After reading the reviews I chose to go with Purify. It's also on sale for $2 which is good timing 
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iOS 9 Content Blockers Mini-Reviews
- Thread starter Apple_Robert
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There are several people here, who don't want to see ads. As such, they look for the best app to fit their needs. No different than someone picking the right OS for his or her needs.
No need to troll the thread.
Try adblock fast first because it is free.
If you dont like it, go and buy purify. It is excellent too.
If you dont like it, go and buy purify. It is excellent too.
I didn't think I was and I don't appreciate the accusation. Your reviews and comments have been helpful (mostly). Others I have found to be more noise than signal. I don't think I am out of line pointing that out.
I wasn't the only one that interpreted your first post in the thread in that light. If you had expanded on your comment, it may not have been taken in a negative fashion. It is not my fault you weren't as clear as you thought you were, and assumed others would understand your statement in the proper context.
As to my mini-reviews, what do you mean by some were more noise than signal?
No no, your mini reviews have been excellent, I've read every freakin one of them. I was referring to all the comments in this thread. LOL I get an F for communication today.
A good example: if you have a login for ZDNet or CNEt; try those.
Or you could have simply read it as it is without immediately thinking it of being negative. A lot of things can be viewed both negatively and positively. It was you and you only who opted for viewing his comment negatively thus it actually is your fault too (communication works both ways and both sender and receiver need to be on the same level), especially since you opted to reply instead of ignore the "troll".
I was actually wondering the same thing as he did and quite like the fact that we have content blocker fanboys. It means we get to discuss these various apps and it means that we get good reviews as can be seen here. Being a fanboy doesn't necessarily mean that it is purely negative. So in this case I'd say thanks for being a content blocker fanboy, keep the reviews coming!
A big thank you for starting these threads about the content blockers and reviews and for all that have given your time, reviews and responses.
I just finished updating my iPad Air 2 to iOS 9.0.2
I also purchased Purify for $1.99 and went through the set up (very easy) nice easy and fast tutorial....so far it's working great, in fact I'm surprised at how fast all my bookmarked websites are loading now that the ads are gone. I'm really impressed in that regard.
I have a question though, what does the whitelisting actually mean?
I moved the Purify action in the safari action sheet and when I click it it pops up Purify Actions and I see the whitelist where you can toggle on or off a certain website. I understand "how to do it", but under that it says Enable or Disable whitelisting for this site (listed above) the one your actually on. So any website you add to the whitelist means you want to allow ads on that site if you turn it on (green)? So then if I don't add a website to the whitelist then it will continue to blocks ads from that site. I know it sounds stupid but I don't understand that part.
I just finished updating my iPad Air 2 to iOS 9.0.2
I also purchased Purify for $1.99 and went through the set up (very easy) nice easy and fast tutorial....so far it's working great, in fact I'm surprised at how fast all my bookmarked websites are loading now that the ads are gone. I'm really impressed in that regard.
I have a question though, what does the whitelisting actually mean?
I moved the Purify action in the safari action sheet and when I click it it pops up Purify Actions and I see the whitelist where you can toggle on or off a certain website. I understand "how to do it", but under that it says Enable or Disable whitelisting for this site (listed above) the one your actually on. So any website you add to the whitelist means you want to allow ads on that site if you turn it on (green)? So then if I don't add a website to the whitelist then it will continue to blocks ads from that site. I know it sounds stupid but I don't understand that part.
Yep, that's correct; whitelisting means allowing ads to be displayed on the website that was whitelisted. People will sometimes whitelist certain sites that they like, since ads are part of their revenue model, in order to ensure that they are getting compensated.
I will consider doing it for sites where the ads aren't really bad with pop-ups and auto-playing ads, but generally most sites will get blocked simply because they're annoying, too easy to click on and practically everywhere.
Thanks for the quick responses.
