How to block apps on iPhone
A parent with one child's iPhone and an IT team with 5,000 company iPhones need different tools. Screen Time covers the family phone. Supervision and an MDM blocked apps list cover the school or work fleet. This guide walks through both, then shows what an app block leaves open.
- Family iPhones
- School iPhones and iPads
- Company iPhones
Which method fits your iPhone?
The right tool depends on who owns the phone. A personal or family iPhone uses Screen Time. An iPhone owned by a school or company can be supervised, which unlocks a real blocked apps list.
Family iPhone: Screen Time
- Built into every iPhone, set from the parent's iPhone through Family Sharing.
- Time limits per app or per category, plus downtime.
- Cap apps by App Store age rating and stop new installs.
- Turn off built-in apps such as Safari, Camera or FaceTime.
- No switch that blocks one named third-party app outright.
School or company iPhone: MDM
- Device supervised through Apple School Manager or Apple Business Manager.
- A Restrictions payload hides named apps by bundle ID.
- An allow list can hide every app that is not approved.
- Users cannot remove the profile or change the settings.
- Lists can be updated for thousands of devices at once.
Block apps on a kid's iPhone with Screen Time
Set Screen Time up from your own iPhone so your child cannot change it. Add your child to Family Sharing first, then open Settings, Screen Time and pick your child's name. Menu names here match recent iOS releases; older versions use similar labels.
- Set a Screen Time passcodePick a code your child does not know. Without it, every setting below can be switched off in seconds.
- Turn on Ask to BuyIn Family Sharing, Ask to Buy sends every new download, free or paid, to you for approval.
- Stop installs entirelyUnder Content & Privacy Restrictions, open App Store Purchases (iTunes & App Store Purchases on older iOS) and set Installing Apps to Don't Allow.
- Cap apps by age ratingIn Content & Privacy Restrictions, open the App Store, Media, Web & Games section (Content Restrictions on older iOS), then Apps, and pick the highest age rating allowed.
- Time or stop one appOpen App Limits, Add Limit, choose the app, set one minute and turn on Block at End of Limit. The app locks after a minute each day.
- Keep essentials openUnder Always Allowed, add Phone, Messages to family, Maps or any learning app that must work during downtime and past limits.
- Turn off built-in appsUnder Allowed Apps & Features, switch off Safari, Camera, FaceTime or others you do not want available.
- Limit the web tooSet Web Content to Limit Adult Websites or Allowed Websites Only, so blocked apps are not simply used in Safari.
What each Screen Time control actually does
Parents often mix these up. Each one blocks a different thing, and only some of them stop an app from opening.
App Limits
Daily time per app, category or website. With Block at End of Limit on, the app locks until midnight unless you approve more time.
Downtime
A schedule, such as school nights, when only Always Allowed apps open. Good for bedtime, not for a permanent block.
Age-rating limit
Hides installed apps above the chosen rating and stops them from being downloaded. Works on every app at once.
Always Allowed
Apps that stay usable during downtime and past limits. Keep the list short, or it becomes the way around everything else.
Installing Apps
Don't Allow removes the ability to download anything. Apps already on the phone keep working.
Deleting Apps
Don't Allow stops a child deleting an app, for example to reinstall a fresh copy without its settings.
Communication Limits
Controls who your child can call and message, separate from which apps they can open.
Hidden apps
Children can hide and lock apps on iOS 18 and later. Check the Hidden folder at the bottom of the App Library.
Why age-rating limits over-block and under-block
The age-rating limit is the most popular Screen Time control, and the least precise. Developers choose their own rating from a questionnaire. The rating describes content in the app, not the risk of chatting with strangers, getting past filters or spending money.
Our census of the top 1,000,000 iOS apps shows how far ratings drift from what parents and admins expect.
of the top 1,000,000 iOS apps are rated 17+, so a 12+ cap hides a large slice of the store.
of 17+ apps declare no content advisory at all. The rating gives no reason for itself.
of 17+ apps are 17+ only because of Unrestricted Web Access, such as web browsers.
of apps declaring alcohol, tobacco or drug references are rated 12+, below a 17+ cap.
| App | Rating at our last check | What a 12+ cap does | Why that misses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Chrome | 17+ | Hidden | Rated 17+ only for Unrestricted Web Access. Many schools want a browser, just a filtered one. |
| Firefox Fast & Private Browser | 17+ | Hidden | Same single advisory. The age cap removes useful tools along with risky ones. |
| ExpressVPN | 4+ | Allowed | No content advisory, yet a VPN app can tunnel around web filters and network blocks. |
| NordVPN | 4+ | Allowed | Same pattern: a 4+ rating on an app most school policies list first. |
| Snapchat | 12+ | Allowed | Declares mild alcohol, tobacco or drug references and mature themes, but stays at 12+. |
| Discord | 12+ | Allowed | Declares mild simulated gambling and sexual content, and allows chat with strangers. |
Supervision: what school and company iPhones need first
Hiding a named app needs a supervised iPhone. Supervision is Apple's mark that an organization owns the device, and it unlocks the stronger restrictions an MDM can send.
