Ways to Block Facebook on Mac OS

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Facebook is one of the most frequently blocked websites on the Internet in many schools, businesses, and even at home, for various reasons. Sometimes it's for filtering purposes, but more common reasons include safety and increasing work efficiency. There are numerous methods to block Facebook on Mac OS, such as using add-ons like Personal Blocklist or system settings.

Many people seek solutions to access Facebook when blocked, but others want to completely block Facebook on their computers to 'isolate' themselves from this social network thoroughly, or simply because they don't want anyone using their device to access Facebook. Therefore, this article will cover ways to block Facebook on Mac OS as well as blocking any website you desire.

Ways to Block Facebook on Mac OS

Method 1: Utilizing Built-in Parental Controls on Mac OS X

The simplest and easiest way to block Facebook on Mac is to use the built-in utility Parental Controls integrated into Mac OS X.

This method will require the Admin password for modifications. By using this method, you can ensure that Facebook and other websites will be blocked on all browsers. The only limitation is that you cannot apply website blocking, including Facebook, to the Admin account; it only applies to other non-Admin accounts.

This implies that you may not want to block Facebook using this method if you or your employees wish to block it, unless you choose to 'exile' yourself or your employees with a non-Admin account. If you want to prevent your child from accessing Facebook, this is an ideal solution (especially if your family members share a Mac, and each member has a different Facebook account).

To set up Parental Controls to block Facebook on Mac, follow the steps below (make sure you are logged into the Admin account):

Step 1: Open System Preferences, then find and click on Parental Controls.

Step 2: Click on the padlock icon and enter the Admin password.

Step 3: Select the account from the list on the left. If you haven't used Parental Controls before, you'll need to click on the Enable button to activate it.

Step 4: At the top of the window, there are several tabs. Find and click on the Web tab.

Step 5: In the Website Restrictions section, choose the option Try to limit access to adult websites automatically to block Facebook.

Step 6: Click on the Customize button, and a new window will appear on the screen.

Step 7: In this window, use the + icon to enter the following URLs into the Never allow these websites box:

https://www.blockedfacebook.com

https://forbiddenfacebook.com

http://www.restrictedfacebook.com

http://restrictedfacebook.com

At this point, the window will resemble the image below:

The reason you have to enter all 4 URLs is because when you want to block facebook.com, most internet filters consider the http and https versions of the websites as entirely different, similar to URLs with/without www at the front.

After entering all the URLs, click on OK, and you have successfully blocked Facebook on Mac OS.

When someone tries to access Facebook.com and logs into their account directly or through Google, they will receive a notification on their screen as shown below:

Method 2: Block Facebook from appearing in Google Search results

Any user, including children, knows the URL: Facebook.com and can use this social network without restrictions. However, you can use the Chrome browser to block access to Facebook quite easily (it's a bit more complicated on Firefox).

If you want to temporarily block young children from accessing Facebook (although not a long-term solution), follow the steps below to block Facebook from appearing in Google search results on the Chrome browser.

Step 1: Download the extension called Personal Blocklist for the Chrome browser.

Download Personal Blocklist for the Chrome browser here: Personal Blocklist

Step 2: Search for the keywords 'fb' or 'Facebook' on Google, and on the search results page, you'll see the link Block facebook.com below the fb search result. Click on that link.

That's it! From now on, when you search for the keyword Facebook on Google using the Chrome browser, the search results will no longer display Facebook.com.

You can also block Facebook from the Firefox browser.

Method 3: Use SelfControl to limit access to Facebook

If you want to permanently block Facebook, this method is not for you. However, if you want to block Facebook on Mac OS for a specific period, the SelfControl app can help you achieve this. SelfControl allows you to block one or more specific websites for a set period. So if you want to focus on work for 1 or 2 hours and avoid accessing Facebook, you can open the SelfControl app, set the time for 1 to 2 hours, and during that time, you won't be able to access Facebook on your Mac.

It doesn't matter how many times your Mac restarts or if you exit the SelfControl app or even uninstall it; the websites are only unblocked when the time you set expires. You can set the minimum time to 15 minutes and the maximum to 24 hours.

Step 1: Download the SelfControl app.

Download the SelfControl app to your computer and install it here: Download SelfControl for Mac

Step 2: Open the app, and a new window will appear. Here, find and click on the Edit Blacklist button.

Step 3: Add the following addresses to your Blacklist:

www.facebook.com

blockedfacebook.com

127.0.0.1

restricted.facebook.com

www.restricted.facebook.com

Step 4: Close the blacklist window and drag the slider on the main window to set the time you want to block Facebook on your computer. You can set a minimum of 15 minutes and a maximum of 24 hours.

Step 5: Click on Start, and Facebook will be blocked at this moment.

Method 4: Use Standard Website Blocking Plugins

All major browsers come with plugins to block specific websites on the browser. However, since these are plugins, they can be easily disabled without needing an Admin account. If you want, you can use these plugins to block fb on Mac.

Chrome users can download the Website Blocker Beta plugin, Firefox users can get LeechBlock, and Opera users can configure their browser to block websites. Unfortunately, there is no plugin for Safari since most Mac users rely on the integrated Parental Controls feature in OS X.

After installing the relevant plugin for your browser, the next step is to configure the plugin to block facebook.com and login.facebook.com. You won't be able to access (or view) Facebook on that browser anymore. If you still can access Facebook, try blocking both the http and https versions - some plugins automatically block both, but others may not.

As mentioned earlier, instead of blocking Facebook on Mac, many people look for ways to access Facebook when blocked on Mac. Changing DNS on Mac is an effective solution, and changing DNS on Mac OS is straightforward, just different in interface compared to Windows.

With the method in this article, parents can effectively block access to Facebook, as well as block adult content globally to prevent their children from being exposed to inappropriate material. On Windows, blocking adult content can be done effectively by using the host file. The host file can do a lot for your system, and using the host file to block adult content has proven to be effective.

Experiencing restrictions on Facebook livestreams can be a challenging situation at times. According to Facebook policies, the duration of livestream restrictions may vary. So, how long does a Facebook livestream ban last? Find the answers in the following article.

Learn more: How long does a Facebook livestream ban last

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