Best Ad Blocker Safari Extension?

[Populus]

Good post Populus. I don't know if I can summarize this well but here's my attempt to ELI5:

Your ISP sees everything you do. Your browser sees what you search, watch, etc. If you want to stop your ISP from seeing what you do, you can use a VPN...but then that VPN can see everything you do. If you want to block adds, you can use an add blocker...but then that add blocker can see what you search, watch, etc.

At the end of the day, you trade your privacy for convenience. Plenty of people think it's worth the tradeoffs, plenty don't.

Just about every VPN and add blocker will tell you they aren't 'spying' on you, or 'collecting your data', or 'selling your data', etc. but most of them either do those things or can be compelled to do so by the country they are based in. The questions you have to ask your self are, "Do I think my ISP and browser companies are more trustworthy than my VPN and add blocker companies?" and "Is the tradeoff worth the convenience?"

Using Apple’s own content blocker API, the ad blocker developer shouldn’t see what you do on the internet. The new extensions are a different story.

As for what you ask, I personally prefer that only my ISP watches my traffic. I hope they cannot see my passwords, but I trust my communications company. I wouldn’t trust a VPN provider.

 

[collin_]

you mean the AdGuard app? or the Adguard DNS profile for iPhones? I installed the AdGuard DNS profile on my 13 Pro Max... now I dont' see any ads in most apps that I use.

the strange problem is that the DNS profile doesn't block out all the apps in Safari browser on the phone....

I use the Pro version of the App with DNS protection disabled (not sure why I bought the Pro version…).

I have the following filters enabled:

• AdGuard Base filter
• AdGuard Mobile Ads filter
• AdGuard Tracking Protection filter
• AdGuard Social Media filter
• AdGuard Annoyances filter

It works great. I used to carefully research and tweak my filters back when I used uBlock Origin with Chrome on my Mac, but for a mobile device with very limited RAM I figured I’d just enable filters from the actual app developer and not worry about it too much.

 

[slb]

Wipr recently updated and now blocks ads on YouTube in Safari only. You need to go into settings -> Safari -> Extensions and turn on Wipr Extra.

As far as I can tell, this doesn't work. I still see YouTube ads.

 

[gwang73]

As far as I can tell, this doesn't work. I still see YouTube ads.

Did you turn it on in Safari Extensions setting?

It works great for me. Remember, it's only YouTube in Safari. It doesn't block ads in the YT app.

 

[Ash Pole]

I use the Pro version of the App with DNS protection disabled (not sure why I bought the Pro version…).

I have the following filters enabled:

• AdGuard Base filter
• AdGuard Mobile Ads filter
• AdGuard Tracking Protection filter
• AdGuard Social Media filter
• AdGuard Annoyances filter

It works great. I used to carefully research and tweak my filters back when I used uBlock Origin with Chrome on my Mac, but for a mobile device with very limited RAM I figured I’d just enable filters from the actual app developer and not worry about it too much.

Doesn't that many filters put you over Apple's limit of 50,000 rules?
AdGuard culls anything over 50k.

 

[collin_]

Doesn't that many filters put you over Apple's limit of 50,000 rules?
AdGuard culls anything over 50k.

Looks like it doesn’t provide the total number of filters but I don’t think so. I only enabled 2 filters aside from the ones that are enabled by default and they’re both highly optimized AdGuard-created ones.

 

[Queen6]

.

 

[ecatomb]

Trying adguard.

We can create own filter with javascript too 😍
It's nice when you want to modify something in a website but without hiding it.

But it seems to be using a lot cpu at least when starting safari...

 

[cynics]

A friend of mine told me Adguard even worked well on porn sites by block 95% of the ads. He's really smart...and good looking!!

 

[Samdh90]

Trying adguard.

We can create own filter with javascript too 😍
It's nice when you want to modify something in a website but without hiding it.

But it seems to be using a lot cpu at least when starting safari...

The more rules that you have, the bigger the overhead. Will be the same with any adblocker. The reason is that before your phone can connect to the domain, it has to parse every rule, often times, one at a time, then the site will load afterwards. In a way, it is no difference than a traditional AV in that sense.

 

[rocknrolldoggy]

I use 1Blocker, AdGuard, Clearly, Refine, Malwarebytes and Lockdown.

 

[ecatomb]

The more rules that you have, the bigger the overhead. Will be the same with any adblocker. The reason is that before your phone can connect to the domain, it has to parse every rule, often times, one at a time, then the site will load afterwards. In a way, it is no difference than a traditional AV in that sense.

With 1blocker (should be the same or maybe more rules on it), I don't have any problem. So wondering if I'm the only one with this cpu issue (on the mac mini 2018 i5, the fan turn on with adguard...)

 

[Samdh90]

With 1blocker (should be the same or maybe more rules on it), I don't have any problem. So wondering if I'm the only one with this cpu issue (on the mac mini 2018 i5, the fan turn on with adguard...)

It is definitely possible that 1blocker may behave better, I have not used that one on an normal computer. It really comes down to how the individual app processes the block filtering rules, I would think one might be different from another in that regard.

With that said, if 1blocker behaves better than adguard, why not use 1blocker? Personally, I have never had issues with Adguard on my PC at home but I know that it is heavy and that slower computers may be hit harder with it, at least from what I have seen when installing on a "slower" system.

 

[ecatomb]

1blocker isn't the best vs cookie wall 😛
I'd like to use something like userscripts on iOS

That's why I'm trying Adguard, it should be able to do both

 

[MistrSynistr]

As far as I can tell, this doesn't work. I still see YouTube ads.

Same here, I have it enabled, still seeing YT ads in Safari on MacOS.

I am wondering if the other poster is just going to lots of channels without ads and thinking they aren't seeing any.

 

[GIZBUG]

Wipr works well

 

[zakarhino]

1Blocker is great, also comes with a macOS version and includes Family Sharing for the IAP.

 

[Mac7]

Does wipr only block YouTube ads with wipr extra turned on?

 

[gwang73]

Does wipr only block YouTube ads with wipr extra turned on?

Yes, you need to turn it on in Safari Extensions and set it to 'allow'.

 

[Kylo83]

AdGuard is the best for macOS and iOS nothing comes close and it’s free

 

[ecatomb]

AdGuard is the best for macOS and iOS nothing comes close and it’s free

For YouTube, it's the best ?

 

[phillytim]

I'm curious why "Firefox Focus" hasn't been mentioned.

On the surface it's a security browser like DuckDuckGo, but you can also enable its Safari Extension to block ads, malware, etc - and it is completely free!

 

[Yary]

Adguard Pro works very well but it eats my battery. So i have come back to Wipr and it is much less power hungry.

 

[Chrisjmv]

I used WIPR and NEXTDNS and loved both so far!

 

[GP-SE]

For Microsoft Edge I use ublock origin, is there an equivalent for Safari?