I just came across this very action while I was waiting for someone to post. One of my many bookmarks is Fox News and I like to hit their tab at the top of their website that says videos to see the latest videos. However with Purify now installed, I noticed when I do this same action and click on videos, the page loads but the video is black and won't allow me to click play to watch it...so I clicked on the refresh tab and held it for a sec and it says "reload without content blockers" so once I clicked that it reloaded the fox news website video page and it loaded up the video and I can play it. So since I like this site and don't want to have to hit refresh all the time, I should add this site to the Whitelist page and turn it on (green) Is this correct?
I just came across this very action while I was waiting for someone to post. One of my many bookmarks is Fox News and I like to hit their tab at the top of their website that says videos to see the latest videos. However with Purify now installed, I noticed when I do this same action and click on videos, the page loads but the video is black and won't allow me to click play to watch it...so I clicked on the refresh tab and held it for a sec and it says "reload without content blockers" so once I clicked that it reloaded the fox news website video page and it loaded up the video and I can play it. So since I like this site and don't want to have to hit refresh all the time, I should add this site to the Whitelist page and turn it on (green) Is this correct?
There should be a box with an arrow pointing up in the bottom middle of the bar that pops up at the bottom when you scroll; that's the icon for more actions. You may have to go into the More part first to turn on the 'Purify Actions' button but you'll want to tap on that and use the 'Report a problem' action in there; that way, you'll let the devs know that there is an issue with this site that they can look into.
In the meantime while they are looking into said issue, you can indeed whitelist the site to prevent the issue from constantly occurring and constantly having to disable it manually through the refresh button.
Thanks, I just did that sent a report on the video page for fox news, it didn't allow me to add in any message so I assume they will look at it and see that the video is not loading unless you manually add it to the whitelist. I just tested it again, turned off the whitelist and sure enough the video won't load but if I add it to the whitelist the video will load. So for now I will just leave it enabled (green) so the videos load on this website. I think I understand now how all this works. Thanks, I think this will be a great app.
*Taken from the iTunes Preview page.
Description
AdBlockX is a simple content blocker designed for you to enjoy a better web experience. Based on the new iOS 9 feature that allows apps to provide content blocking filters, AdBlockX blocks adverts, user tracking, saves you data traffic all of which makes your battery last longer.
Once you install the content blocker, go to Settings > Safari and scroll down to Content Blockers > Flip the switch to enable/disable the content blocker > Back to Safari > Enjoy.
The app is only available on devices with a 64-bit processor.
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There is no information about internet or device usage sent back to us.
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Mircea Guta Web SiteAdBlockX Support
Screenshots
iPhone iPad
AdblockX is a minimalist content blocker. It is designed for those users who want to be able to install an app, and not have to worry about adjusting any settings, or creating custom block rules.
AdblockX app design - C
I found the app colors easy to look at, compared to some other apps that are bright and in your face, as it were. For all intent and purposes, there isn't much at all to the app, as far as user amenities are concerned. The main page briefly lists the steps required to enable the app in Safari. Given the layout of the main screen, it isn't readily apparent, that one has the ability to click the setting icon, and be taken direction into settings to finish the setup.
There is no Whitelisting or in app reporting of problem websites, although the developer made a point to post a contact email in the app in the bottom left corner of the app under "Info." If you want to contact the developer, you will need to write down the address, as clicking on the email link doesn't trigger any actions. I don't know why the option to contact the developer within the app, or through Safari share sheet was left out, seeing how he has it set up for one to be able to send an email solicitation about the app to friends, by clicking the share icon in the lower right part of the app screen.
In my opinion, paid apps should be held to a much higher standard. As such, the developer should provide a direct route within the app, so that the customer can report problem websites, or leave a brief comment about a site or the app itself. I also think that Whitelisting ability should be included in paid content blockers.
AdblockX blocking power - A
Overall, AdblockX's blocking power is in line with other apps that received an A rating. An A rating doesn't state or suggest, that there weren't any problem sites. There were, as was noted below. I didn't see what I would call major problems (redirects, pages not loading at all or incorrectly) with any of the test sites, even though two of the sites didn't play embedded video.
* Sponsored ads on Yahoo were blocked (using iPhone 6).
* CNN rendered as it should, but failed to correctly load and play videos.
* Fox News rendered as it should, but failed to correctly load and play videos.
