🧭

Lock down Safari

Limit adult sites and push kids to Chrome where SafeGuard works.

⏱ Takes about 5 minutes

Why bother?

Safari on iPhone/Mac doesn't have a SafeGuard equivalent — but Apple's built-in Web Content filter blocks most adult sites. Then limit Safari so kids do their browsing in Chrome instead.

Apple's content restrictions help →

Do this, in order

1
Open Settings → Screen Time
If you haven't set Screen Time up, do that guide first.
2
Content & Privacy Restrictions → ON
Then tap Content Restrictions.
3
Tap Web Content → Limit Adult Websites
Apple's filter kicks in across all browsers.
4
App Limits → Add Limit → Safari
Set 1 minute per day — effectively disables Safari.
5
Install Chrome on the device
From the App Store. Sign in with the kid's Google account.
6
Install SafeGuard in Chrome
Follow the SafeGuard install guide.
7
Show your kid: "Use Chrome, not Safari"
Tell them why. Safari is for the App Store, Chrome is for browsing.

Now let's make sure it actually works

We don't tell you setup is complete until you've tested it with your own eyes.

1. Open a normal website
On the device you just set up, open a regular site like google.com or your local news. It should load normally.
✅ It loaded normally
2. Try a blocked test website
Now open this safe test URL — it's a harmless page that adult-content filters block. If your blocker is working, the page will NOT load (you'll see an error or a block screen).
Open test page →🚫 It was blocked (didn't load)

Both tests didn't pass — what to try

Restart the device's Wi-Fi (off then on). On a phone, turn cellular data off so it has to use Wi-Fi. Then try the test again.

Both tests must pass before we mark this complete.

Honest limits — what this won't catch

No parental control catches everything. Here's what slips through, and what to do about it:

If your child has a cellular data plan, blocks on your home Wi-Fi don't apply when they're not at home.
If your child turns their phone into a hotspot, other devices using it skip your Wi-Fi filters.
On a friend's Wi-Fi, your home filter does nothing.
A VPN can hide their traffic from filters that only check websites by name.
Installing a second browser can bypass a single-browser extension.

For each one, here's how to lock it down →

You did it. 🎉

Tell your kid you set this up, and why. It works way better when it's not a secret.