The review was done while mobile on my iPhone. Sponsored ads show on the phone. I just checked, and they do not show on iPad. I will amend my review to reflect such, as soon as I can.
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iOS 9 Content Blockers Mini-Reviews
- Thread starter Apple_Robert
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Adblocker is a free content blocker made by the same people (moboTap inc.) that produce the Dolphin web browser. This ad-blocker is minimalist in design and feature. If you are looking for a no thrills, gets the job done, don't care about bells and whistles adblocker for iOS 9, I encourage you to take this app for an internet test drive.
There is no blocking of sponsored ads, social widget blocking or Whitelisting. You do have in app feedback ability, FAQ, tutorial on how to enable, Contact us and About, which tells you the current version, as well as enable you to visit their social media sites.
Once you enable the app, you see a confirmation screen asking you to confirm whether or not it is working in Safari.
According to the Adblocker website, regular updates to blocking rules is forth-coming.
"AdBlocker takes the most recent blocking rules from best-known service providers. You can easily tell and taste the delight of non-ads browsing experience on most visited sites."
Adblocker app design - C
The app isn't ugly. At the same time, it isn't anything to brag about. It gets the job done.
Adblocker blocking power - A
Adblocker’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.
Adblocker did a very good job blocking ads. Unlike other recent content blocker reviews, it handled MacWorld, courier.co.uk and several other sites just fine.
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 message or redirects.
Adblocker speed - A
For a free app, Adblocker sped right along. In my, unofficial testing because I don't need pretty bar charts like some on Twitter opinion, I found Adblocker to be fast in loading page content. That is not to say it is faster than Purify. However, Adblocker is very close.
Adblocker price and developer contact - A
Adblocker is free. I give it two thumbs up (Roger Ebert reference). I did not contact the developer before review.
Adblocker overall rating - A
I was pleasantly surprised by the performance of Adblocker. It blocks ads and it does so it a manner that won't leave you looking at a stopwatch, unless you are obsessed with meaningless speed bar charts, (insert Twitter reference here) because not everyone uses the internet the same nor does everyone have the same internet speed, routers, and all the rest of the variables involved.
It is a shame that several of the paid content blockers couldn't see fit to have in app feedback available from the start, whereas several of the free content blockers were able to get it done.
I recommend Adblocker for those looking for a free, gets the job done, content blocker.
There is no blocking of sponsored ads, social widget blocking or Whitelisting. You do have in app feedback ability, FAQ, tutorial on how to enable, Contact us and About, which tells you the current version, as well as enable you to visit their social media sites.
Once you enable the app, you see a confirmation screen asking you to confirm whether or not it is working in Safari.
According to the Adblocker website, regular updates to blocking rules is forth-coming.
"AdBlocker takes the most recent blocking rules from best-known service providers. You can easily tell and taste the delight of non-ads browsing experience on most visited sites."
Adblocker app design - C
The app isn't ugly. At the same time, it isn't anything to brag about. It gets the job done.
Adblocker blocking power - A
Adblocker’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.
Adblocker did a very good job blocking ads. Unlike other recent content blocker reviews, it handled MacWorld, courier.co.uk and several other sites just fine.
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 message or redirects.
Adblocker speed - A
For a free app, Adblocker sped right along. In my, unofficial testing because I don't need pretty bar charts like some on Twitter opinion, I found Adblocker to be fast in loading page content. That is not to say it is faster than Purify. However, Adblocker is very close.
Adblocker price and developer contact - A
Adblocker is free. I give it two thumbs up (Roger Ebert reference). I did not contact the developer before review.
Adblocker overall rating - A
I was pleasantly surprised by the performance of Adblocker. It blocks ads and it does so it a manner that won't leave you looking at a stopwatch, unless you are obsessed with meaningless speed bar charts, (insert Twitter reference here) because not everyone uses the internet the same nor does everyone have the same internet speed, routers, and all the rest of the variables involved.
It is a shame that several of the paid content blockers couldn't see fit to have in app feedback available from the start, whereas several of the free content blockers were able to get it done.
I recommend Adblocker for those looking for a free, gets the job done, content blocker.
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Wow, tested this adblocker and i am in love with it.
It is free and blocks everything. Amazing app.
It is free and blocks everything. Amazing app.
