Cluster post · Reviewed 2026-05-16 · By [Devendra Variya](/about/)

# How to block Reddit on iPhone

Five methods, with the third-party-client and old.reddit.com loopholes most guides miss.

The short answer

The fastest Reddit block is **Settings > Screen Time > App Limits > Add Limit > Social > Reddit + every third-party Reddit client you have installed > 15 min/day**. The strongest is App Limit + Screen Time passcode held by someone else + Safari blocks on reddit.com, old.reddit.com, and np.reddit.com. Reddit is the social app with the most paths to itself; any incomplete block fails within hours.

## Why Reddit is hard to block

Reddit's average daily session on iOS in 2026 is **22 minutes** (data.ai). Lower than Instagram or TikTok in raw minutes but unusual in two ways. First, the user pool is more committed: r/AskReddit, r/relationship_advice, r/AmItheAsshole and similar story-driven subreddits create reading sessions that are closer to long-form than the typical social feed. Second, Reddit has more access surfaces than any other major social platform.

The surfaces to be aware of:

- The official Reddit app (the main target)
- Third-party clients (Narwhal, Bacon Reader, others still in the App Store after the 2023 API kerfuffle)
- The full-feature web site at reddit.com
- The legacy version at old.reddit.com (lighter, faster, very functional)
- The mobile web at m.reddit.com
- NP (no-participation) mode at np.reddit.com
- Subreddit-specific subdomains like i.reddit.com

Any block that only addresses one of these will fail because heavy Reddit users naturally route around obstacles. A complete block addresses all of them.

## Method 1: App Limit

**How:** Settings > Screen Time > App Limits > Add Limit > (uncheck all) > expand "Social" > check Reddit and every third-party Reddit client you have. Set 15 minutes > Add.

**Strength:** 2/10 without a passcode; 5/10 with one. Lower than TikTok or Instagram because the web fallback is unblocked.

**When to use:** first attempt and audit.

## Method 2: Screen Time passcode

**How:** Settings > Screen Time > Use Screen Time Passcode > 4-digit code, ideally held by someone else.

**When to use:** after Method 1 fails. Cheapest hard escalation.

## Method 3: Delete every Reddit client and block all the URLs

**How:** Delete the official Reddit app plus every third-party Reddit client. Then Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Web Content > Limit Adult Websites > Never Allow > add reddit.com, old.reddit.com, m.reddit.com, np.reddit.com, i.reddit.com.

**Strength:** 6/10. Lower than Instagram or TikTok deletion because Reddit users tend to be browser-savvy and may attempt Google-cache or third-party Reddit-mirror routes. Whether those count as "Reddit" for your block is a personal call.

**When to use:** 14-day experiment. The longer span is because Reddit habits are spread thinner across the day (many short visits) and so the urge takes longer to subside than for a single-session app.

## Method 4: Content Restrictions (install + web)

**How:** Add to Method 3's web blocks: Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > iTunes & App Store Purchases > Installing Apps > Don't Allow. Now no Reddit client can be re-installed.

**When to use:** when you want extended Reddit removal. Trade-off: blocks all app installs.

## Method 5: Add a verified-exercise consequence

**How:** Set a daily limit in iOS Screen Time. Install [ScreenFine](/). Reddit time, in app or browser, counts toward your daily total.

**When to use:** when you want to keep Reddit (for specific subreddits or communities) but the daily total is out of hand. The pushup cost moves marginal scroll sessions out of "free".

## Related reading

- [How to set Screen Time limits on iPhone](/guides/how-to-set-screen-time-limits-on-iphone/)
- [How to stop doomscrolling](/guides/how-to-stop-doomscrolling/)
- [How to block Twitter / X on iPhone](/guides/how-to-block-twitter-on-iphone/)
- [Commitment devices: the pillar](/guides/commitment-devices/)

## When old.reddit.com keeps winning

$1 a week. 25 pushups per 15-minute overage. Reddit time counts whether you used the app, the web, or any of the seven subdomains.

[Get ScreenFine](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/screenfine/id6760267071) [Read the pillar](/guides/commitment-devices/)