Most guides cover one network at a time. But social media rarely comes one site at a time. Close Instagram and you open X. Block X and Reddit is right there. This guide covers all five big ones together, on the web and as apps, plus the bit most guides leave out: your phone.
The exact domains to block
Start here, whichever method you choose. Several networks run on more than one domain, and missing the second one is the most common reason a block "doesn't work".
| Network | Domains to block | Why the extra one matters |
|---|---|---|
| instagram.com | One domain covers the site, including Reels and DMs | |
| TikTok | tiktok.com | The For You feed and profiles live on the same domain |
| X (Twitter) | x.com, twitter.com | Old twitter.com links still open, so block both |
| reddit.com | Covers old.reddit.com if your method blocks subdomains | |
| facebook.com, messenger.com | Messenger's Mac app was shut down, so chat now runs on these sites |
If you use the hosts file, add the www. version of each one too (www.instagram.com and so on), because the hosts file matches exact names only. Most blocker apps handle subdomains for you.
Method 1: Screen Time (free, built in)
Screen Time is already on your Mac, so it's the easiest place to start. There are two useful parts.
- Block outright. Open System Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy. Turn it on, then go to App Store, Media, Web, & Games and choose Customize under web content. Add each domain from the table to the Restricted list. Apple's guide has the current wording.
- Limit instead of block. System Settings > Screen Time > App Limits lets you cap time on specific apps, categories and websites, such as 30 minutes a day across all five. Apple's overview explains App Limits and Downtime.
- Lock it. Turn on "Lock Screen Time Settings" so changes need a passcode.
Where it breaks: Screen Time was built for parents managing children. If you set the passcode yourself, you know it, and the block is one click from gone. Downtime is one schedule for the whole device, not "these five sites from 9 to 5". On a Mac it works best as a gentle limit.
Method 2: The hosts file (free, every browser)
The hosts file tells your Mac where to find each website. Point a social network at nowhere and no browser on the Mac can reach it.
- Open Terminal and run sudo nano /etc/hosts, then enter your Mac password.
- At the bottom, add one line per domain, like 0.0.0.0 instagram.com and 0.0.0.0 www.instagram.com. Repeat for every domain in the table above.
- Press Control-O to save and Control-X to exit.
- Flush the DNS cache with sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder, then restart your browsers.
Where it breaks: it's all or nothing. There's no schedule, so you'd be editing the file every morning and evening. It blocks whole domains, so you can't keep Reddit search while hiding r/all. And since you made the change, you can undo it in about twenty seconds. Our step-by-step guide to blocking websites on Mac covers this method in more detail.
What about parental controls?
Older guides suggest macOS parental controls. Their website restrictions can't be applied to an Admin account, and most people's own Mac account is an Admin. You'd need a second, non-Admin account for work, which is a lot of effort for a habit.
Method 3: A dedicated blocker app
If you've tried Screen Time or the hosts file and kept undoing them, the missing piece is usually friction. Blocker apps add schedules, cover apps as well as sites, and make unblocking slow or impossible until a set time. Here are the main Mac options, with prices checked on the dates shown.
| Tool | Price | Schedules | Hard to undo? | Covers phone? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen Time | Free | Downtime only | No, if you know the passcode | Yes, separately |
| Hosts file | Free | No | No, about 20 seconds | No |
| SelfControl | Free, open source | No, timer only | Yes, until the timer ends | No |
| Cold Turkey Blocker | Free tier. Pro one-time, $45 (Oct 2026) | Pro only | Yes, with Pro locks | No, Mac and Windows |
| Freedom | $8.99/month, yearly shown as $3.33/month, $99.50 lifetime (Oct 2026) | Yes | Yes, with Locked Mode | Yes |
| FocusDragon | Free core. Pro $19.99 one-time (Oct 2026) | Yes, free | Yes, with Pro locks | Separate iPhone & iPad app included free; no sync |
- SelfControl is the simplest strict option. Start a timer and the sites stay blocked even if you restart or delete the app. It has no schedules, so it suits one long session rather than every workday. More in our SelfControl comparison.
- Cold Turkey Blocker blocks websites for free. Pro adds app blocking, scheduled blocks and its locking features as a one-time purchase, with 30 days to get a refund. See our Cold Turkey comparison.
- Freedom is the best pick if your phone is as much of a problem as your Mac. One blocklist and schedule apply to your Mac, iPhone and Android, and Locked Mode stops you ending a session early. It's mostly paid by subscription. Our Freedom comparison covers the trade-off.
- FocusDragon is our app. The core blocker is free: unlimited blocks, schedules and app blocking. Pro, a one-time purchase, adds the locks that stop you switching a block off, Bulletproof Strictness and statistics. The main product is the Mac app; the iPhone & iPad app is included free, but nothing syncs between them. More on our website blocker for Mac page.
For a wider look at every option, read the best website blockers for Mac. If you only want free tools, our free website blockers for Mac page ranks them.
Don't forget the apps (and the web-app loophole)
Blocking the website is only half the job if a network also lives on your Mac as an app. There are two cases to check.
