🚨 UPDATE 🚨: In iOS 26, private browsing is now always enabled. Much of what is written below no longer stands except sometimes Google SafeSearch gets affected.

Related: Learn How To Block Websites With Refocus

Due to Apple limitations, Safari features, like Private Browsing, will be disabled if the blocking session is active and:

• “Additional websites” feature is used (including the “Adult” feature)
• Or, “Safari Only Mode” is OFF and a website is selected from the “Application Picker”

Along with Safari private browsing, if the conditions above are true, other features are affected too:

• Clearing browsing history is disabled for Safari
• Google SafeSearch gets enabled in Safari
• Password managers like 1Password may not offer autofill in in-app browsers

In other words, to fix this problem:

1. Use Safari as your web browser.
2. Make sure to NOT use the “Additional Websites” feature (including the “Adult” feature). Instead, block websites by using the “Application Picker.”
3. Ensure “Safari Only Mode” is ON.

Safari Only Mode

“Safari Only Mode” allows you to avoid the problems above if you block websites from the “Application Picker.” However, it disables blocking the websites selected from the “Application Picker” in third-party browsers like Chrome.

Safari Only Mode can be found by: