How to fully block specific online apps to the Internet?

TidBITS Talk
1

I’d like to block Internet access in some apps. I know I can block cellular data for them, but what about wifi?

Thank you for reading and hopefully answering soon. :)

2

In iOS, without MDM or VPN, you unfortunately cannot do that.

What you could try is turn off that app’s background access. And then you’d need to remember to turn off wifi before launching that specific app. Not elegant at all, but should work around the issue if it’s just a one-off.

3

You might be able to block specific apps/sites with Little Snitch on your Mac.

To completely block them for all devices on your network, look at the settings in your router, it might be an option. In my Fritz!Box router, in Internet > Filter > Lists there are some options that appear to be a subset of Parental Controls.

Maybe even on individual iDevices, Parental Controls might be worth a look.

I haven’t tried either of the last two myself, but I see the options and wanted to suggest them.

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4

Well, I want to block only in my iPhone. Some of these apps do NOT need Internet access.

5

I don’t know of a way to do this in iOS but I can understand why it is needed. In Settings/ Privacy & Security you can allow/deny an app access to the local network, but only if they request it. No way to manually add an app to this list.

If this could be done I assume it would also deny internet access via wifi (but not mobile network).

Maybe send feedback to Apple with this request or, better still, the option to block any app from internet access (see below)

A pity Little Snitch is not for iPhones due to Apple policy:
https://www.obdev.at/support/littlesnitch/bm3q8

This web page describes how to use the built-in App Privacy Report to find out which apps are accessing the interent and manually add URL to a block list:

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6

“App Network Activity lists the domains that have been contacted either directly or from content within an app in the past 7 days.” was useful, but no way to block the apps’ Internet access for wifi (cell is easy). I do have AdGuard Pro’s iOS app that uses a VPN connection, but it doesn’t let me block the specific apps. There are lots of random connections I want to block. Hence, why I want to ALL Internet connections to those apps. Ugh. I did leave feedbacks to Apple and AdGuard Pro. Now,will they answer with the solution I want? :)

Little Snitch is nice in macOS. Just need one for iOS too. Dang, Apple’s strict rules.