How to Block Social Media on Mac (Hard vs. Easy Mode)

If browser extensions aren't enough to stop your doomscrolling, you need to block social media at the system level. This prevents your Mac from connecting to Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok entirely, regardless of which browser you use.

There are three ways to do this. Choose the one that fits your budget and technical comfort.

Option 1: The Hard Way (Terminal)
Free

You can edit your Mac's /etc/hosts file manually using the command line. It costs nothing but requires technical knowledge.

sudo nano /etc/hosts

Paste lines like 0.0.0.0 twitter.com at the bottom, save, and flush DNS.

Pros
  • ✓
    Completely free
  • ✓
    No software to install
Cons
  • ✗
    Tedious to toggle on/off
  • ✗
    Easy to break internet
  • ✗
    No auto-updates
Option 2: The Subscription Way
$3-5 / month

Apps like Freedom or Cold Turkey offer powerful blocking but often require recurring payments or expensive lifetime licenses ($40-150).

Pros
  • ✓
    Scheduling features
  • ✓
    Cross-device sync
Cons
  • ✗
    Expensive recurring cost
  • ✗
    Often uses invasive VPNs
  • ✗
    Privacy concerns (cloud)
Option 3: The Sane Way
$5 One-Time

SaneHosts combines the power of the hosts file with the ease of a modern app. No subscription, no cloud, just native control.

Why it wins
  • ✓
    Focus Mode: Toggle social media in 2 clicks
  • ✓
    Touch ID: Locked so you can't easily disable it
  • ✓
    Native: Fast, lightweight, Apple Silicon optimized
  • ✓
    Privacy: 100% on-device, open source
Get SaneHosts — $5

Compatible with macOS 14 (Sonoma) and later.