Articles on: How to use the app

What Is Browsing Protection? (How It Works)

Some websites are built to trick you into sharing personal information — your name, email address, home address or bank details. Scammers often copy the look of trusted companies like eBay or Walmart, so a fake page can be very hard to spot. Browsing Protection checks the websites you visit and steps in before you share anything.

🌐 How It Works

You open a website in your browser — or, on iPhone, by tapping a link inside an app such as Instagram or Facebook.
Control+ checks the website against our database of known scam, phishing and malicious websites. This happens in real time, at DNS level (the moment your phone looks up the website's address).
The website gets one of three ratings:
- 🟢 Green — Safe. The website loads as normal. You won't notice anything.
- 🟠 Orange — Risky. The website seems suspicious. We alert you immediately with a notification explaining the risk.
- 🔴 Red — Dangerous. The website is malicious, so we block it entirely to protect your data and device. You'll see a blank page and a notification explaining the risk.
If you trust a website we blocked, you can allowlist it directly in the app.

📱 Where It Works

Browsing Protection is available on iPhone, iPad and Android, on both Wi-Fi and mobile data, including Private/Incognito tabs. See Which Browsers Does Browsing Protection Cover?

⚠️ The Risk Browsing Protection Helps Prevent

Cyber criminals create phishing sites that pretend to be legitimate companies.
Believing the site is genuine, you enter personal details such as your name and bank account details.
The criminals use that information to steal from you or empty your bank accounts.

💡 Good to Know

Browsing Protection is included in all Control+ subscriptions.
It is not an ad blocker and not antivirus software. It focuses on scam, phishing and malicious websites.
No protection can catch every new scam website the moment it appears. Always be cautious when a website unexpectedly asks for payment or login details.

Updated on: 23/10/2026

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