There are dozens of website blockers for Mac. Most of them are browser extensions — and that's the problem. Extensions can be toggled off in three seconds. When your brain is craving a distraction, three seconds is nothing.
A focus-oriented website blocker needs to work below the browser level. It needs to block sites regardless of which browser you open, and it needs to make unblocking inconvenient enough that you don't bother.
Why Most Blockers Fall Short
Browser extensions only control one browser. If you block Twitter in Chrome, you can open Safari and scroll freely. Screen Time website limits only apply to Safari and can be dismissed with a click. Hosts-file edits require Terminal access and leave residue if you forget to clean them up.
A blocker that relies on your cooperation isn't really blocking anything. It's suggesting. And suggestions don't work when dopamine is involved.
Lock In! — System-Level Blocking from the Menu Bar
Lock In! runs as a macOS system extension. That means it intercepts requests at the network level, before any browser sees them. Blocked domains fail to load in Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Arc — every app that touches the network.
One-Click Focus Sessions
Lock In! lives in your menu bar. Click it, pick a duration, and start a session. Your blocklist activates instantly. No browser tabs to close, no settings pages to navigate — just click and focus.
App Blocking Too
Websites aren't the only problem. Lock In! can also block distracting apps. When you try to open a blocked app during a session, a full-screen panel intercepts you and sends you back to work. It covers both attack vectors — browser and app.
Daily Stats
A 7-day bar chart shows your focus history. Seeing a streak of deep-work sessions is motivating. Seeing a gap makes you want to fill it. The data keeps you honest without being preachy about it.
Global Hotkeys
Start or check on a session without touching the mouse. Assign a global keyboard shortcut and trigger focus mode from anywhere on your Mac.
The best website blocker is the one you can't cheat. Get Lock In! on the Mac App Store