- Link your Apple accountSign up for Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager and connect it to your MDM with a server token. Our Apple Business Manager guide shows the setup.
- Add the devicesiPhones bought through Apple or a linked reseller appear automatically. Others can be added with Apple Configurator, which erases them.
- Enroll during setupAssign the devices to your MDM. At Setup Assistant they enroll and supervise, and users cannot remove the profile.
- Confirm supervisionSettings shows a line saying the iPhone is supervised and managed by your organization. The MDM device record shows the same.
Blocked App Bundle IDs: the MDM way to block apps on iPhone
Apple's Restrictions payload has two keys for named apps. Both work only on supervised devices. Your MDM sends them, whatever it calls them on screen.
| Key | What it does | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| blockedAppBundleIDs | Listed apps cannot be shown or launched. Installed copies stay on the device but disappear from the Home Screen and Spotlight. | You want most apps available and a defined set blocked, such as games, VPNs and social media. |
| allowListedAppBundleIDs | Only listed apps, plus required system apps, can be shown or launched. Everything else is hidden. | Devices with a narrow job: kiosks, shared iPads, field devices or young students. |
TikTok, Snapchat, Roblox and ExpressVPN in a blocked apps list. Apple documents every key in the Restrictions payload reference, and our .mobileconfig guide shows a full profile you can upload to any MDM.
Bundle IDs for apps families and schools block most
MDMs ask for the bundle ID, and some, such as Intune, also accept the App Store ID from the app's link. These IDs come from our app database and were checked at the time of writing.
| App | iOS bundle ID | App Store ID | Rating at our last check |
|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok | com.zhiliaoapp.musically | 835599320 | 12+ |
| com.burbn.instagram | 389801252 | 12+ | |
| Snapchat | com.toyopagroup.picaboo | 447188370 | 12+ |
| YouTube | com.google.ios.youtube | 544007664 | 12+ |
| Roblox | com.roblox.robloxmobile | 431946152 | 12+ |
| Discord | com.hammerandchisel.discord | 985746746 | 12+ |
| Brawl Stars | com.supercell.laser | 1229016807 | 9+ |
| Block Blast! | com.blockpuzzle.us.ios | 1617391485 | 12+ |
| ExpressVPN | com.expressvpn.iosvpn | 886492891 | 4+ |
| 1.1.1.1: Faster Internet | com.cloudflare.1dot1dot1dot1 | 1423538627 | 17+ |
App guides with every related listing: block TikTok, block Instagram, block the YouTube app and block VPN apps. For category lists, see the social media apps list.
How to find an iPhone app's bundle ID
A wrong bundle ID fails silently: the profile installs and the app keeps working. Take IDs from a reliable source, never from memory.
From the App Store link
Share the app's App Store page and copy the number after id. That is the App Store ID, which some MDMs accept directly.
Bundle ID lookup
Paste the name or App Store ID into the bundle ID lookup to get the bundle ID and its category.
MDM inventory
Your MDM lists installed apps per device, with bundle IDs. Useful for finding what is already out there.
Apple Configurator
Connect a device to a Mac running Apple Configurator and view its apps, including bundle IDs.
Block apps on iPhone in your MDM, step by step
Every MDM sends the same Apple key. Labels move between releases, so follow the order and check names on screen.
- Devices, Configuration, Create, New policy. Pick iOS/iPadOS and Settings catalog.
- Add settings, open Restrictions and add Blocked App Bundle IDs.
- Enter one bundle ID per line and assign to a group of supervised devices.
- Devices, Configuration profiles, New, then the Restrictions payload and Apps.
- Set App Usage to restrict listed apps and add each bundle ID.
- Scope to a test group and save. Overlapping profiles apply the strictest setting.
- Open Management, then Restrictions, and create or edit an iOS profile.
- In the apps section, choose to block listed apps and add bundle IDs.
- Assign to supervised devices or device groups and save.
- Add a Restrictions Library Item for iOS.
- Turn on Manage App Block List and add the bundle IDs.
- Assign the item to the Blueprint used by your iPhones.
- Workspace ONE: Restrictions profile, then the blocked or allowed apps setting.
- Hexnode: Policies, iOS, Blocklisting and Allowlisting, Add apps.
- Meraki Systems Manager: Restrictions settings payload, app restrictions, add bundle IDs.
- With advanced mobile management, open Apps, Web and mobile apps.
- Add only approved iOS apps, and restrict users to that list.
- Under iOS settings, turn off the user's ability to install other apps.
