Protection

How to block porn on Android and Samsung phones (free, step by step)

By the Christian Adult Blocker teamUpdated 17 September 202611 min read

You can block most porn on an Android or Samsung phone in about fifteen minutes, for free, using settings that are already on the phone. The most important one is Private DNS set to a family filter. This guide walks through each setting, where to find it, and, just as honestly, where each one stops working.

Before you start: why layers work better than one switch

No single setting blocks everything. A DNS filter blocks whole websites but cannot see pictures inside an app. SafeSearch cleans up search results but does nothing if you type a site's address. A blocker app can watch apps and browsers but only works while it is switched on.

So think in layers, like locks on different doors. Each one below catches something the others miss. And be kind to yourself while you set them up. Putting barriers in place is not a sign of weakness. It is wisdom, the same wisdom that tells someone who is trying to stop drinking not to keep bottles in the kitchen.

Step 1: Turn on Private DNS with a family filter

Every time your phone opens a website, it first asks a DNS server where that site lives. Private DNS lets you choose that server. If you choose a filtering service, it simply refuses to give directions to adult sites, so they do not load in any browser or app on the phone.

CleanBrowsing offers a free Family Filter. According to CleanBrowsing, it blocks adult sites, blocks proxy and VPN sites that people use to get around filters, blocks mixed-content sites such as Reddit, and sets Google, Bing and YouTube to their safe modes. The hostname is:

family-filter-dns.cleanbrowsing.org

On a Samsung Galaxy phone (One UI)

1. Open Settings and tap Connections.
2. Tap More connection settings, then Private DNS.
3. Choose Private DNS provider hostname.
4. Type family-filter-dns.cleanbrowsing.org exactly, and tap Save.

On a Pixel or other Android phone

1. On Android 12 and newer, open Settings, tap Network & internet, then Private DNS.
2. On Android 9, 10 and 11, the path is usually Settings > Network & internet > Advanced > Private DNS.
3. Choose Private DNS provider hostname, type the hostname above, and tap Save.

Phone makers rename menus, so if you cannot find it on a Motorola, Xiaomi, OnePlus or other brand, type “Private DNS” into the search bar at the top of Settings. Android 8 and older do not have Private DNS at all.

To test it, open a browser and try a site you know should be blocked. It should fail to load. If ordinary sites stop loading too, check the hostname for a typo.

The limits of Private DNS

• It is easy to switch off. Anyone holding the phone can set it back to Off or Automatic in seconds. Android does not ask for a PIN.
• It works on whole websites, not pictures. If an app you allow, such as a social media app, shows explicit images from its own servers, a DNS filter cannot tell.
• Some apps and VPNs use their own DNS. A VPN app, or a browser set to its own secure DNS, can route around it.
• Some public Wi-Fi blocks it. On a hotel or café network, pages may stop loading, and it is tempting to switch the filter off “just for a minute”. Decide ahead of time what you will do instead, such as using mobile data.

Step 2: Turn on Google SafeSearch

SafeSearch hides explicit results in Google Search, including images. It has three settings: Filter (blocks explicit results), Blur (blurs explicit images, and is the usual default for adults), and Off. Blur is not enough. Choose Filter.

1. Open the Google app.
2. Tap your profile picture or initial at the top right, then Settings, then SafeSearch.
3. Select Filter.

Do this for every Google account on the phone, because the setting follows the account. Google turns SafeSearch on automatically when its systems think a user may be under 18, and on a Family Link account only the parent can change it. On an adult account, you can change it back yourself, which is why the DNS filter underneath matters.

Step 3: Tighten Chrome and Samsung Internet

Chrome

Chrome on Android has no built-in adult filter for grown-up accounts. What you can do is make sure Chrome is not quietly skipping your Private DNS filter.

1. In Chrome, tap the three-dot menu, then Settings, then Privacy and security.
2. Tap Use secure DNS. If it is set to choose another provider, set it back to use your current service provider, so Chrome follows the phone's setting.

Menu names in Chrome shift a little between versions, so if you do not see this exact wording, search Chrome's settings for “DNS”. Chrome's Safe Browsing setting protects against malware and phishing, not adult content, so do not rely on it for this.

Samsung Internet

Samsung Internet is the default browser on many Galaxy phones, so do not forget it.

• Open the menu, then Settings, then Privacy and security, to review its options. Secret mode (private browsing) can be protected with a password. If you are protecting a teen's phone, set one they do not know.
• The Ad blockers and content blocker add-ons in the menu are mainly built for ads and trackers. They are useful, but they are not porn filters.

