How to Block Facebook on Your Phone (iPhone and Android)
Quick answer: To block Facebook on iPhone, go to Settings > Screen Time > App Limits > Add Limit, choose Facebook, set the limit to 1 minute and turn on Block at End of Limit. On Android, go to Settings > Digital Wellbeing > App timers and set a timer for Facebook. Both are easy to undo in a weak moment, so if you keep tapping "Ignore Limit", use an app blocker like ScrollToll: Screen-Time Gym, which keeps Facebook locked until you exercise.
Which method should you use?
| Method | Phone | Blocks the app | Blocks facebook.com | Easy to skip? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| App Limits (Screen Time) | iPhone | Yes | No | Yes, unless you add a passcode |
| Web Content restriction | iPhone | No | Yes, in Safari | Only with the passcode |
| App timer (Digital Wellbeing) | Android | Yes | No | Yes, delete the timer in 2 taps |
| Focus mode | Android | Yes, while it is on | No | Yes, tap "Take a break" |
| ScrollToll: Screen-Time Gym | iPhone and Android | Yes | No | No, you earn time with exercise |
Most people need two of these: one to block the Facebook app, and one to block facebook.com in the browser. Otherwise the habit simply moves to Safari or Chrome.
How to block Facebook on iPhone
1. Block the Facebook app with App Limits
- Open Settings and tap Screen Time. If it is off, tap Turn On Screen Time.
- Tap App Limits, then Add Limit.
- Open the Social category and select Facebook. Tap Next.
- Set the time to 1 minute and choose the days.
- Turn on Block at End of Limit, then tap Add.
When the minute is up, Facebook shows a "Time Limit" screen. Without a Screen Time passcode, anyone can tap Ignore Limit and choose One More Minute, Remind Me in 15 Minutes or Ignore Limit for Today. That is why the next step matters.
2. Add a Screen Time passcode
Go to Settings > Screen Time > Lock Screen Time Settings and set a 4-digit passcode. Now the limit asks for the code before it lets you in.
The catch: if you set the code yourself, you know it. Ask a friend or partner to type in a code you don't know, and keep a note of it somewhere you can't reach in seconds.
3. Block facebook.com in Safari
- Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions and turn it on.
- Tap App Store, Media, Web & Games, then Web Content.
- Choose Limit Adult Websites.
- Under Never Allow, tap Add Website and enter facebook.com. Add m.facebook.com too.
On older iOS versions the path is Content Restrictions > Web Content. This only covers Safari and apps that use Safari's web view. Other browsers you install can still open Facebook, so block or delete those as well.
4. Block Facebook at certain times with Downtime
If you only want Facebook gone at night or during work, use Settings > Screen Time > Downtime, set a schedule, and make sure Facebook is not in Always Allowed.
How to block Facebook on Android
Menu names vary by phone maker. On Samsung the menu is called Digital Wellbeing and parental controls.
1. Set an app timer
- Open Settings and tap Digital Wellbeing.
- Tap App timers, then Set timer next to Facebook.
- Choose a short time, such as 5 minutes, and tap OK.
When the timer runs out, Facebook closes and its icon turns grey until midnight. To undo it, you only need to delete the timer, which takes two taps.
2. Pause Facebook with Focus mode
Go to Settings > Digital Wellbeing > Focus mode, select Facebook, and tap Turn on now or Set a schedule. While Focus mode is on, you can't open Facebook or get its notifications. The weak spot is the Take a break button.
3. Block facebook.com in Chrome
Chrome on Android has no built-in site blocker for adults. Use Digital Wellbeing's website timers if your phone shows them in the dashboard, or a blocker app that covers websites.
Facebook's own time tools
Facebook has had its own time tools under Settings & privacy, such as a daily time reminder and quiet mode. Their names and places change often. More importantly, they only remind you. They don't stop you, so they work best alongside one of the blocks above.
Why Facebook blocks fail, and what works instead
Every built-in method has the same weakness: undoing it is easier than keeping it. Ignore Limit is one tap, deleting a timer is two, and "Take a break" is right there on the screen. When the urge hits late at night, the easy option wins.
Research backs this up. In a 2023 study published in PNAS, adding a short delay before a chosen app opened led people to open it 57% less often after six weeks. The block doesn't need to be impossible. It needs to cost more than a tap.
That is the idea behind ScrollToll: Screen-Time Gym. It keeps Facebook locked, and to unlock time you do a set of pushups, squats or jumping jacks, or take a short walk. Your camera counts each rep on the phone, and nothing is recorded. With Strict Mode on, removing Facebook from your block list takes verified reps, a cool-down timer or a friend's approval, and any change that makes your rules easier waits 24 hours.
Not sure how much time Facebook is taking? Try the ScrollToll screen time calculator. For other apps, see how to block Instagram, TikTok and YouTube Shorts, or compare the best app blockers.
Lock Facebook until you move
Download ScrollToll: Screen-Time Gym on the App Store for iPhone or Google Play for Android. Every plan starts with a 3-day trial. See plans on our pricing page.
Download ScrollToll and start blocking today
Frequently asked questions
How can I block Facebook on my phone?
On iPhone, set a 1-minute App Limit for Facebook in Settings > Screen Time and turn on Block at End of Limit. On Android, set an app timer for Facebook in Settings > Digital Wellbeing. To stop yourself undoing the block, add a Screen Time passcode someone else chooses, or use an app blocker that can't be skipped with one tap.
Can I block Facebook on iPhone without deleting the app?
Yes. App Limits in Screen Time can block Facebook after as little as 1 minute a day, and Downtime can block it at set hours. You keep the app and your account, but it won't open once the limit is reached.
Does blocking the Facebook app also block facebook.com?
No. App Limits and Android app timers only block the app, so you can still open facebook.com in a browser. On iPhone, add facebook.com to Never Allow under Web Content restrictions to block it in Safari as well.
Why does Screen Time let me ignore the Facebook limit?
Without a Screen Time passcode, the limit screen offers Ignore Limit, which unlocks Facebook for a minute, 15 minutes or the rest of the day. Adding a passcode that someone else sets, and turning on Block at End of Limit, removes that easy way out.
How do I block Facebook only at night or during work?
On iPhone, use Downtime in Screen Time with a schedule and keep Facebook out of Always Allowed. On Android, use Focus mode with a schedule, or Bedtime mode for nights. Both turn on by themselves at the times you choose.
Is there an app that blocks Facebook until I exercise?
Yes. ScrollToll: Screen-Time Gym locks Facebook and other apps until you earn time with pushups, squats, jumping jacks or a walk. Your camera counts the reps on your phone without recording anything, and it works on iPhone and Android with a 3-day trial.
Will blocking Facebook delete my account or messages?
No. Blocking the app on your phone only stops it opening. Your account, posts and messages stay exactly as they are, and Messenger is a separate app you can block or keep.