How to Block YouTube on Any Device (2026)

YouTube is the single most-visited website after Google. It’s also the one people most often want to block — whether for themselves during work hours, or for their kids.

The problem: YouTube is everywhere. Browser, app, smart TV, phone. Blocking it in one place and leaving it open in another defeats the purpose.

This guide covers every method for every device — and addresses the most common edge case: blocking YouTube while keeping YouTube Music.

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Quick Comparison

Method	Devices	Blocks App?	Keep YT Music?	Bypass Difficulty
Browwwser	Mac	Yes	Yes	Very hard
Chrome extension	Any (Chrome)	No	Yes	Low
Screen Time (Apple)	Mac, iPhone, iPad	Yes	No	Medium
Family Link (Google)	Android	Yes	No	Medium
Router DNS blocking	All devices on network	Yes	No	Hard
Hosts file	Mac, Windows	No (browser only)	Yes	Medium
Cold Turkey	Windows, Mac	Yes	Partial	Medium
Freedom	All	Yes	No	Medium

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Block YouTube on Mac

Option 1: Browwwser (Browser Engine-Level)

Browwwser is a Chromium-based browser for macOS with website and app blocking built directly into the browser engine. When you block YouTube, the request is killed at the engine level — no redirect page, no countdown timer, no “allow once” button.

How to block YouTube:

1. Open Browwwser and go to Settings
2. Add youtube.com to your blocklist
3. Optional: enable Lock Mode (1 hour to 7 days, no override)
4. Optional: set a schedule to block YouTube only during work hours

Block YouTube but keep YouTube Music: Browwwser blocks by domain. Add youtube.com and www.youtube.com to the blocklist — music.youtube.com stays accessible unless you explicitly block it.

Block the YouTube desktop app: Browwwser also blocks macOS desktop apps. Add the YouTube app (or any Chromium wrapper) to your app blocklist. It closes the app when blocked.

Limitations: macOS only. No Windows, no Linux, no iOS.

If you’ve tried extension-based blockers and found ways around them, Browwwser is built for that problem.

Option 2: Screen Time (Built-in macOS)

Screen Time is free and built into macOS Ventura and later.

1. Open System Settings → Screen Time → App Limits
2. Click + and select Websites tab
3. Add youtube.com
4. Set a daily time limit (even 1 minute effectively blocks it)

Downsides: Screen Time is designed for parental controls, not self-control. You can override it with your passcode. If you’re blocking YouTube for yourself, you’ll need someone else to set and hold the passcode — or accept that you’ll bypass it when motivation is low.

Option 3: Hosts File (Manual, Free)

The hosts file redirects domains to a dead address before they reach the browser.

Open Terminal and edit the hosts file:

sudo nano /etc/hosts

Add these lines at the bottom:

127.0.0.1 youtube.com
127.0.0.1 www.youtube.com
127.0.0.1 m.youtube.com

Save (Ctrl+O, Enter, Ctrl+X) and flush the DNS cache:

sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

Keep YouTube Music: Don’t add music.youtube.com to the hosts file. It will remain accessible.

Downsides: No scheduling. No lock mode. Anyone with admin access can reverse it in 30 seconds. You’re also one Google search away from undoing it yourself. For a more robust approach, see our full guide on how to block websites on Mac.

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Block YouTube on Windows

Option 1: Cold Turkey (App-Level)

Cold Turkey is a dedicated blocker for Windows (and Mac) that operates at the system level.

1. Install Cold Turkey Blocker
2. Create a new block list and add youtube.com
3. Set a timer or schedule
4. The Pro version ($39 one-time) adds app blocking and locked mode

Downsides: The free version has limited features. Browser blocking relies on a Chrome extension that can be disabled if you’re determined enough.

Option 2: Hosts File (Manual, Free)

Same concept as Mac, different file location.

1. Open Notepad as Administrator
2. Open C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts
3. Add:

127.0.0.1 youtube.com
127.0.0.1 www.youtube.com
127.0.0.1 m.youtube.com

4. Save and run ipconfig /flushdns in Command Prompt

Same limitations as the Mac hosts file method — no scheduling, no lock, easy to reverse.

Option 3: Freedom (Cross-Platform)

Freedom works across Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Chrome.

1. Install Freedom and create an account
2. Add youtube.com to a blocklist
3. Start a session or set a recurring schedule

Downsides: Freedom uses VPN-based blocking on some platforms and a Chrome extension on desktop — both can be bypassed. Free plan is limited; full access costs $40/year.

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Block YouTube on Chrome (Any OS)

If you use Chrome as your main browser and want a quick solution, extensions work across Mac, Windows, and Linux. For a deeper comparison of Chrome-based methods, see our guide to blocking websites on Chrome.

Option 1: BlockSite Extension

1. Install BlockSite from the Chrome Web Store
2. Add youtube.com to the block list
3. Optional: set a schedule and password

Keep YouTube Music: BlockSite blocks by exact domain. Block youtube.com and www.youtube.com — music.youtube.com remains accessible.

Option 2: LeechBlock Extension

1. Install LeechBlock from the Chrome Web Store
2. Add youtube.com to a block set
3. Set time limits or a complete block schedule

LeechBlock is free, open-source, and more configurable than BlockSite. It supports complex scheduling (block during work hours, allow 15 minutes at lunch).

Option 3: StayFocusd Extension

StayFocusd lets you set a daily time budget for specific sites. Once your allotted time on YouTube runs out, the site is blocked for the rest of the day.

The Extension Problem

All Chrome extensions share the same fundamental weakness: you can disable them.

Go to chrome://extensions, toggle off the blocker, watch YouTube, toggle it back on. The entire process takes 5 seconds. Some extensions add a password or delay, but nothing prevents you from removing the extension entirely.