What blocking the app does not cover
An app block removes one icon. These routes reach the same content, and each needs its own control.
| Route | Covered by the app block? | How to close it |
|---|---|---|
| The website in Safari | No | Screen Time web content limits on a family iPhone. On managed iPhones, a web content filter payload or DNS filter, and blocking other browser apps. |
| Web clips and Home Screen bookmarks | No | A web clip opens the site like an app. Block the site itself, and on supervised devices restrict changes to the Home Screen. |
| Look-alike and clone apps | No | Block by category, so new apps with the same purpose are added in the next monthly update. |
| Lite and regional versions | Only if listed | Add every listing's bundle ID, or use a list that already groups them. |
| VPN and proxy apps | No | Block the VPN category and turn off adding VPN configurations on supervised devices. See blocking VPN apps. |
| Cellular data or hotspot | Yes for the app | The device block holds on any network. A school network filter does not, so do not rely on it alone. |
| Hidden or locked apps | Partly | On supervised iOS 18 and later, turn off hiding and locking apps so nothing escapes a device check. |
Students are inventive. Our guide to how students get around restrictions covers the full list, and apps to block on school iPads shows where to start.
Test the block before you roll it out
Run this list on one iPhone, then widen the scope. Keep one untouched device for comparison.
- Confirm the test iPhone is supervised, or that Screen Time is set from the parent's phone.
- Check the profile appears under Settings, General, VPN & Device Management.
- The blocked app's icon is gone from the Home Screen and the App Library.
- Searching for the app in Spotlight does not open it.
- Try to install the app again from the App Store.
- Try a lite or regional version of the same app.
- Open the app's website in Safari and every other browser installed.
- Install a VPN app, or confirm the VPN category is blocked too.
Keep the list current without typing every ID
Ten bundle IDs are easy to type once. Keeping up with new games, VPN apps and clones every month is where hand-made lists fall behind.
Hand-typed list
- You find and check every bundle ID yourself.
- New look-alikes slip through until someone reports one.
- Separate work for each MDM and for Android.
AppBlockList category feed
- 58 filtering categories across 1,874,397 iOS apps.
- iOS bundle ID lists, .mobileconfig profiles, Intune and Jamf files, Android package lists and CSV.
- Refreshed monthly: new apps added, removed apps dropped.
Unsure whether to block or allow? Read app allowlist vs blocklist. Managing Android as well? See how to block apps on Android.
Blocking apps on iPhone: FAQ
Can you block a specific app on an iPhone with Screen Time?
Not with a single block switch. Screen Time can set an App Limit of one minute on one app with Block at End of Limit turned on, hide apps above an age rating, and turn off built-in apps such as Safari or Camera. A true per-app block by bundle ID needs a supervised iPhone and an MDM.
How do I block an app on my kid's iPhone?
Set up Screen Time for your child through Family Sharing, then use Content and Privacy Restrictions to cap apps by age rating and stop app installs, and App Limits for the apps you want to time or stop. Turn on Ask to Buy so new downloads need your approval, and set a Screen Time passcode your child does not know.
Is there an app to block apps on iPhone?
Apps from the App Store cannot remove or hide other apps on their own. Third-party parental control apps work through Apple's Screen Time framework, so they offer the same kind of limits as Screen Time. Hiding an app by bundle ID on a company or school iPhone is done by an MDM on a supervised device.
How do schools and companies block apps on iPhones?
They supervise the iPhones through Apple School Manager or Apple Business Manager, enroll them in an MDM, and send a Restrictions payload with a blocked apps list, the blockedAppBundleIDs key. Listed apps cannot be shown or launched while the profile is installed.
Why does the age-rating limit not block the right apps?
Age ratings are set by developers and describe content, not risk. In our census of the top 1,000,000 iOS apps, 16.8% of 17+ apps are 17+ only because of Unrestricted Web Access, while 72% of apps declaring alcohol, tobacco or drug references are rated 12+. Many VPN apps are rated 4+.
Does blocking an app also block its website?
No. Hiding the app leaves the website open in Safari and other browsers. Use Screen Time web content limits on a family iPhone, or a content filter and browser restrictions on managed iPhones, and block the VPN apps that could get around them.
Where do I find an iPhone app's bundle ID?
Copy the number after id in the app's App Store link, which is the App Store ID, then look it up in the AppBlockList bundle ID lookup. Your MDM's installed apps inventory and Apple Configurator on a Mac also show bundle IDs for apps on a device.
Can a child or employee undo an app block?
On a family iPhone, only if they know the Screen Time passcode, so keep it private and turn on Screen Time sharing across devices. On a supervised iPhone, the restrictions profile cannot be removed by the user, and the block stays until the MDM changes it.
Block whole categories of iPhone apps
Blocklists for MDM cost $99 a month or $990 a year per organization, with every category as bundle ID lists, .mobileconfig profiles and Intune or Jamf files, refreshed monthly.
Apple, iPhone, iPad, iOS, Safari, Screen Time, App Store, Apple School Manager, Apple Business Manager and Apple Configurator are trademarks of Apple Inc. Microsoft Intune is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Google, Google Chrome, YouTube and Google Admin are trademarks of Google LLC.
TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Roblox, Discord, Brawl Stars, Block Blast!, ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Firefox, 1.1.1.1, Jamf, Mosyle, Iru, Workspace ONE, Hexnode and Meraki 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.