How to Block Reddit (Chrome, iPhone, Android, 2026)

You can block Reddit on Chrome with a browser extension like Bouncer, on iPhone with Screen Time, and on Android with Digital Wellbeing or AppBlock. The fastest method: install a Chrome extension, add reddit.com, done. But Reddit is harder to block than most sites because it runs on multiple domains (old.reddit.com, new.reddit.com, i.reddit.com, sh.reddit.com) and has a standalone app that bypasses browser-level blocking entirely. If you only block the website, you will open the app. If you only delete the app, you will open Reddit in your browser. You need to cover both.

How Do the Blocking Methods Compare?

Each method covers different surfaces. No single tool blocks Reddit everywhere. Here is what each one actually stops.

How Do You Block Reddit on Chrome?

Install a website blocker extension. Add reddit.com to the block list. Any attempt to visit Reddit shows a block page instead of the feed. Setup takes under a minute.

Step-by-step with Bouncer

1. Open the Bouncer listing on the Chrome Web Store.
2. Click Add to Chrome → Add extension.
3. Click the Bouncer icon in your toolbar.
4. Add reddit.com to your block list.
5. Done. Reddit shows a block page. Other sites are unaffected.

Bouncer also works on Edge, Brave, Arc, Opera, and Vivaldi since they all run on Chromium. One extension covers all of them.

Important: block all Reddit domains

Unlike most sites, Reddit has multiple active domains. If you only block reddit.com, users can still reach the site through:

• old.reddit.com (old interface, popular with power users)
• new.reddit.com (explicit new interface URL)
• i.reddit.com (compact mobile view)
• sh.reddit.com (short sharing links)

Most Chrome extensions match subdomains automatically when you block reddit.com. Bouncer and BlockSite both do. If yours does not, add each domain separately.

Other Chrome extensions that block Reddit

• BlockSite – free tier blocks up to 6 sites. Subscription ($10.99/month) for unlimited. Has a "focus mode" timer.
• LeechBlock – free, open source. Six independent block sets with granular time rules. Can block specific subreddit paths.
• StayFocusd – free. Gives you a daily time allowance on Reddit, then blocks it for the rest of the day.
• Reddit Control – a Reddit-specific extension that hides the feed, disables infinite scroll, or limits daily time. Does not fully block the site.

How Do You Block Reddit Without an Extension?

Edit your hosts file. This redirects Reddit's domains to your local machine, which makes them fail to load. Works across all browsers, requires no software, but has no scheduling or undo button.

macOS / Linux

1. Open Terminal.
2. Run sudo nano /etc/hosts
3. Add these lines at the bottom:

   127.0.0.1  reddit.com
   127.0.0.1  www.reddit.com
   127.0.0.1  old.reddit.com
   127.0.0.1  new.reddit.com
   127.0.0.1  i.reddit.com
   127.0.0.1  sh.reddit.com

4. Press Ctrl+O to save, then Ctrl+X to exit.
5. Flush DNS: sudo dscacheutil -flushcache && sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
6. Restart your browser. Reddit will not load.

Windows

1. Open Notepad as Administrator.
2. Open C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts
3. Add the same six lines at the bottom.
4. Save. Open Command Prompt and run ipconfig /flushdns
5. Restart your browser.

The hosts file method is free and covers every browser. The downside: no scheduling, no partial blocking, and anyone with admin access can undo it. It also does not affect the Reddit mobile app at all.

How Do You Block Reddit on Every Device at Once?

DNS filtering blocks Reddit at the network level. Change your router's DNS to a filtering service like NextDNS, add Reddit to the deny list, and every device on your network loses access to Reddit. This is the only method that blocks both the website and the app on phones connected to your WiFi.

NextDNS setup (free tier: 300,000 queries/month)

1. Create a free account at nextdns.io.
2. Go to the Denylist tab and add reddit.com.
3. Change your router's DNS to the addresses NextDNS assigns you (shown on the Setup tab).
4. Reddit is now blocked on every device on your WiFi, including phones and tablets.

Limitation: DNS blocking is all-or-nothing per domain. You cannot block r/all while keeping r/webdev. It also only works while devices are on your network. Switch to mobile data and Reddit loads again.

How Do You Block Reddit on iPhone?

Screen Time on iOS blocks both the Reddit app and the website in Safari and Chrome. This is the most reliable iPhone method because it covers every path to Reddit on the device.

Block the Reddit website

1. Open Settings → Screen Time.
2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions → enable it.
3. Go to Content Restrictions → Web Content → Limit Adult Websites.
4. Under Never Allow, tap Add Website and enter reddit.com.

Block the Reddit app

1. Go to Settings → Screen Time → App Limits.
2. Tap Add Limit, find Reddit, tap it.
3. Set the time limit to 1 minute (the lowest setting).
4. Tap Add.

Critical step: Have someone else set the Screen Time passcode. If you know the passcode, you can override limits in 5 seconds. This is the number one complaint in r/nosurf and r/digitalminimalism threads. The block only works if you cannot easily undo it. Give the passcode to a partner, friend, or family member.