- Real Mac apps. Look in your Applications folder and Dock for any social app you've installed. Screen Time's App Limits can cap these. Several blocker apps can block them as well, including FocusDragon, Freedom and Cold Turkey Pro. FocusDragon quits a blocked app whenever it's opened during a block. One app you no longer need to worry about: Meta discontinued the Messenger desktop app for Mac on 15 December 2025, so Messenger is now just facebook.com and messenger.com.
- Safari web apps. Since macOS Sonoma, Safari can turn any site into a Dock app with File > Add to Dock. These web apps share no cookies, history or settings with Safari. They run as their own app. A blocker that works only as a Safari extension may not see them at all.
How to check your setup: open instagram.com in Safari, choose File > Add to Dock, then try to open the new Dock icon while your block is on. If it loads, your blocker is browser-only. Delete the web app and close the gap. The hosts file works below the browser, so it catches these. FocusDragon also has system-level layers that act below the browser: the hosts file and, if you turn it on, a network filter that works by domain. We haven't tested every blocker against web apps, so do the check yourself whichever tool you use.
Block the feed, keep the site
Sometimes blocking the whole site is too blunt. You need Instagram DMs for work, Reddit for answers, X to check one account. What eats your time is the feed. On a Mac you can block just that part, because each feed has its own web address.
| Network | Block these paths | Still works |
|---|---|---|
| instagram.com/reels/, instagram.com/explore/ | Messages, profiles, search | |
| TikTok | tiktok.com/foryou, tiktok.com/following | Profiles you look up (little else, so you may prefer the whole site) |
| X | x.com/home, x.com/explore, twitter.com/home | Single posts, profiles, search |
| reddit.com/r/all, reddit.com/r/popular | The communities you choose, search | |
| facebook.com/home | Groups, Marketplace, events, messages |
Screen Time and the hosts file can't do this. They work on whole domains only. Some browser extensions can match paths, but only in the browser they're installed in (our Chrome guide covers that route). In FocusDragon, add each path as a URL contains rule and only that part of the site is blocked, in every browser it supports. Our YouTube page walks through the same idea for Shorts.
A work-hours schedule that actually holds
The strongest block is one you don't have to start. If you decide each morning, you'll eventually decide "just today, not yet". A schedule makes the decision once. Here is a setup that suits most people.
- Make one block for the five networks. In FocusDragon you can start from the premade Social Media list, which already has Facebook, X, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and Reddit, plus LinkedIn, Snapchat, Pinterest and Tumblr. Remove any you need for work.
- Add any social apps you have installed, so the app can't take over where the site left off.
- Set the schedule. Set the block to run Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 17:00. If you want evenings too, add a second window.
- Give it an end date if it's temporary. A schedule can stop on a set day, such as "until exams" or "until the launch". The end day is included, so blocking until Friday still covers Friday.
- Make it hard to switch off. A schedule decides when the block runs. For the urge to turn it off at 10:15, pick a block with more friction: Delay shows a countdown before an unblock happens, Random Text makes you retype a long random string first, and Password works best when a friend holds it. In FocusDragon these locks are part of Pro, and Frozen, which can't be lifted until the block ends, is the strictest.
FocusDragon blocks keep working if you quit the app, and its timers ignore changes to the system clock. If you drag it to the Trash mid-block, a background service puts it back. Freedom and Cold Turkey Pro offer similar schedules and locks. Having a schedule at all matters more than the tool.
Cover your phone too
This is where most Mac guides stop, and it's where many blocks fail. Lock social media on your laptop and the scrolling often just moves to your phone. A Mac blocker can't reach your iPhone, FocusDragon included: its iPhone & iPad app is included free, but it's a separate app and your Mac blocks don't sync to it. Use Apple's own Screen Time there, which on a phone is free and works well.
- Downtime. On your iPhone, open Settings > Screen Time > Downtime and set the same hours as your Mac schedule. Only the apps you allow can open, and you get a notice 5 minutes before it starts.
- App Limits. Settings > Screen Time > App Limits > Add Limit. Put Instagram, TikTok, X, Reddit and Facebook in one limit, say 15 minutes a day, or choose the Social category.
- Block the browser route. Add the same domains from the table above to Screen Time's web content restrictions, so the mobile site isn't an easy way round the app limit.
- Ask someone else to set the passcode. If you set it yourself, it's a speed bump. If a partner or friend sets it, it becomes a real wall.
- Turn on Share across devices. In Settings > Screen Time on the iPhone and System Settings > Screen Time on the Mac, turn on Share across devices. Your reports then show social media time from both devices, so you can see if the habit just moved. It has to be turned on on each device.
If you'd rather manage one blocklist for every device, Freedom is built for exactly that, and it's the better fit than FocusDragon for that need. A common middle path is a strict blocker on the Mac, where you work, and Screen Time on the phone.
Which method should you use?
- You just want a nudge: Screen Time App Limits on the Mac and the phone.
- You want it blocked today, for free, in every browser: the hosts file, or SelfControl for a timed session.
- You keep undoing your blocks: a blocker with a schedule and a lock, such as FocusDragon or Cold Turkey Pro.
- Your phone is the bigger problem: Freedom, or iPhone Screen Time with a passcode someone else holds.
- You have ADHD and decisions in the moment are the hard part: schedules that start on their own help most. We wrote a guide for ADHD.