Seems like the content blocker space is getting more and more competitive, which hopefully means good things for us the consumer. More competitions will push the developers to improve their apps and services and that potentially means more great apps like Purify or Adblocker for Safari Browser and fewer apps like Vivio.
Thanks again @BasicGreatGuy for all the work that you do!
Thanks again @BasicGreatGuy for all the work that you do!
Looking at their FAQ's it looks like tracker blocking is coming in the next update, so this may be the reason it's not breaking as many sites. For example courier.co.uk works with 1Blocker if only the ad blocker is enabled, if I enable tracker blocking it breaks. It's the same with many other apps...
Then again they could be saying that they'll be improving Do Not Track, it's not really that clear
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Silentium is a content blocker geared towards those who like to have some accessories with their budget car.
Silentium app design - A
The app colors (light teal, darker teal, and white) are easy on the eyes. The app is straight-forward with easy to maneuver to sections and toggles. The app comes with built in app feedback, Whitelisting, and the ability to fine tune content blocking ability via the "Advanced" option, as seen in the picture.
Engaging the "Advanced" option brings up the following toggle options:
Low Traffic Modes
Block images toggle
Block scripts toggle
If you need to restrict websites even more by blocking images and scripts you can do that with these two toggles. The developers make a point to warn users under these toggles, that enabling these options may cause websites to not load properly.
Extra
Remove social buttons
Remove comments
"Enable these to remove share buttons and comments (Disqus, Facebook) from web pages."
Experimental
Remove cookie - law banners
Block adult websites
Silentium
Force rules update
Restore default configuration
*Note: When the "advanced" options are enabled for the first time, Silentium updates the latest filter list for the enabled togge. The app informs you that it may take 30 seconds for the update to complete. It also tells you when the update has been completed, which I like.
Silentium ad-blocking - A
Overall, Selenium's blocking was excellent. That is not to say there weren't any site loading / display problems. There were. However, the few problem sites are ones that other sites have had a problem with, with initial release of the app.
In my testing on the iPhone 6 and iPad Air, Yahoo sponsored ads were not blocked.
There is no such thing as a content blocker that can properly block every ad and property render every page on the internet. Please keep that in mind when being quick to throw away one content blocker for another, just because one app didn't block a certain site correctly the first time.
Silentium’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, Cnet,* Courier.co.uk.*
Adblocker did a very good job blocking ads. Unlike other recent content blocker reviews, it handled MacWorld, courier.co.uk and several other sites just fine. I tried the toggles under the "Advanced" menu, and the different toggle options worked well.
Unless otherwise noted by the * symbol, all sites loaded correctly without any pop ups or blank advertising boxes.
* Site did not load or did not load correctly.
** 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 message or redirects.
Silentium speed - A
While your internet speed mileage with the app may vary, (due to several variables) I found Silentium did a fast job of rendering and loading webpages. I did not encounter any lagging or stalling during testing.
Silentium price and developer contact - A
For the price, (introductory $1.99) Selenium is in line with other paid apps.
I found the developers to be very responsive in addressing questions about their app on their Twitter page, as well as their dedicated website. In my opinion, the latter carries even more weight than the former. If I find an app that is free or only $0.99, and has crappy or no customer service at all, I am going to go with an app that charges more and has what I believe to be good customer service. If you reach out to Silentium, they will do their best to respond and address your questions.
Silentium overall rating - A
Silentium offers a lot of power under the hood, without adding so much that it breaks websites or leaves one spending more time tweaking the app, than enjoying the experience of the internet. The developer's are eager to do the very best they can with the app and in my opinion, they are off to an excellent start.
I feel good about recommending Silentium.
*Disclosure: Review was conducted using Silentium 1.1 which is set to be released next week.
Silentium app design - A
The app colors (light teal, darker teal, and white) are easy on the eyes. The app is straight-forward with easy to maneuver to sections and toggles. The app comes with built in app feedback, Whitelisting, and the ability to fine tune content blocking ability via the "Advanced" option, as seen in the picture.
Engaging the "Advanced" option brings up the following toggle options:
Low Traffic Modes
Block images toggle
Block scripts toggle
If you need to restrict websites even more by blocking images and scripts you can do that with these two toggles. The developers make a point to warn users under these toggles, that enabling these options may cause websites to not load properly.
