How to block Reddit on a Mac (2026)

Which method should you use to block Reddit?

Pick by how you use the Mac. One browser and a quick setup points to Screen Time. Several browsers points to the hosts file or a focus app. Every method that you control yourself can also be removed by you, so choose one you will leave switched on.

Can Screen Time block Reddit on a Mac?

Yes, in Safari. It is built in and needs no Terminal. Screen Time can restrict specific websites, but Apple labels this setting Safari, so treat it as a Safari block and open Reddit in each other browser to confirm. Apple has moved Screen Time options between macOS releases, so labels may differ slightly on your version.

The block stays on until you remove it: select the site in the Restricted list and click the minus button. To make it harder to undo, you can optionally set a Screen Time passcode and keep it with someone else; check the label on your version of macOS.

1. Choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Screen Time in the sidebar (you may need to scroll).

2. Turn Screen Time on if it is off, then open Content & Privacy and turn it on.

3. Click App Store, Media, Web, & Games. Under Safari, choose Limit Adult Websites.

4. Click Customize, click + under the Restricted list, enter reddit.com, and click Done. Repeat for www.reddit.com and old.reddit.com.

5. Quit and reopen Safari, then check that Reddit no longer loads.

How do you block Reddit with the hosts file?

This works in Chrome and other browsers on this Mac that use the system resolver, and in Safari unless iCloud Private Relay is on. It needs Terminal and an admin password.

The hosts file maps a hostname to an address of your choice. Pointing Reddit at your own Mac stops it loading in Chrome and other browsers on this Mac that use the system resolver, and in Safari unless iCloud Private Relay is on. Chrome's Use secure DNS setting does not bypass it.

With iCloud Private Relay on, Safari sends its web requests through Apple's relays, so a hosts entry may not apply there; turn Private Relay off for Safari, then open the site to confirm it is blocked.

If you use another Reddit address, such as a mobile or alternate subdomain, add a line for it too. Each hostname needs its own line, and wildcards do not work. Open tabs and cached lookups can keep Reddit loading until you flush the cache and restart the browser, and a proxy or VPN that resolves names remotely does not read this Mac's hosts file.

This is easy to undo, and that cuts both ways. Anyone with an administrator password can delete the lines, and so can you in a weak moment. To undo it, delete the lines and flush the cache again. There is also no timer: the block stays until you edit the file again, which makes it a poor fit if you only want Reddit off during work.

1. Open Terminal and run:

   sudo nano /etc/hosts

2. Enter your administrator password. Nothing shows as you type.

3. Move to the end of the file and add one line per address:

   127.0.0.1 reddit.com
   127.0.0.1 www.reddit.com
   127.0.0.1 old.reddit.com

4. Press Control-O and Return to save, then Control-X to exit.

5. Flush the DNS cache:

   sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

6. Quit and reopen your browser and open reddit.com to check.

Can Chrome or Safari block Reddit by themselves?

Only partly. Browser-level options cover one browser and are simple to switch off. Neither Chrome nor Safari has its own website blocklist in its settings (Safari only follows Screen Time). The usual browser-level route is a blocker extension, which only protects the browser it is installed in. Chrome and Safari settings can mute notifications and pop-ups from Reddit, but that reduces noise and does not stop the site from loading.

Extensions are the easiest of these methods to turn off in the middle of a session. For step-by-step browser coverage, see how to block websites in Chrome and how to block websites in Safari.

How do you block Reddit only while you work?

Use a focus app, so Reddit is blocked during a session and open again afterwards. Nudge blocks the apps and websites you pick while a focus session runs. Websites are blocked in Safari and Chrome. You start a session from the menu bar with a preset or Quick Focus, and schedules can run presets on chosen days and hours.

Nudge costs $9.99 once for Lifetime Access, with no subscription. Every Mac gets a 7-day free trial with no email, password or card to start. You can also try the free Pomodoro timer in your browser first, or read how a Pomodoro timer with website blocking fits together.

1. Open Nudge and create a preset, for example Writing or Deep Work.

2. Add reddit.com and old.reddit.com to the websites to block.

3. If you use Reddit in an installed app, add that app to the apps to block as well.

4. Start the preset from the menu bar, or add a schedule so it runs on your work days and hours.

How do you block Reddit on an iPhone too?

Use Screen Time on the iPhone. A Mac blocker does not reach your phone, and Nudge is a Mac app. On the iPhone, open Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions (switch it on first) > App Store, Media, Web, & Games > Web Content > Limit Adult Websites, then tap Add Website under Never Allow and enter the address. You can also set App Limits on the Reddit app under Screen Time. Third-party phone apps can also block sites on a phone.

What if Reddit is only one of several sites?

Put them all in one list. The general version of this guide covers the same methods for any site: how to block websites on Mac. For a wider comparison of tools, see the best website blocker apps for Mac.