• Latest Features • Productivity •8 min read
AppBlock is a free block site browser extension for Chrome, Edge and Brave. Add sites by URL or by keyword, block them on the spot with Quick Block, or set schedules that run on their own during work hours.
You know which sites cost you the afternoon. You have known for months. Knowing has not helped, because the gap between wanting to work and opening a tab is about half a second, and no amount of resolve fits into half a second.
An extension blocks that action until you are calm enough to decide.
What a website blocking extension actually does to a page
A website blocking extension is an add-on that stops chosen sites from loading in your browser. It sits in the toolbar, holds a list of addresses, and refuses to open anything on that list. The page never renders, so there is nothing to skim before you catch yourself.
AppBlock gives you three ways to build the list.
Quick Block takes the sites pulling at you right now and blocks them immediately, just configure them first.
Schedules let you set the window once, weekday mornings or every afternoon or whatever your pattern is, after which the extension enforces it without being asked. This is the feature that carries the most weight, because it moves the decision to a moment when you are thinking clearly instead of a moment when you are not.
Keyword blocking is the one people underestimate. Rather than adding one address at a time, you block any URL containing a chosen word.
Can I block sites by keyword instead of one URL at a time?
Yes, blocking by Keywords is available and it changes how much work the setup takes.
Blocking by URL means chasing every variant. The desktop address, the mobile subdomain, the shortened link. You add five and discover a sixth. Keyword blocking closes the category in a single rule, so a whole class of sites gets blocked without you having to name each one.
Most extensions that offer this put it behind a subscription. Here it is part of the free version for browsers.
Why put a website blocker extension in the browser at all
Because the browser is where the work happens and where the distraction lives. Block it there and you catch both in one place.
The size of the problem is documented better than most people assume. Wilhelm Hofmann, Roy Baumeister, Georg Förster and Kathleen Vohs tracked 205 adults through 7,827 episodes of everyday desire for a 2012 paper in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Of every category they measured, desires around media use produced the highest rate of self-control failure, above food, above alcohol, above tobacco. People resisted, then did it anyway.
An extension to block sites does not ask you to resist. It removes the option during hours you picked in advance.
The AppBlock extension is free, and that includes the scheduling
All AppBlock extensions are free with every feature available. There is no trial window, no capability locked behind Premium, and no upgrade prompt when you go to set a schedule.
Worth saying plainly, because schedules and keyword blocking are the two features most often sold as premium add-ons in this category. Here they are simply part of it.
Do you need the extension, the phone app, or both?
Depends on the shape of your distraction.
The extension covers the browser you work in. The mobile app covers the device you pick up once the browser stops: a blocked site sends you reaching for your phone.
| Capability | Extension for Chrome, Edge, Brave | Mobile app for iOS and Android |
|---|---|---|
| Block websites by URL | Yes | Yes |
| Block by keyword | Yes | Safari on iOS, all browsers on Android |
| Block apps as well as sites | No | Yes |
| Automatic schedules | Yes, by time and day | Yes, plus location and Wi-Fi triggers |
| Can be paused mid-session | Yes | No, with Strict Mode enabled |
| Cost | Free, every feature | Free tier, with Premium upgrade |
If your problem is browser-shaped, the extension on its own is enough. If you will consistently pick up the phone as soon as it becomes inconvenient, you need both.
One thing to know before setting up both. The extension does not currently sync with the mobile app, so blocklists are built separately on each. AppBlock for iOS and AppBlock for Android cover the mobile side.
Which browsers can you install it on, and which are missing
Chrome, Edge and Brave. Brave has no store of its own, so Brave users install from the Chrome Web Store.
There is no Firefox version, and the Safari extension can no longer be installed on current macOS. If either of those is your main browser, the mobile app is where AppBlock will do you some good.
Will it stop you if you really want past it?
Yes, the extensions include Strict Mode, where the user can lock themselves out of editing the blocks until a specified timer ends, or a passcode is entered.
But this is entirely optional as extension blocking can be paused. Schedule blocking pauses from the three-dot menu beside a schedule, and Quick Block has its own pause button. However, for enforcing your blocks, Strict Mode is a non-negotiable lock, and is heavily recommended.
Installing the block websites extension takes about a minute
Pick your browser:
Open the store, search for AppBlock, click Add, then pin the icon to your toolbar so it is one click away.
What to block first
The sites worth blocking first are the ones you open without deciding to. Not just the ones you enjoy, which is a different category and usually fine, but the ones you find yourself on with no memory of having navigated there. Those are the ones costing you afternoons.
Add the rest later, once the first block has held for a week and you have stopped noticing it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the AppBlock browser extension free?
Yes. All AppBlock extensions are free with every feature available, including schedules and keyword blocking. There is no paid tier and no trial period for the extension.
Which browsers support the AppBlock website blocker extension?
Chrome, Edge and Brave. Brave has no extension store of its own, so Brave users install from the Chrome Web Store. There is no Firefox version, and the Safari extension can no longer be installed on current macOS.
Can I block websites by keyword instead of by URL?
Yes. The extension blocks any address containing a chosen word, which closes a whole category in one rule instead of making you add each site and subdomain separately.
Does the block site browser extension sync with the mobile app?
No. Synchronisation between the extension and the mobile apps is not currently supported, so blocklists are set up separately on desktop and on your phone.
Can I pause blocking in the extension?
Yes. Schedule blocking pauses from the three-dot menu next to a schedule, and Quick Block has its own pause button. If you need a block that holds, Strict Mode keeps blocking active for the full session and prevents the blocks from being edited to get around it.
Does the extension work in incognito or private mode?
Yes, though the permission has to be granted by hand. In Chrome, Edge or Brave, go to Extensions, then Manage extensions, then Details, then enable Allow in Incognito Mode.
Do I need an account to use it?
No. You can install the extension and start blocking sites without creating one.
Sources
Hofmann, W., Baumeister, R. F., Förster, G., & Vohs, K. D. (2012, June). Everyday temptations: An experience sampling study of desire, conflict, and self-control. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 102(6), 1318 to 1335. Retrieved August 11, 2026, from https://doi.org/10.1037/a0026545
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