You can prevent your children from using any particular websites or keep your employees away from unnecessary websites, URLs or Apps. There are some ways through which you can prevent them from using the web or app. You can set Parental Lock, configure Safari, or there are some apps available for blocking websites. So, here are the methods to block websites on Safari on Mac OS x Yosemite.
How to Block Websites on Safari in Mac OS
Blocking the websites on safari by initiating parental controls on Mac OS X computers is quite easy to setup. It is also an inbuilt preference and restriction settings. This is done to prevent access or to completely block access to specific websites or block access to all websites except specified ones. It can sometimes block all secured websites even those ones you never intended to block. You can block websites on safari by following the following steps:
- You need to click on the Apple menu logo and select System Preferences.
- Then tap the Parental Controls option and then click the Lock icon on the bottom left corner.
- You need to enter the admin password when prompted. Then select a user account from the list or add a different account by clicking on the “+” sign
- Then click on the web tab on the new window. And then tap on block most websites with unsafe contents
- You can specify websites to be blocked by clicking on the Customize button. Then click “+” sign to enter the specific website.
- You can also deselect other browser apps by clicking the Apps tab. Then expand other apps and deselect the other web browsers as these apps bypass the parental control settings.
- You need to click the lock button again to prevent changes without a password.
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Block Website on Mac through App ‘Self Control’
There is an app called Self Control. It is an open-source application for Mac OS X. You can block the websites, URL, mail, and many more through this app. You can even define the duration for which you want your specified sites to remain blocked. The best thing about the app is when you block the sites/mail/URL, you cannot access the blocked sites unless and until the date you added gets expired. It is a free app for Mac machines that allows you to block unproductive sites on your computer.
Follow the given below steps to block websites on safari on mac OS x Yosemite using App ‘Self Control’
- You need to navigate to selfcontrolapp.com in a web browser. SelfControl allows you to block a specific site for up to 24 hours for your own productivity. When the site is blocked, there is no way to access it until the timer expires.
- Then click Download SelfControl.
- You need to open the SelfControl zip file. This file is labeled as SelfControl-2.2.2.zip. You can see this file in your Downloads folder in the Finder or at the bottom of Safari when downloading completes. This extracts the SelfControl.app file from the zip file.
- Then click SelfControl.app. This is the file that extracts when you click the SelfControl zip file. This starts the installation process for SelfControl.
- And then click Move to Applications Folder. This ensures that SelfControl is placed in your Applications folder so that you can easily find it.
- Then click Spotlight Image titled Macspotlight.png. It is the icon that resembles a magnifying glass. It is in the upper-right corner of the screen.
- And then type SelfControl in the search bar. This shows a list of matching files and apps on your Mac.
- Then click SelfControl just below the search bar. This opens the SelfControl app.
- You may receive a pop-up warning that says SelfControl.app is an application downloaded from the internet. If you see this pop-up, you need to click Open.
- Then click Edit Blacklist. It is in the bottom-right corner of the SelfControl window.
- Then click +. This option is in the lower-left corner of the window.
- You need to type in your website’s address. You ensure that you include the “www” before the website.
- Then press Return. This adds your website to the block list.
- You can set a block time. Then click and drag the slider to the right to increase the amount of time for which the site blocks. If you drag the slider to the left, it decreases the time.
- Then click Start when you are ready to block the site. It is at the top of the window. This blocks the site for the indicated amount of time.
- You need to type an administrator’s username and password. Then type the username and password associated with an administrator account on your Mac. This provides SelfControl the authorization needed to work.
Remove Websites You Have Blocked Using Parental Controls
Follow the given below steps:
- You need to click on Apple Logo then System Preferences then Parental Control.
- Then click on the lock icon and select the user account. Then you need to go to the web and tap Customize.
- And then select the website and click on the minus(-) button.
- Then click on the Ok button.
Block Website on Mac using Terminal
Follow the given below steps:
- You need to click the magnifying glass in the top right corner. If it is not there, you can click Command+Space.
- Then type Terminal and Select Terminal.
- There is a series of commands that you need to type in. Each has quotation marks on the front and back which you should ignore.
- Then type in Sudonano /etc/hosts
- Then tap Return.
- You need to type your system admin password.
- Then there is the host file database. You need to tap the down arrow to move your cursor below the line that displays “127.0.0.1 localhost”
- Then type in “127.0.0.1 ” and then the address of the site you want to block. You ensure to keep a space between the numbers and the address.
- Now tap return.
- And Then type in “127.0.0.1 ” followed by that address with the “www.” prefix in front of it for extra measure.
- Then tap return and then tap Control + O to save your change.
- And then tap Return and then tap Control + X.
- Then type “sudodscacheutil -flushcache”
- Then tap return.
The Safari browsing experience is significantly more customizable now. Apple added the ability to customize your browsing experience for each and every website that you visit. You can block websites on safari on mac OS x Yosemite by the above-mentioned methods.
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