This is why extension-based blocking works for mild habits but fails for serious YouTube addiction. If you need blocking that holds when your willpower doesn’t, you need something that operates below the extension layer — either at the system level or browser engine level.

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Block YouTube on iPhone and iPad

Screen Time (Built-in iOS)

1. Open Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions
2. Tap Content Restrictions → Web Content
3. Select Limit Adult Websites (this enables the custom blocklist)
4. Under Never Allow, add youtube.com

This blocks YouTube in Safari and any browser that uses WebKit (which is all browsers on iOS).

Block the YouTube app: Go to Screen Time → App Limits and add a limit for the YouTube app (set it to 1 minute).

Downsides: If you’re blocking yourself, you know the Screen Time passcode. Have someone else set it if self-control is the goal. YouTube Music is also affected — iOS Screen Time doesn’t offer subdomain-level control.

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Block YouTube on Android

Google Family Link (For Kids)

1. Install Google Family Link on your device and your child’s device
2. Go to Controls → Content Restrictions → Google Chrome
3. Select Only allow approved sites or Block specific sites
4. Add youtube.com

To block the YouTube app: Controls → App limits → YouTube and set the limit to 0.

For Adults: DNS-Based Blocking

Android doesn’t have a built-in self-blocking feature as robust as iOS Screen Time. Your best options:

1. Private DNS — Android 9+ supports private DNS. Use a service like NextDNS that lets you create custom blocklists. Go to Settings → Network → Private DNS and enter your NextDNS hostname.
2. Freedom app — installs a local VPN that blocks traffic to YouTube.

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Block YouTube on Your Router (All Devices)

Router-level blocking affects every device on your network — phones, tablets, computers, smart TVs, gaming consoles. This is the nuclear option and the hardest for anyone on the network to bypass.

Method 1: Router Admin Panel

1. Open your router’s admin page (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1)
2. Find Parental Controls, Access Restrictions, or URL Filtering
3. Add youtube.com to the blocked list
4. Save and reboot the router

The exact steps vary by router brand (Netgear, TP-Link, ASUS, etc.). Check your router’s manual if you don’t see these options.

Method 2: Custom DNS (OpenDNS / NextDNS)

For routers that don’t have built-in URL filtering:

1. Create a free OpenDNS or NextDNS account
2. Add youtube.com to your blocklist
3. In your router settings, change the DNS servers to the ones provided by your chosen service
4. All DNS queries on the network now go through the filter

Downsides: Blocks ALL YouTube — including YouTube Music, YouTube TV, and embedded videos across the web. There’s no subdomain-level control at the DNS level. Anyone who changes their device’s DNS settings manually can bypass it.

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The YouTube Music Problem

The most common request: “I want to block YouTube but keep YouTube Music.”

YouTube and YouTube Music run on different subdomains:

• YouTube: youtube.com, www.youtube.com
• YouTube Music: music.youtube.com

Methods that support this:

• Browwwser — block youtube.com while allowing music.youtube.com
• Chrome extensions (BlockSite, LeechBlock) — block by exact domain
• Hosts file — add only youtube.com and www.youtube.com

Methods that block everything:

• Router DNS blocking — blocks all subdomains
• Screen Time (iOS/macOS) — no subdomain control
• Family Link — blocks the whole domain

Alternative approach: If your blocking method doesn’t support subdomain exceptions, switch to Spotify, Apple Music, or another standalone music service. This eliminates the YouTube Music dependency entirely and removes any temptation to “check just one video” while the music tab is open.

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Which Method Should You Use?

It depends on who you’re blocking YouTube for and how determined they (or you) are to get around it.

For self-control during work: Use a tool with lock mode that you can’t override. Browwwser (Mac) or Cold Turkey (Windows) with scheduled blocking during work hours. Chrome extensions are a starting point but won’t hold if you’re seriously addicted.

For your kids: Combine router-level DNS blocking (catches all devices) with Screen Time or Family Link (catches the app). No single method covers everything — layering is the strategy.

For a household: Router DNS blocking covers the whole network. Pair it with device-level controls for mobile when they’re off Wi-Fi.

For mild habit reduction: A Chrome extension like LeechBlock with a time budget (e.g., 20 minutes/day of YouTube) is enough. It won’t survive a determined bypass attempt, but that’s fine if you’re just looking for a nudge.

For a full breakdown of all website blocking tools, see our best website blockers comparison.

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FAQ

Can I block YouTube but still use YouTube Music?

Yes. Most browser-level and extension-based blockers let you block youtube.com while allowing music.youtube.com. DNS and router-level blocking typically blocks all YouTube subdomains — you’ll need a tool with subdomain control or use a separate music app like Spotify instead.

What is the most effective way to block YouTube?

Browser engine-level blocking is the hardest to bypass. Extension-based blockers can be disabled in seconds. DNS-based blocking can be circumvented by changing DNS settings. A dedicated browser like Browwwser blocks at the engine level with no override option during lock mode.

Can my kids bypass YouTube blocking?

It depends on the method. Browser extensions are trivial to disable. Screen Time and Family Link are harder but have known workarounds. Router-level blocking is difficult to bypass without the admin password. For the most robust protection, combine router blocking with device-level app restrictions.

Does blocking YouTube on Chrome also block the YouTube app?

No. Chrome extensions and browser-level blockers only affect the browser. To block the YouTube desktop app, you need an app blocker like Browwwser or Cold Turkey. On mobile, use Screen Time (iOS) or Family Link (Android) to restrict the app.

Will blocking YouTube affect other Google services?

No — if you block only youtube.com. Gmail, Google Drive, Google Search, and other services use different domains. However, embedded YouTube videos on other websites will stop loading if you block YouTube at the DNS or hosts file level.