Firefox for iOS now comes with a built-in ad blocker, allowing you to hide some ads when browsing the web on your iPhone or iPad. The feature launched on August 15 and is gradually rolling out to all users, but Mozilla stresses that it’s still there “Experimental” tool. The blocker will ignore search results or ads provided by Mozilla.
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By default, the ad blocker is inactive and remains disabled until the user independently activates it. Mozilla says the blocker helps ensure privacy, such as limiting third-party tracking, and makes it easier to visit sites with intrusive ads, such as pop-ups or overlays.
Mozilla uses EasyList filters, originally developed for the AdBlock tool, to decide which types of ads should be removed. However, Mozilla intentionally makes exceptions for certain types of ads. For example, ads served on search engines will not be blocked, and Mozilla specifically pointed out ads served by Bing, DuckDuckGo and Google, among other search engines.
Even with this tool enabled, other sponsored content provided by Mozilla through the Firefox homepage or new tab page will continue to appear. As the new feature rolls out, it will appear in browser settings; Mozilla has not announced a final date. No registration is required to enable the ad blocker.
To activate this feature from the Firefox menu, go to Settings > View > Content. You can also enable the ad blocker from the menu in the lower right corner of Firefox using the switch called “Ad Blocker” in the Content section. When the blocker is active, the Protection and Ad Blocker icons at the top of the site menu will appear as small green shields with a check mark; when deactivated, they will appear as orange icons with a cross.
In the feature description, Mozilla says “Reduce the number of ads and related trackers”and it is recommended to turn it off, “If the site looks broken”.
If you find an error, select it with your mouse and press CTRL+ENTER.