Extra
Remove social buttons
Remove comments
"Enable these to remove share buttons and comments (Disqus, Facebook) from web pages."
Experimental
Remove cookie - law banners
Block adult websites
Silentium
Force rules update
Restore default configuration
*Note: When the "advanced" options are enabled for the first time, Silentium updates the latest filter list for the enabled togge. The app informs you that it may take 30 seconds for the update to complete. It also tells you when the update has been completed, which I like.
Silentium ad-blocking - A
Overall, Selenium's blocking was excellent. That is not to say there weren't any site loading / display problems. There were. However, the few problem sites are ones that other sites have had a problem with, with initial release of the app.
In my testing on the iPhone 6 and iPad Air, Yahoo sponsored ads were not blocked.
There is no such thing as a content blocker that can properly block every ad and property render every page on the internet. Please keep that in mind when being quick to throw away one content blocker for another, just because one app didn't block a certain site correctly the first time.
Silentium’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, Cnet,* Courier.co.uk.*
Adblocker did a very good job blocking ads. Unlike other recent content blocker reviews, it handled MacWorld, courier.co.uk and several other sites just fine. I tried the toggles under the "Advanced" menu, and the different toggle options worked well.
Unless otherwise noted by the * symbol, all sites loaded correctly without any pop ups or blank advertising boxes.
* Site did not load or did not load correctly.
** 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 message or redirects.
Silentium speed - A
While your internet speed mileage with the app may vary, (due to several variables) I found Silentium did a fast job of rendering and loading webpages. I did not encounter any lagging or stalling during testing.
Silentium price and developer contact - A
For the price, (introductory $1.99) Selenium is in line with other paid apps.
I found the developers to be very responsive in addressing questions about their app on their Twitter page, as well as their dedicated website. In my opinion, the latter carries even more weight than the former. If I find an app that is free or only $0.99, and has crappy or no customer service at all, I am going to go with an app that charges more and has what I believe to be good customer service. If you reach out to Silentium, they will do their best to respond and address your questions.
Silentium overall rating - A
Silentium offers a lot of power under the hood, without adding so much that it breaks websites or leaves one spending more time tweaking the app, than enjoying the experience of the internet. The developer's are eager to do the very best they can with the app and in my opinion, they are off to an excellent start.
I feel good about recommending Silentium.
*Disclosure: Review was conducted using Silentium 1.1 which is set to be released next week.
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I think you are not being honest here because ADBLOCKER by Dolphin blocked every site correctly. No other content blocker did this.
AdBlocker is in his own league. The best so far at blocking ads.
You're accusing him of lying? You really need to apologize to him and take a chill pill.
I am honest in all my reviews.
I didn't say Silentium's blocking was perfect. None are.
I know how the different content blockers have worked, seeing how I have used them all.
I don't appreciate being called dishonest, just because you didn't like my review, and saw what you wanted to see, instead of what I said.
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@BasicGreatGuy Can you review AdBlock - Mobile? The same people who make the Adblock for OSX Safari that I have used for years.
First of all, thanks for the reviews! I think I'll go with Adblocker until the market shakes out a little more.
One request. If you have time, it would be fantastic to see an app icon in the reviews. Not a big deal for most, but when you're searching for something like "Adblocker", it would be nice to know which one you're looking for. Thankfully I was able to use the company name (thanks for that) to find the right one. But had I not been paying attention, I might have grabbed the wrong app.
One request. If you have time, it would be fantastic to see an app icon in the reviews. Not a big deal for most, but when you're searching for something like "Adblocker", it would be nice to know which one you're looking for. Thankfully I was able to use the company name (thanks for that) to find the right one. But had I not been paying attention, I might have grabbed the wrong app.
I will try and remember to do that in future reviews.
I don't know if you have noticed but, I hyperlink to each iTunes app and or developer's website in each review, so that people can view pictures and read subsequent information.
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If I'm not mistaken, he links each app in their respective titles. Takes you right there in the App Store.
I use Purify the most at the moment, although I do use Crystal, Silentium, and some others (one at a time) for continued testing, until I decide which content blocker to stick with.
And that's fantastic if you're reading on your phone. I was reading on my computer at work. So the link doesn't help me a lot.