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Anyone know how to block a particular website like FB on Android without being rooted or signing up for a subscription to some security or parental-control app?

Anyone know how to block a particular website like FB on Android without being rooted or signing up for a subscription to some security or parental-control app? A google search just turns up a million people recommending editing the host file with ES File Explorer (which doesn't work unless you're rooted) or using the TrendMicro Mobile Security app (which requires a subscription). Why in the hell is this so hard?

throwthis153 9y ago
I think if use Firefox you can get a variant of the StayFocusd extension.
- shifte 9y ago
  If you don't want the overhead of another extension, a quick win is to add this to your `/etc/hosts`: 127.0.0.1 facebook.com 127.0.0.1 www.facebook.com After a week you'll completely forget you have facebook.
  - drhodes 9y ago
    BTW, there is a github repo that lists every domain owned by facebook, they have ~900 domains now. https://github.com/jmdugan/blocklists/blob/master/corporations/facebook/all https://github.com/jmdugan/blocklists/blob/master/corporatio...
  - jessriedel 9y ago
    Yes, I mentioned this one in my comment ("editing the host file with ES File Explorer"), but it requires your phone to be rooted.
Groxx 9y ago
There are some site-blocking hosted-on-the-device VPNs on Android. I haven't found any I'd be comfortable recommending though - gotta find an open source one I can reasonably audit and isn't terrible :|
- jessriedel 9y ago
  This is definitely not a request to do a free audit on my behalf, but one of the other commenters recommended this, which I guess is open source: https://github.com/M66B/NetGuard https://github.com/M66B/NetGuard
dingo_bat 9y ago
If you have a Samsung phone you can use some apps that run as part of the Knox framework and block ads or arbitrary websites system-wide without rooting.
propogandist 9y ago
NetGuard, it's from the same developer who created Xprivacy install it from the Github repo and you can use it load a custom host file (the playstore version doesn't allow this) it functions as a VPN. Free service that also lets you block trackers and individual app analytics https://github.com/M66B/NetGuard https://github.com/M66B/NetGuard

throwthis153 9y ago

I think if use Firefox you can get a variant of the StayFocusd extension.

shifte 9y ago
If you don't want the overhead of another extension, a quick win is to add this to your `/etc/hosts`: 127.0.0.1 facebook.com 127.0.0.1 www.facebook.com After a week you'll completely forget you have facebook.
- drhodes 9y ago
  BTW, there is a github repo that lists every domain owned by facebook, they have ~900 domains now. https://github.com/jmdugan/blocklists/blob/master/corporations/facebook/all https://github.com/jmdugan/blocklists/blob/master/corporatio...
- jessriedel 9y ago
  Yes, I mentioned this one in my comment ("editing the host file with ES File Explorer"), but it requires your phone to be rooted.

Groxx 9y ago

There are some site-blocking hosted-on-the-device VPNs on Android. I haven't found any I'd be comfortable recommending though - gotta find an open source one I can reasonably audit and isn't terrible :|

jessriedel 9y ago
This is definitely not a request to do a free audit on my behalf, but one of the other commenters recommended this, which I guess is open source: https://github.com/M66B/NetGuard https://github.com/M66B/NetGuard

dingo_bat 9y ago

If you have a Samsung phone you can use some apps that run as part of the Knox framework and block ads or arbitrary websites system-wide without rooting.

propogandist 9y ago

NetGuard, it's from the same developer who created Xprivacy install it from the Github repo and you can use it load a custom host file (the playstore version doesn't allow this) it functions as a VPN. Free service that also lets you block trackers and individual app analytics https://github.com/M66B/NetGuard https://github.com/M66B/NetGuard