Setup CleanBrowsing on iOS (iPhone & iPad)

Step 1: Install the CleanBrowsing App

Open the App Store on your iPhone or iPad and search for "CleanBrowsing". Download and install the official CleanBrowsing app.

This is the recommended method because iOS does not provide a simple way to change DNS servers system-wide. The app uses a local VPN profile to redirect DNS requests to CleanBrowsing servers.

Step 2: Select Your Filter

Open the CleanBrowsing app and choose the filter you want to use:

• Family Filter - Blocks adult content, malware, and mixed content sites
• Adult Filter - Blocks adult content and malware
• Security Filter - Blocks malware and phishing only

If you have a paid CleanBrowsing plan, retrieve your iOS activation code from your CleanBrowsing dashboard and enter it in the app.

Click Connect to activate filtering.

Step 3: Allow VPN Configuration

After clicking Connect, iOS will ask you to allow a new VPN configuration. This is required for the app to redirect your DNS requests to CleanBrowsing.

Tap Allow when prompted, then authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode.

Note: This creates a local VPN tunnel for DNS only. It does not route your internet traffic through an external VPN server.

Step 4: Verify Filtering is Working

Open Safari and visit cleanbrowsing.org/check to verify that CleanBrowsing is active on your device.

You should see a confirmation message indicating that your DNS requests are being filtered by CleanBrowsing.

Step 5: Manual DNS Configuration (Alternative)

If you prefer not to use the app, you can manually configure DNS for individual Wi-Fi networks:

1. Open Settings on your device
2. Tap Wi-Fi
3. Tap the info (i) icon next to your connected network
4. Scroll down and tap Configure DNS
5. Select Manual
6. Remove any existing DNS servers
7. Tap Add Server and enter: 185.228.168.168
8. Tap Add Server again and enter: 185.228.169.168
9. Tap Save

Note: Manual DNS settings only apply to the specific Wi-Fi network you configure. You will need to repeat this for each Wi-Fi network, and it does not apply to cellular data connections.

If you have a paid CleanBrowsing plan, use the DNS IPs provided in your dashboard instead.