A simple option many families take is to pick one browser, protect it well, and remove or disable the others. To see whether a browser you do not use can be disabled or uninstalled on your model, open it under Settings > Apps.

Step 4: Turn on YouTube Restricted Mode

Restricted Mode screens out a lot of mature videos. In the YouTube app:

1. Tap your profile picture, then Settings, then General.
2. Turn on Restricted Mode.

Two limits to know. Google says Restricted Mode cannot be locked in the mobile app the way it can on a computer, so it can be turned off again. It also hides comments. If you set up CleanBrowsing's Family Filter in Step 1, YouTube is pushed into its restricted mode at the DNS level anyway, which is harder to undo.

Step 5: Block explicit apps and app installs

Google Play parental controls

1. Open the Google Play app and tap your profile icon at the top right.
2. Tap Settings > Family, then the content restrictions or parental controls option.
3. Create a PIN the phone's user does not know.
4. Under apps and games, choose the highest rating you want to allow, for example Teen.

Google notes that these restrictions apply only to the device you set them on, that apps outside the rating may still show up in search, and that apps installed before you set the restriction stay on the phone. So check what is already installed.

Block installs from unknown sources

Apps downloaded from outside the Play Store skip all of the above. Android asks for permission per app before it will install a downloaded file, so make sure nothing has that permission unless you need it.

• Samsung: Settings > Apps, tap the three-dot menu, then Special access > Install unknown apps. Turn every app off.
• Pixel and most other Android phones: Settings > Apps > Special app access > Install unknown apps. On older versions this may sit under Security instead.
• Newer Samsung phones also have Auto Blocker under Settings > Security and privacy, which blocks installs from unauthorised sources in one switch.

Step 6: For a child or teen, use Google Family Link

If you are a parent, Family Link is the strongest free tool on Android, because the settings are controlled from your phone, not theirs. Install the Google Family Link app on your own phone and follow its steps to supervise your child's Google account. Then:

• Under Chrome and web controls, choose Try to block explicit sites. Google is honest that no filter is perfect, but it does help.
• Make sure SafeSearch stays on. On a supervised account, only you can change it.
• Require your approval for new app downloads, and set Play content ratings.
• Set daily limits and a bedtime. Many problems start late at night, alone, behind a closed door.

Family Link is designed for parents and children. It is not designed for one adult to supervise another. And no setting replaces a warm, unembarrassed conversation. A child who knows they can tell you what they saw, without being shamed, is far safer than one who is only filtered.

What free settings cannot do

Put all of the above together and you have a genuinely safer phone. But be honest about the gaps, because hard moments tend to find them:

• Everything can be switched off by the person holding an adult's phone, usually in under a minute.
• Apps are mostly unwatched. Social media, some messaging apps and in-app browsers can show explicit content from sites the filter allows.
• Nobody knows when the walls come down. Secrecy is often what keeps the cycle going.
• Settings do not change hearts. They buy you time and space. Healing comes through God's grace, honest relationships and new habits.

How a blocker app adds what the settings cannot

This is where an app built for this struggle helps. We make Christian Adult Blocker, so here is plainly what it adds on top of the free steps above, and nothing more.

• A blocker for apps and browsers, not just websites. Porn Blocker uses Android's Accessibility service to cover explicit sites, searches and apps before they load, and shows a Bible verse and some next steps instead. A web filter using CleanBrowsing Family runs underneath.
• Protection that is hard to switch off in a weak moment. Uninstall and turn-off protection guard the app itself. With Strict Mode (Premium), turning protection off waits 12 or 24 hours. With Partner Lock, someone you trust holds the key.
• Chosen hours and quick lockdowns. Guardian locks things down at scheduled hours and days, and Worship Mode (free) gives you a one-tap lockdown for one to three hours that points you to prayer.
• Blocking whole apps. App Blocker (Premium) lets you pick installed apps to block, always or at chosen hours, which covers the social media gap above.
• Accountability without surveillance. An accountability partner hears only what you choose, such as a blocked attempt or protection being turned off. Nobody ever sees your screen or your browsing history.

Tell someone

Whatever tools you use, the most powerful layer is a person. Ask a trusted friend, your spouse, a pastor or a counsellor to walk with you. Tell them what you have set up and ask them to check in. If you are not sure how to ask, our guide on finding a good accountability partner helps. And if compulsive use is hurting your health, sleep or relationships, speaking with a doctor or a licensed counsellor is a strong, sensible step.

The settings in this guide are part of that way of escape: a door closed before the hard moment comes. Set them up today, while you are thinking clearly.

Questions people ask

If you are thinking about harming yourself, please contact your local emergency number or a crisis line now. In the US you can call or text 988. This guide is not medical or counselling advice.