ios safari adblock not working

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adblocker not working on safari (solved)

This is for iPhone/iOS (14). I spent an hour trying to figure out why I started getting Safari ads even though my content blocker was active. I finally found that, further down in the Safari settings, below Content Blockers>, is another Content Blockers> setting. Click on that and turn it on for All Websites. Somehow that setting got turned off for me (how, I don't know) but turning it back on fixed the problem.

Posted on Feb 1, 2021 7:41 PM

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How to Block Ads in Safari on the iPhone

There are some built-in tools, but you'll likely need a content blocker plug-in

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In This Article

Jump to a Section

• Block Ads on iPhone
• Install Content Blocking Apps
• Choose an Ad-Blocking Plug-In
• Block Pop-Ups

Why You Should Block Ads

• Why You Shouldn't Block Ads

What to Know

• Download and set up an ad blocker app. Then, on iPhone: Settings > Safari > Content Blockers ( on ).
• Suggested ad blockers: 1Blocker, Crystal Adblock, Norton Ad Blocker, Purify.
• Natively block Safari pop-ups on iPhone: Settings > Safari > Block Pop-ups ( on ).

This article explains how to use content blockers to block ads in Safari on iPhones with iOS 9 or higher.

Your phone must have iOS 9 or higher to use content blockers. Update the iPhone OS to ensure it has the most up-to-date version with current security patches.

How to Block Ads on iPhone With Safari

Using an ad blocker for your iPhone means your browser won't download ads. This usually means faster page loads, a longer-lasting battery, and less wireless data usage. If you don't want to see pop-up ads, there is a way to block these ads. Here's how to do so using the Safari web browser for iPhone.

Content blockers are apps that add new features that your default web browser doesn't have. These are like third-party keyboards —separate apps that work inside other apps that support them. This means that to block ads, you need to install at least one of these apps.

Most iPhone content blockers work the same way. When you go to a website, the app checks a list of ad services and servers. If it finds these on the site you're visiting, the app blocks the website from loading those ads on the page. Some apps take a comprehensive approach by blocking the ads and tracking the cookies used by advertisers based on those cookies' URLs .

How to Install Content Blocking Apps

To block ads with Safari content blocker apps, install the app, and then enable it from the iPhone Settings app.

Go to the App Store and download a content-blocking app to your iPhone. The example here is Norton Ad Blocker, but all ad-blocking apps work similarly. See the list below for other suggested apps.

Open the ad blocker app and follow the instructions to set it up. Every app is different, but each offers instructions to turn on the ad-blocking abilities.

On the iPhone home screen, open the Settings app.

Select Safari > Content Blockers .

Move the toggle switch next to the ad-blocker app you installed to On (green).

Choose an Ad-Blocking Plug-In for Safari

There is a sizable market for ad-blocking Safari plug-ins. The following options can get you started:

• 1Blocker : Free, with in-app purchases. In addition to more than 50,000 built-in blocker rules, this app supports custom rules to block sites and cookies and to hide other elements.
• Crystal Adblock : At $0.99, the developer claims that this ad blocker loads pages four times faster and uses 50 percent less data. This app also lets you opt to view ads on some sites to support those sites.
• Norton Ad Blocker : This free ad-blocking app from the company behind the popular and long-running antivirus software also lets you add exceptions.
• Purify : Grab this content blocker for $1.99 to block ads and tracking software. It includes a list (typically called a whitelist) to allow you to see ads on some sites if you like. According to the developer, after blocking Safari ads with this app, you can expect a fourfold increase in page load speeds and your web browsing data usage to be cut in half.

How to Block Pop-Ups on the iPhone Using Built-In Tools

Ad-blocking apps can block all kinds of ads and trackers used by advertisers. If you only want to block intrusive pop-ups, you don't need to download an app because pop-up blocking is a built-in feature in Safari. Here's what you need to do:

On the iPhone home screen, select Settings > Safari .

Toggle the Block Pop-ups switch to On (green), if it isn't already.

You can enable the Safari pop-up blocker on your computer, too.

The main benefit of blocking ads is that you don't see advertising. However, there are other key benefits to using these anti-advertisement apps:

• Websites load faster : Ads are extra elements on the page that have to load, and ads often stream video or play animations. It takes time for the page to fully download and often causes other things like non-ad images and videos to take longer to display.
• You'll be more secure : Many ads are vectors for malware. Infected ads hit a network, even a legitimate one, to disrupt your device.
• You use less data : When you no longer see ads, you won't use your monthly data allowances to load ads. Some ad-blocking apps claim to save you lots of data. While their numbers may be inflated, you'll reduce your data usage to some degree because ad images and videos don't download to your phone.
• A longer-lasting battery : Downloading ads, just like downloading anything in Safari, requires energy. One way to have a longer-lasting battery is to stop downloading so much data, which is what happens when you use an ad blocker.

Why You Shouldn't Block Ads

One downside you might encounter when you block ads on your iPhone is that some websites don't load properly. Some sites detect whether their ads load, and if ads don't load, you can't use the site until you unblock their ads.

