Block apps by category on every managed device
Stop typing bundle IDs one by one. Pick the categories you want gone, from AI chat and VPN apps to games and dating, and import a ready file into Intune, Jamf, Google Admin or the MDM you already run.
Works on managed iPhones, iPads, Android devices and Chromebooks, with fresh files every month.
Check which category any app falls into
Type an app name, bundle ID, App Store ID, App Store link or Android package name. You see the developer, both store IDs where we know them, the App Store age rating and our filtering categories.
Why category lists beat typing bundle IDs
Most MDMs can block an app if you give them its exact ID. The hard part is knowing every ID that belongs in the list, and keeping that list current when new apps appear every week.
A hand-built list
- Someone searches the store and copies IDs one at a time.
- It covers the ten apps people complained about, not the hundreds of look-alikes.
- New VPN clones and AI chat apps slip through until a teacher or manager spots them.
- iOS and Android lists drift apart because the IDs differ per store.
- Nobody remembers why an ID is on the list a year later.
A category blocklist
- You choose categories such as VPN, AI tools or gambling. We supply the IDs.
- Every app in that category is in the file, including small clones with odd names.
- New apps join the list in the next monthly update without anyone typing IDs.
- One choice of categories produces matching iOS and Android files.
- The CSV shows name, developer and category next to every ID.
Blocklist categories you can switch on
Every app carries one or more of our 58 filtering categories, ranked by how much of the app they describe. These are the categories schools and businesses switch on most often.
AI / LLM Tools
AI chatbots, homework solvers, AI companions and AI image apps.
VPN / Proxy / Anonymizers
VPN apps, proxy browsers and tools that hide traffic from your filter.
Social Networking
Feeds, short video, social photo sharing and community apps.
Email and Messaging
Chat apps, private messengers and personal email clients.
Gaming
Mobile games of every genre, game launchers and game chat.
Gambling
Sportsbooks, casino and slots apps, prediction markets and real-money games.
Dating
Dating, hookup and meet-strangers apps, including video chat with strangers.
Adult
Apps whose main content is sexual or explicit material.
Streaming Media
Video and live streaming apps that eat bandwidth and class time.
Remote Access Tools
Remote desktop and remote control apps that open a path into other machines.
File Sharing/P2P
File transfer, torrent and peer-to-peer sharing apps.
Cryptocurrency
Crypto exchanges, wallets, trading and coin tracking apps.
Shopping and Marketplaces
Shopping apps, classifieds and auction apps, often blocked on work phones.
17+ age-rated apps
An age filter on top of categories: block every app rated 17+ in the App Store.
Alcohol, Tobacco, Drugs
Apps that sell or promote alcohol, vaping, tobacco or drugs.
Violence, Weapons, Hate
Apps built around violent content, weapons or hateful material.
All 58 categories are available on every plan. Many organizations start with the first twelve tiles and add more after a month of reports.
How it works in 3 steps
No agent to install and no change to how your MDM works. You keep using the restriction settings you already know, we fill them.
Choose your categories
Tick the categories you want blocked, and add an age rating rule if you need one.
- Different sets per group are fine, such as students and staff
- Districts and IT providers set them per school or client
Download the files
You get one file per platform, in the format your MDM takes.
- iOS bundle IDs and Android package names
- Configuration profiles, Intune and Jamf files, full CSV
Import, assign, repeat monthly
Import the list into your restriction profile and assign it to your device groups.
- Each month, replace the list with the new file
- Test on a few devices before a full rollout
What you get in each download
Every plan includes all of these formats. Use the one that fits your MDM and keep the CSV for reviews and approvals.
| File | Devices | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|
| iOS bundle ID list | iPhone, iPad | Any MDM field that accepts bundle IDs, such as a blocked apps list in a restrictions profile |
| Android package list | Android, Chromebook | Blocked apps in Managed Google Play policies, or the Play Store blocklist in Google Admin console |
| Configuration profile (.mobileconfig) | Supervised iPhone, iPad | Uploaded as a custom profile in Jamf Pro, Iru, Mosyle, Workspace ONE, Meraki Systems Manager and others |
| Intune import files | iOS, iPadOS | The Blocked App Bundle IDs setting in an Intune settings catalog policy, plus a CSV for the hidden apps import |
| Jamf import files | iOS, iPadOS | Restrictions in Jamf Pro and Jamf School configuration profiles |
| Full CSV | All | Reviews and reports: app name, developer, both IDs, App Store genre, age rating and categories |
Works with the MDM you already run
Our files use the standard restriction formats of Apple and Android, so they fit any MDM that can block apps by ID. These are the platforms the files are built for:
Before you block: what your devices need
iPhone and iPad: supervised
Blocking apps by bundle ID only works on supervised devices. Supervision comes from Automated Device Enrollment through Apple School Manager or Apple Business Manager, or from Apple Configurator.
Android: Android Enterprise
Fully managed devices give full control. With a work profile, only the work side is managed. See how to block apps in Intune for both options.
Chromebook: Play Store in blocklist mode
Android apps must be on, and the Play Store set to allow all apps with an admin managed blocklist. Steps in our Google Admin guide.
Profiles users cannot remove
On devices enrolled through Automated Device Enrollment, make the management profile non-removable. Otherwise a blocklist is one tap from gone.
Who uses app blocklists
Anyone who hands out managed phones, tablets or Chromebooks and has to answer for what runs on them.
Schools
One school, one IT person, hundreds of iPads or Chromebooks.
- Block VPN, games and AI chat on student devices
- Keep staff devices on a lighter list
- Show leadership a clear category list
Districts
Many schools, one central MDM, different rules per age group.
