How do I identify and stop my iPad from contacting unknown websites?

I have an iPad Air (4th generation) running 18.3.1. While looking for other issues on our company firewall at work, I found the firewall blocking contact from my iPad to websites I have never been to or heard of. One is called ‘remitly.com’ (some kind of money transfer service) and another is an adult site I have never even heard of (no jokes, I’m serious, I have nothing to do with them) called ‘pleazeme.com.’ Some other sites I do know and am sure apps are using like ‘app-analytics-services.com’ and such. But these other sites aren’t anything I have ever been to or like I said, even heard of.


I cleared off all apps running in the background and it seems to have stopped to those unknown sites. So Im concerned there is a rogue app or something doing this. How do I find what on my iPad is trying to access these sites?


Thanks.


[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Posted on Mar 28, 2025 7:24 AM

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Mar 28, 2025 11:29 AM in response to W8AGA

Consider installing a good Content and Ad-blocking product. One of the most respected within the Apple App Store - designed explicitly for iPad, iPhone and Mac - is 1Blocker for Safari.

https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/1blocker-for-safari/id1365531024


1Blocker is highly configurable - and crucially does not rely upon an external proxy-service of dubious provenance, All processing takes place on your device - and contrary to expectations, Safari will run considerably faster and more efficiently.


Unwanted content is not simply filtered after download (a technique used by basic/inferior products), but instead undesirable embedded content is blocked from download. The 1Blocker product has also recently introduced its new “Firewall” functions - that are explicitly designed to block “trackers”. Being implemented at the network-layer, this additional protection works across all Apps. Recent updates to 1Blocker has introduced additional network extensions, extending protection to other Apps.


A further to improve protection from exploits is to use a security focussed DNS Service in preference to automatic DNS settings. This can either be set on a per-device basis in Settings, or can be set-up on your home Router - and in so doing extends the benefit of this specific protection to other devices on your local network. I suggest using one of the following DNS services - for which IPv4 and IPv6 server addresses are listed:


Quad9 (recommended)


9.9.9.9

149.112.112.112

2620:fe::fe

2620:fe::9



OpenDNS


208.67.222.222

208.67.220.220

2620:119:35::35

2620:119:53::53



Cloudflare


1.1.1.1

1.0.0.1

2606:4700:4700::1111

2606:4700:4700::1001



Use of the above DNS services will help to shield you from “known bad” websites and URLs - and when used alongside 1Blocker, or other reputable Content Blocker, provides defence in depth. DNS requests for known bad URLs and service resources are intentionally sinkholed.


There are advanced techniques to further “harden” iOS/iPadOS (such as using DoH, DoT and DNSSEC); while fully and effectively supported by iOS/iPadOS, Apple doesn’t expose this capability via device settings - but there are easy ways to access this functionality. Aside from installing a device-profile from a external device-management system, a really easy way to set and manage DoH/DoT settings is to use a third-party utility App - DNSecure:

https://apps.apple.com/app/dnsecure/id1533413232



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How do I identify and stop my iPad from contacting unknown websites?

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