed on the phone goes wherever the phone goes, which is why it matters most for phones.

Make the rules visible

A block works best when your child understands it. Show them the dashboard, explain which categories are blocked and why, and tell them how to ask for a site to be allowed. A simple request process, such as "message me and I will look at it tonight", turns a blocked page from an obstacle into a normal part of family life, and children are far less likely to hunt for a way round something they can ask about.

Finally, remember that a phone is only one place your child goes online. Apply the same ideas on the family computer, with our guide to blocking websites on Windows in every browser, so the rules feel consistent wherever your child is.

Frequently asked questions

How do I block a website on Android in all browsers?

Will blocking a site in Chrome block it in other apps?

Can my child undo the block?