Device controls reach further
Operating-system controls sit underneath the browser, so one rule can cover Chrome, Safari, Edge and the apps that open web pages inside themselves. Their reach stops at the device, and their strength depends on who holds the passcode. This guide covers Apple, Android and Windows controls, the hosts file and dedicated blocking software.
Why the operating system reaches further
The operating system is the layer that every browser and app must ask before using the network or showing content. A restriction placed there is not tied to one program, so installing a second browser does not open a gap in the way it does with an extension.
The trade is that most of these controls were built for parents supervising children. An adult using them on themselves has to think about who holds the keys, because the person who sets a control can usually remove it.
Controls on Apple, Android and Windows
| Platform | Control | What it can do | Worth checking |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone, iPad and Mac | Screen Time, under Content & Privacy Restrictions | Limits adult websites, allows only listed sites, keeps a "never allow" list, and sets app limits. | Use a Screen Time passcode that differs from the device passcode and is held by someone else. |
| Android | Google Family Link | Supervises an account, with site filtering in Chrome and approval of app installs. | It is designed around a parent supervising a child; read Google's current help pages on who can be supervised. |
| Windows | Microsoft Family Safety, plus separate standard and administrator accounts | Web filtering and app limits on supervised accounts, with filtering long tied to Edge. | The everyday account should not be an administrator. |
Menu names and features change between versions. Treat the table as a map of where to look, and follow each maker's own help pages for the current steps.
The hosts file, explained plainly
Every computer keeps a plain-text hosts file, a short list consulted before any outside name lookup. Pointing a domain name at 0.0.0.0 means the computer cannot reach it. On Windows the file sits at C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts; on macOS and Linux it is /etc/hosts. Both need administrator rights to edit.
- Open the file with administrator rights: a text editor run as administrator on Windows, or an editor with the administrator password on macOS and Linux.
- Add one line per domain in the form
0.0.0.0 example.com, replacing example.com with the domain you want blocked. A name withwww.and one without are separate entries. - Save the file.
- Restart the browser, or clear the system's name cache, so earlier lookups are forgotten.
The hosts file is exact and silent. It blocks only the names written in it, on that one computer, and it never updates itself. It works well as a second line after a maintained list, not as the first.
Dedicated blocking software
BetBlocker, a free application, and Gamban, a commercial product, are examples of software built for this purpose. Both keep lists of gambling sites and apps that their makers update, and apply them across browsers and apps on a device. Availability by platform and licensing terms change, so check each maker's own pages. Neither is endorsed here, and neither replaces support from people.
Passcodes and who holds them
A control you can switch off in five seconds is a reminder, not a barrier. Giving the Screen Time passcode, the Family Safety administrator login or the router password to a trusted person adds a pause between impulse and action. Choose someone who understands why, and agree in advance what they will do if asked to remove a control late at night.
Where device controls stop
- Each device needs its own setup; a rule on the laptop says nothing about the phone.
- Devices owned by an employer or a shared household may not allow these controls at all.
- The controls act on screens. They do not touch a bank card or an account at a licensed operator.
General information only, not personal advice. Anyone worried about their gambling can contact the National Gambling Helpline run by GamCare in Great Britain.