How to Block Facebook, Twitter (X) and Email for a Few Hours Daily (2026)

Want to block Facebook, X (Twitter) and email for a few hours a day so you can actually get work done? I once tried to open Facebook on a friend’s computer and found it blocked during work hours. He had set up a simple website blocker to stop himself from wasting time. In 2026 there are even better ways to block Facebook, social media and email on a schedule, on your computer and your phone.

Quick answer: On a computer, install a free blocker extension like LeechBlock NG or BlockSite and add facebook.com, x.com and your webmail with a schedule such as 9 am to 1 pm. For stronger blocking across all browsers and apps, use Cold Turkey (Windows and Mac) or Freedom (all devices). On phones, use Focus mode in Android Digital Wellbeing or Screen Time Downtime on iPhone.

Block Facebook in your browser

• LeechBlock NG: free for Chrome and Firefox. Create up to 30 block sets, each with its own sites, times and limits, such as “block Facebook from 9 am to 5 pm on weekdays” or “allow 15 minutes per hour”.
• BlockSite: an easy blocker for Chrome, Edge and phones, with schedules and a focus mode timer.
• Microsoft Edge and Family Safety: Microsoft Family Safety can block sites and set app time limits for family accounts.

Block apps and websites everywhere

• Cold Turkey Blocker: blocks websites and desktop apps, including email clients, on Windows and Mac. Its “locked” mode makes it hard to cheat.
• Freedom: a paid service that blocks the same sites and apps on your computer, phone and tablet at the same time.
• Router or DNS filtering: block social media for the whole home network on a schedule with your router’s parental controls or a DNS filter such as OpenDNS.

Block social media on your phone

• Android: Settings > Digital Wellbeing & parental controls > Focus mode. Pick Facebook, X, Instagram and Gmail and set a schedule.
• iPhone: Settings > Screen Time > Downtime and App Limits, or create a Focus that hides social apps and silences notifications.

Pausing email without blocking it

• Close your email tab and check it at set times, such as 11 am and 4 pm.
• Turn off email notifications on your computer and phone.
• In Gmail, use Snooze to hide non-urgent messages until later, and set Gmail’s notifications to “High priority” only.

Tips to make blocking stick

• Block during your most productive hours, usually the morning.
• Allow short planned breaks so you do not feel deprived.
• Track where your time goes with time tracking software to see the improvement.
• Combine blocking with other ways to be more productive on your computer.

FAQ

How do I block Facebook on Chrome for certain hours?

Install LeechBlock NG or BlockSite, add facebook.com to a block list and set the hours when it should be blocked.

Can I block social media on all my devices at once?

Yes. Freedom syncs blocks across computers and phones, and router-level blocking covers every device on your Wi-Fi.

Can someone remove the block?

Browser extensions are easy to disable. Cold Turkey’s locked mode and router blocks are harder to bypass.

Which site do you find hardest to stay away from? Tell us in the comments.