Assign a web content filter to iPhone and iPad apps

On supervised devices, a web content filter lets you filter web pages in Safari and other web browsers, and network traffic from apps. On non-supervised devices, you can assign a web content filter to individual managed apps to filter their network traffic.

This page describes the web content filter for managed apps on non-supervised devices. For the web content filter on supervised devices, see Web content filter configuration (iOS device policy).

Overview

To configure a web content filter for an app, you must do as follows:

1. Create a device policy with a Web content filter configuration.
2. Configure the app to use the Web content filter configuration.
3. Assign the policy to the devices.
4. Install the app on the devices as a managed app.

For details on these steps, see the sections below.

On devices with Sophos Intercept X for Mobile installed and managed by Sophos Mobile, you can use its Web Filtering feature instead of a Web content filter configuration. See Configure the app.

For details on configuring the Web Filtering feature of Intercept X for Mobile, see Web Filtering configuration (Mobile Threat Defense policy for iOS).

Create a Web content filter configuration

To create a device policy with a Web content filter configuration, do as follows:

1. On the menu sidebar, click Policies > iOS & iPadOS.

2. Choose one of the following options:

   • To add a Web content filter configuration to a new policy, click Create > Device policy.
   • To add a Web content filter configuration to an existing policy, click the arrow next to the policy name and select Edit.

3. On the Edit policy page, click Add.

4. Select Web content filter.

5. Configure the settings as required. See Web content filter configuration (iOS device policy).

   Make sure to select Use web content filter for managed apps on non-supervised devices.

6. On the Web content filter page, click Apply.

7. On the Edit policy page, click Save.

Configure the app

To configure the app to use the web content filter, do as follows:

1. On the menu sidebar, click Apps > iOS & iPadOS.
2. Click the arrow next to the app name and select Edit.
3. Click Show next to Settings and VPN.
4. In Web content filter used by the app, select the policy that contains the Web content filter configuration, or select Sophos Intercept X to use the Web Filtering feature of Sophos Intercept X for Mobile.
5. On the Edit settings and VPN page, click Apply.
6. On the Edit iOS app page, click Save.

Assign the policy to devices

To make the web content filter available for the app, you must assign the policy with the Web content filter configuration to the devices that have the app installed.

Choose one of the following options:

• If you added the Web content filter configuration to a new policy, assign the policy to the devices. See Assign a policy.

• If you added the Web content filter configuration to an existing policy, update the policy on the devices:

  1. On the menu sidebar, click Policies > iOS & iPadOS.
  2. Click the arrow next to the policy name and select Update devices.

Install the app on devices

You must install the app as a managed app.

For details on managed apps, see Managed apps for iPhones and iPads.

For general information on installing an app on devices, see Install app.