Almost every site on the internet makes the majority of its money by showing advertising to its readers. If the ads are blocked, the site doesn't get paid. The money made from advertising pays writers and editors, funds server and bandwidth costs, buys equipment, pays for photography and travel, and more. Without that income, it's possible that a site you visit every day could go out of business. Consider supporting your favorite sites by whitelisting them, so ads on those sites still display.

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Best ad blockers for iPhone and iPad in 2022

If you're tired of all the ads but don't want to use Reader View every time you surf the web, you can add content blockers to your iPhone or iPad, which will put them out of sight and help keep your activities private while you're online.

Ad blockers work in Safari and are only available on devices that support 64-bit architecture. In order to use an ad blocker after you've downloaded it, you'll need to enable it in Settings on your iPhone or iPad.

How to block ads on your iPhone and iPad

Here are the best ad blockers for iPhone and iPad.

• AdBlock Pro

1Blocker is really customizable. You can set different rules for blocking ads, trackers, cookies, website comments, Twitter and Facebook widgets, adult websites, and more. Plus, you can add your favorite sites to the Whitelist ( ahem , iMore) and block specific websites from access at all. You can also customize whether to block or allow cookies and page elements from specific sites.

1Blocker is free to download, but it's really more of a trial version. For a $4.99 in-app purchase, you'll be able to unlock the ability to use more than one feature at a time. If your ad-blocking needs are minimal, you'll have a great experience with the free download and just blocking ads or trackers. But if you're looking at 1Blocker, it's probably because you want the advanced features, like custom rules, a Whitelist extension for Safari, and iCloud syncing so your ad block settings are synced across all your iOS devices.

If you really want to customize your web browsing experience, and like the idea of being able to set up rules for different websites, the full, in-app purchase of 1Blocker is worth it.

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Free with in-app purchases - Download now

AdGuard blocks dozens of different types of ads to speed up your Safari browsing on iPhone and iPad. You can set up rules for specific websites and manually block ads from sites as you visit them using the Share sheet in Safari. You can also use at least two dozen preset filter lists, like EasyList, Malware Domains, and EasyPrivacy, on top of the AdGuard filters. It blocks trackers from social media sites and basically cleans up Safari so your browsing experience is smoother.

With the pro version of AdGuard for $1.99, you can add the ability to use a local DNS proxy to block ads outside of Safari in other web browsers and apps.

Get AdGuard for a clean, fast web browsing experience in Safari.

Free - Download now

If you want a simple ad blocker for iOS Safari, then you should give Wipr a try. This lightweight blocker provides hassle-free blocking just by activating it. Wipr automatically updates itself to make sure that you don't see unwanted ads. However, due to the barebones simplicity that Wipr is known for, you won't find any customizable settings or whitelist options for the sites that you want to support. And best of all, Wipr does not take money in order to let certain ads show up, unlike some other ad blockers that have caused controversy in the past.

Wipr also has an active developer who is always available for support if you have issues.

$2 with in-app purchases - Download now

AdBlock Pro for Safari

If you're serious about blocking ads and want the best feature set, then AdBlock Pro for Safari is what you need. AdBlock will improve your overall Safari experience by blocking all ads, including normal ads and banners, autoplay ads, those pesky fake "x" button ads, scrolling banners, timed popups, redirects to "xxx" sites, YouTube ads in Safari, and no more online tracking. With all of these available ad-blocking options, you will get 2x faster browsing in Safari and over 50 percent lower data usage. AdBlock Pro can even bypass those anti-adblock detectors, sync your settings between devices via iCloud, and much more.

AdBlock Pro is a beefy ad-blocker that gives you a ton of options to improve your online experience. It may have a higher price tag than you would expect, but it's well worth the cost to have a little less annoyance in your online life.

$9 - Download now

Ka-Block! is an open-sourced content blocker for iOS that works with Safari through an extension. With Ka-Block!, you're going to find a fast and curated filter list that will eliminate pretty much all of those annoying ads you'll find on the Internet. The pesky trackers are also blocked with Ka-Block!, so you don't need to worry about those.

With Ka-Block!, you're getting a fast and lightweight content blocker that costs nothing and is constantly updated.

How do you block ads?

Do you have a favorite ad blocker for iPhone and iPad? Which one do you use and why does it stand out? Let us know in the comments.

November 2019: Added Wipr, AdBlock Pro, and Ka-Block! Removed Crystal and Purify due to lack of update.

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iOS Content blockers not working

• Thread starter Zonck
• Start date Nov 27, 2020
• Tags content blocker ios troubleshooting
• Sort by reaction score
• iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch
• iOS and iPadOS
• Older iOS Versions

macrumors member

• Nov 27, 2020

Hi guys, I’m new so apologies if this is the incorrect forum but is anyone else having issues with iOS content blockers? I’ve tried AdGuard, BlockBear and Adblock in any number of configurations and still adverts are appearing in iOS Safari. Would be interested in seeing if anyone else is having the same issue. edit. I should add I’m on iOS 14.2.1 and I’ve updated all the ad blockers lists.  