You can also use a third-party app like 1Blocker (iOS content blocker) or Focus (Mac + iOS) to block Reddit in Safari. But Screen Time is already built in, free, and covers both the app and the browser.

How Do You Block Reddit on Android?

Android requires two separate steps: block the app with Digital Wellbeing, and block the website with a DNS app or browser extension.

Block the Reddit app

1. Open Settings → Digital Wellbeing & parental controls.
2. Tap Dashboard.
3. Find Reddit and tap the timer icon.
4. Set the app timer to 0 minutes or 1 minute.

Block the Reddit website

Chrome on Android does not support extensions, so you cannot use Bouncer or LeechBlock on mobile Chrome. Your options:

• DNS app: Install the NextDNS app, add reddit.com to your deny list, and Reddit is blocked in every browser and app on your phone.
• AppBlock: A third-party app that blocks both apps and websites on Android. Supports scheduling.
• Firefox on Android: Firefox mobile supports extensions. Install LeechBlock on Firefox, add Reddit, and use Firefox as your default browser.

Why Is Reddit Harder to Block Than Most Sites?

Most websites run on a single domain. Reddit runs on at least four: reddit.com, old.reddit.com, new.reddit.com, and i.reddit.com. This creates gaps that other sites do not have.

• Multiple entry points. Block reddit.com and a Google search result might link to old.reddit.com instead. Power users who prefer the old interface have it bookmarked directly.
• App deep links. Links shared in messaging apps often open the Reddit app directly, skipping the browser entirely. Browser-level blocking does nothing here.
• Reddit appears in Google results constantly. Search almost any question and a Reddit thread ranks on page one. Even if you are not intentionally visiting Reddit, search results pull you in. This is why "I deleted the app" is not enough.
• The "open in browser" loophole. Delete the Reddit app and the next time you tap a Reddit link, it opens in your mobile browser instead. If you have not blocked the domain there too, you are back on Reddit within seconds.

The fix: block Reddit at multiple layers. On desktop, a Chrome extension covers the browser. On mobile, Screen Time (iPhone) or Digital Wellbeing + DNS (Android) covers both the app and the browser. Leave one layer open and it becomes the default path back in.

How Do You Block Reddit Without Blocking Useful Subreddits?

Not all of Reddit is a time sink. If you use r/webdev, r/learnpython, or r/sysadmin for work, a full domain block cuts off productive resources too. Partial blocking solves this.

What to block

The biggest time sinks are the algorithmically sorted feeds, not individual subreddits. Block these paths:

• reddit.com/r/all (aggregated feed of every subreddit)
• reddit.com/r/popular (curated trending posts)
• reddit.com/ (homepage feed, personalized to your subscriptions)

What to keep

Allow specific subreddit paths you use for work or learning. Example: allow reddit.com/r/webdev and reddit.com/r/learnpython while blocking the homepage and r/all.

Tools that support partial blocking

• LeechBlock – free, supports URL wildcards. Block reddit.com/* then whitelist specific subreddits.
• Bouncer – supports path-level rules. Block reddit.com but allow specific paths.
• Chrome managed policies – the URLBlocklist and URLAllowlist keys support path-level rules. Block reddit.com, then allowlist reddit.com/r/webdev.

Hosts file and DNS blocking cannot do partial blocking. They operate at the domain level only.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I block myself from using Reddit?

Yes. On desktop, install a Chrome extension like Bouncer and add reddit.com to your block list. On iPhone, use Screen Time to block the site and set an app limit on the Reddit app. On Android, use Digital Wellbeing app timers plus a DNS blocker like NextDNS. For maximum difficulty to undo, have someone else set the passcode or use Cold Turkey's lock mode, which prevents unblocking for a set time period.

How do I block the Reddit app?

On iPhone: Settings → Screen Time → App Limits → Add Limit → select Reddit → set to 1 minute. On Android: Settings → Digital Wellbeing → Dashboard → tap Reddit → set app timer. Browser extensions cannot block the Reddit app. You must use OS-level controls for the app and a separate tool for the browser.

How do you block Reddit from your browser?

Install a blocker extension (Bouncer, BlockSite, LeechBlock) and add reddit.com. The extension replaces Reddit with a block page. For a no-extension approach, edit your hosts file to redirect reddit.com, old.reddit.com, new.reddit.com, and i.reddit.com to 127.0.0.1. The hosts file blocks Reddit across every browser on your computer.

How do I block Reddit on my iPhone?

Use Screen Time. For the website: Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions → Web Content → Limit Adult Websites → add reddit.com under Never Allow. For the app: Screen Time → App Limits → add Reddit with a 1-minute limit. Have someone else set the Screen Time passcode so you cannot override it.

Can you block specific subreddits without blocking all of Reddit?

Yes, with path-level blocking tools. Bouncer and LeechBlock can block reddit.com/r/all and reddit.com/r/popular while keeping work-related subreddits open. Chrome managed policies (URLBlocklist + URLAllowlist) also support path-level rules. Hosts file and DNS filtering block the entire domain and cannot distinguish between subreddits.

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