* Your experience may differ from mine, in regards to ad-blocking ability and speed.
Purify's blocking power was tested using the following websites Time Magazine, CNN,**** Yahoo, MacRumors, Amazon, Fox News,**** Huffington Post, iMore, The Verge, National Geographic, Crackle, Forbes Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, ****Kat.cr, The Pirate... MacWorld, MSNBC, Apple, Ebaums World, ImDB, YouTube, Hotels.com, Digiday, Reddit, Craigslist (local), Cult of Mac, blog.buttermouth, ESPN, Welt.de, Ciudad.com.ar,***** ABC.com.py, Times of Israel,****** 9to5toys, Straits Times, Str.sg, info.singtel.com, Times of India, Indian Express, Cnet, Boston.com and Courier.co.uk.
Unless otherwise noted by the * symbol, all sites loaded correctly without any pop ups or blank advertising boxes.
* Site did not load
** Site loaded correctly but clicking links on main page or subsequent page didn't work.
*** Site loaded correctly but did not block all ad(s) on main page or subsequent site pages.
**** Site did not correctly load all non ad page elements (e.g. pictures, video, text etc.)
***** Site loaded correctly with no ads or pop ups. Empty advertisement blocks were noted.
****** Site loaded correctly but did not stop pop up messages or redirects
AdblockX speed - B
Several of the test sites loaded very slowly, while others loaded quickly. As a whole, AdblockX's speed did not stand out.
*Your experience may vary from mine.
AdblockX price and developer contact - A
The $0.99 price tag is in line with other paid apps previously reviewed. Given that this is a new app, I cannot speak to customer service strengths or weaknesses. Rating was based on the price range of the app compared to other paid content blockers.
AdblockX overall rating - B -
As I mentioned earlier in the review, the app lacks Whitelisting ability, in app reporting ability, as well as the ability to block social widgets and comments. At the very least, in app reporting ability should be a stock feature, in my opinion, especially for a paid app.
As to developer contact, a user shouldn't have to write down the email address listed in the app, so that he or she can make contact. In my opinion, the more steps a user has to take in order to issue reports, suggestions and the link, the less likely he or she will use the app long term, especially when there are plenty of other apps (free and paid) that make said process seamless.
In regards to app design and layout, the developer might consider rethinking the current release, as it is not something that draws the customer's attention. It is so basic, that it lacks attention to detail and refinement. However, if you are a user that doesn't really care a lot about app design and layout etc, AdblockX may suit your needs just fine.
As to other features that the developer should consider implementing, I believe social media buttons and comment blocking should be added.
The content blocker market is growing by the day. It is going to take more than the basics to secure a user base that is not only loyal, but one that grows along with the app.
AdblockX is not a bad app. It does a good job or blocking. At the same time, there are other apps (free and paid) that offer more user amenities.
Gaining share in the content blocker market is going to take strong app design that is inviting, basic user options that are easy to see and use, and lots of visibility by the developer, so that people know who he or she is, as well as seeing that the developer is eager for customer input and continued development of the app.
In my opinion, AdblockX has potential to be much more than it is right now. If prompt attention is given to what has been briefly spoken of in the review, I believe that AdblockX could find a viable home in the content blocker market.
*Disclosure: The developer of the app saw the mini-review thread and contacted me. I was given a promotional code and asked if I would do a mini-review of AdblockX. While my contact with the developer has been very limited at this point, I found him to be cordial and prompt to respond to my private message.
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BBG, you should check Lionz out. I've been using Purify as my default and changed to Lionz due to noticeable faster speed. Strangely, blocking power is EXACTLY as Purify.
Being free, I think it's worth a check.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lionz-blocker-ad-blocker-for/id1041733764?mt=8
Being free, I think it's worth a check.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lionz-blocker-ad-blocker-for/id1041733764?mt=8
I think these reviews are great not only for us the consumer but also for the developers it reminds them leaving out important features like being able to whitelist a site is an important feature and I'd say almost a requirement to make their app on par with others or outshine the next developers app after all don't they want more customers for more revenue?