Attachments

macrumors 68000

Hi. There are two content blocker settings for Safari. Have you checked the one immediately above “Camera” in Settings/Safari? Also, please ensure you have not disabled for some sites. Good luck!  

My hero! Thank you so much.  

AdBlock for iOS is one of the first and most effective iOS ad blockers that can be run on any modern iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. AdBlock has been available in App Store since 2014, is used by millions of users worldwide and is one of the most popular utility apps on multiple markets. Technically, the app has two main features: a Safari Content Blocker, which lets you block ads in Safari. And the AdBlock Service VPN component, that lets you point different domain names to a desired IP address. Keep in mind that redirecting domains to IPv4 0.0.0.0 and IPv6 ::0 will make them inaccessible.

AdBlock for iOS app runs the AdBlock Service (a VPN extension) that resolves DNS queries locally – right on your iOS device. Every time an app tries to communicate with one of the domains from your list, the local DNS service will resolve the domain with a specific IP. Please remember: if the IP provided is invalid (ie. 0.0.0.0) or points to an incorrect network location (ie. 127.0.0.1), the content served from that domain will be blocked.

Yes, but there's more! Apart from being a Safari Content Blocker, AdBlock can also run a DNS Proxy service, that can resolve domain names locally to desired IP addresses.

• 1. Download the app from the App Store and open it.
• 2. Go through the onboarding process, make sure Safari Content Blocker is enabled and EasyList is imported in the process
• 3. Flip the main switch on the main screen. When prompted, install the VPN profile.
• 4. Choose to “Import DNS rules” from the main screen or select that option from Settings.
• 5. Optionally change the desired URL to a HOSTS file (you can find useful domain lists online) and tap Done (remember that importing into "0.0.0.0" will block communication with the domains from the imported list)

AdBlock uses iOS VPN extension to run the DNS service in the background. The VPN icon is necessary for the DNS service to operate.

AdBlock for iOS DOES NOT affect the security of your connection in any way. It DOES NOT connect you to a VPN server and we DO NOT proxy any of your traffic. Everything happens right on your iOS device - the DNS queries are being resolved directly by your preferred DNS service provider (ie. Google / Cloudflare or your ISP). Please consult our Privacy Policy for more details on what data we collect.

Yes. Once AdBlock's VPN profile is installed it redirects domain names while you use your iOS on Wi-Fi or any type of cellular connection (2G: GPRS / EDGE, 3G: HSDPA, HSPA+, 4G: LTE networks). There is no need to set it up separately for every network. Once you enable AdBlock it just works.

• 1. Open AdBlock for iOS app and slide down the green slider on the main screen. If the interface turns red - AdBlock is disabled.
• 2. Toggle the small DNS Proxy switch on the main screen or using the widget. This will pause the DNS proxy and all DNS rules stored in it. The DNS Log feature will continue to operate.
• 3. Go to Settings app -> General -> VPN -> AdBlock Service and turn off the switch next to "Connect On Demand".

Yes. AdBlock for iOS works in a similar way to how the /etc/hosts file (for *nix systems) or C:\Windows\system32\DRIVERS\ETC\HOSTS (for Windows) works. You can add your own entries: - manually, by typing in specific domains, - by browsing the DNS Log view - there you can see specific DNS requests triggered by your device and decide if you wish to add some of the resolved domains to your DNS Proxy rulebook, - automatically, by importing one of many publicly available domain lists. All domain names you add in your AdBlock Settings will be resolved to a desired IP address.

Your DNS Proxy domain list is organised in IPs, that can embed groups of domains. Each group can contain multiple domains and subgroups. This will allow you to organise your rules in a tree-like structure for easier control. You can selectively toggle each group, subgroup or domain, so you don't have to disable AdBlock entirely. All domains in a given IP will always point to that IP.

If Safari isn't loading websites or quits on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

If you can't load a website or webpage, or Safari quits unexpectedly, follow these steps.

Connect to a different network

Try to load a website, like www.apple.com , using cellular data. If you don't have cellular data, connect to a different Wi-Fi network , then load the website.

If you're using a VPN (Virtual Private Network), check your VPN settings . If you have a VPN turned on, some apps or websites might block content from loading.

Restart your device

Turn off your device and turn it on again.

Restart your iPhone

Restart your iPad

Restart your iPod touch

Clear website data

You can clear website data occasionally to improve Safari performance.

Go to Settings > Safari.

Tap Clear History and Website Data.

Tap Clear History to confirm.

Turn on JavaScript

Turn on JavaScript if it's not already on.

Go to Settings > Safari > Advanced.

Turn on JavaScript.

Get more help

If the issue continues and only affects a certain website or webpage, check if you have Private Relay turned on. You can temporarily turn off Private Relay in iCloud Settings . If Safari still doesn't load websites and you tried all of these steps, contact the website developer for more help.

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