- Separate files per school or grade band
- Same categories across every campus
- App Lookup API for app requests
Libraries
Lending tablets and kiosk iPads that go home with patrons.
- Children's tablets without social or dating apps
- Block remote access tools on kiosks
- Reset lists between lending cycles
Businesses
Company phones and tablets that hold customer data.
- Block gambling, shopping and marketplaces on work phones
- Stop unapproved AI apps and file sharing
- Support security and data protection policies
MSPs and IT providers
Dozens of client tenants, each with its own rules.
- Per-client files from one subscription
- Same import steps for every tenant
- Lookup API for client app questions
Product makers
MDM, filtering and parental control products that need app categories inside.
- License the full app database
- Monthly update files
- Category, age rating and both store IDs per app
Three ways to use the data
Pick the blocklists if you manage devices, the API if you need answers inside your own tools, or the database if you build a product.
App Blocklists for MDM
- Every category blocklist
- iOS, iPadOS and Android files
- Files for all major MDMs
- Monthly updates
- Districts and IT providers: unlimited schools or clients, $249 per month
App Lookup API
- 100,000 lookups a month
- Send a bundle ID, App Store ID or Android package
- Get categories, age rating and developer
- Get the twin ID on the other store
- Included in the Districts and IT Providers plan
Mobile App Database
- Top 100,000, top 500,000 or all 1.87 million apps
- CSV or JSON
- Monthly update files available
- Product licence to embed the data
Every plan, price and licence option is on the pricing page. There are no free plans or trials.
What is inside 1.87 million apps
The blocklists are cut from our full mobile app database. Every app is categorized from its store listing, then reviewed and validated before it reaches a file.
Guides for every step
Step-by-step help for the work around a blocklist: getting IDs, setting up each MDM and deciding what to block.
Set up blocking in your MDM
Menu by menu, for Intune, Jamf, Google Admin and more.
Block apps in IntuneOne app, every platform
IDs and steps for the apps people ask about most.
How to block TikTokSchool iPads and Chromebooks
What to block, what to keep, and how to explain it to staff.
Apps to block on school iPadsDistrict-wide app policy
AI apps, approved lists and take-home device rules.
AI apps on student devicesLending and kiosk devices
Safe defaults for tablets that leave the building.
Tablet and iPad lendingBlock or allow?
When a blocklist is enough and when only an allowlist will do.
Allowlist vs blocklistQuestions IT teams ask before they switch
Short answers to what admins search for when they first plan app blocking.
Can I block apps in Microsoft Intune with these files?
Yes, on supervised iPhones and iPads. The bundle ID list goes into an Intune settings catalog policy under Restrictions, in the Blocked App Bundle IDs setting. The older Restricted apps list in the device restrictions template only reports apps, it does not stop them from opening.
Does it block apps on Windows or macOS through Intune?
No. The lists are built for iPhone, iPad, Android devices and Chromebooks. Windows and Mac software is controlled with other Intune features, such as App Control for Business on Windows, and is outside these lists.
MDM vs MAM in Intune: which one blocks apps?
Only device management (MDM) can block apps. App protection policies (MAM) protect company data inside approved apps, but they do not stop people installing or opening other apps.
Can students remove the school MDM profile from an iPad?
On iPads enrolled through Automated Device Enrollment, the school can make the management profile non-removable. Intune calls this locked enrollment, and other MDMs have a similar switch. If profiles can be removed today, fix the enrollment settings before adding blocklists.
Our page on how students get around restrictions lists the other gaps to close.
How do I block apps on Android devices?
Enroll the devices with Android Enterprise, as fully managed devices or with a work profile. Apps then come from Managed Google Play, and the MDM can mark apps as blocked by package name. Our Android files list the package names per category.
Can I block apps on a school Chromebook?
Yes, for Android apps from Google Play. In the Google Admin console, set the Play Store to allow all apps with an admin managed blocklist for the organizational unit, then add the package names. Chrome extensions and websites are managed separately.
How do I block apps from kids on an iPhone at home?
Our plans are built for organizations that manage devices with an MDM. On a family iPhone, Apple's Screen Time settings let a parent limit apps and set an age rating cap.
How often do the blocklists change?
Every month. Each monthly file adds newly found apps in your chosen categories and drops apps that have left the stores.
Is there a free trial?
No. There are no free plans or trials. The on-site app lookup is free for a few checks a day, and paid plans start at $99 per month.
Do I need to know bundle IDs or package names?
No. You choose categories and we supply every ID in the right format for your MDM. The full CSV shows the app name and developer next to each ID, so you can see exactly what is in the list.
Block whole categories of apps this week
School or business plans start at $99 per month, with every category and every MDM format included. Districts and IT providers get unlimited schools or clients.
Microsoft Intune is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Jamf, Jamf Pro and Jamf School are trademarks of Jamf Software, LLC. Apple, iPhone, iPad, App Store, Apple School Manager, Apple Business Manager, Apple Configurator and Screen Time are trademarks of Apple Inc. Google, Android, Chromebook, Google Play and Google Admin are trademarks of Google LLC. Omnissa Workspace ONE is a trademark of Omnissa, LLC. Iru and Kandji are trademarks of their owner. Mosyle, Meraki, Hexnode, ManageEngine, Scalefusion and Miradore are trademarks of their respective owners. TikTok is a trademark of ByteDance Ltd. App names such as ChatGPT, Roblox, WhatsApp and the others shown are trademarks of their respective owners. Names are used only to identify the products discussed. AppBlockList is not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by these companies.