is there anything new in ways I can build a content filter for website blocker app?
Asked on 06/11/2025
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Yes, there are new ways to build a content filter for a website blocker app using the NetworkExtension framework, as discussed in the session titled "Filter and tunnel network traffic with NetworkExtension" at WWDC 2025.
Starting in iOS 26, you can create a URL filter that makes content filtering decisions based on the full URL of HTTP and HTTPS requests. This allows you to block specific resources on the Internet rather than entire sites. The URL filter is designed to protect privacy by not revealing URL contents to the app and anonymizing all database queries to backend servers. The filtering process is performed by the system using your URL dataset, which includes an on-device pre-filter and an off-device database server for URL lookups.
To implement this, you would use the new URL filter app extension template in Xcode and the NetworkExtension framework. You can configure and enable your URL filter using the neurlfiltermanager shared singleton instance. The system performs the filtering process on your behalf, ensuring strong privacy preservation.
For more details, you can refer to the session Filter and tunnel network traffic with NetworkExtension (10:54).
Filter and tunnel network traffic with NetworkExtension
Learn about the APIs in the NetworkExtension framework that give your app the power and flexibility to extend the system’s core networking features — like implementing network content filters, creating and managing VPN configurations, and more. In iOS, iPadOS and macOS 26, you can now build robust content filters that make traffic decisions using the entire URL — not just the hostname — all without compromising privacy and security. We’ll start by briefly covering many of the key use cases for the NetworkExtension framework, including network relays and VPN. Then, we’ll dive into the new URL filter API and its key components, including Private Information Retrieval, Privacy Pass, and more.
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