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The iOS 9 Content Blocker thread
- Thread starter thatJohann
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Also, please consider reviewing adblocker for safari:
https://itunes.apple.com/in/app/adblocker-for-safari!/id1028483706?mt=8
https://itunes.apple.com/in/app/adblocker-for-safari!/id1028483706?mt=8
I've been using Purify ver 1.2 on the iPad Air 2 and have not had any issues, had to use the whitelisted feature a few times. I also upgraded my iPhone 5 to a 6s a few weeks ago and after setting up the phone I downloaded Purify to my iPhone 6s and it's really works great for me. The pages loads so fast using safari and ads are being blocked so I really can't complain about Purify ver 1.2
I'm blown away at the speeds on this iPhone 6s everything is just super fast and not just safari, love the Touch ID and my battery lasts 2 days, it's really amazing and best of all the ads are gone.
I'm blown away at the speeds on this iPhone 6s everything is just super fast and not just safari, love the Touch ID and my battery lasts 2 days, it's really amazing and best of all the ads are gone.
I'm sure this has been mentioned before, but my attention span can't handle reading through 90+ pages.
Which of the conten blockers can block ads on the level of Purify, but gets rid of the blank white space that Purify just leaves behind? (See attached screenshot)
1Blocker doesn't seem to block squat for ads on Macrumors unless it's paired with Purify, but it might be overkill.
Which of the conten blockers can block ads on the level of Purify, but gets rid of the blank white space that Purify just leaves behind? (See attached screenshot)
1Blocker doesn't seem to block squat for ads on Macrumors unless it's paired with Purify, but it might be overkill.
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Depends on the website I believe, as basically all of the content blockers I own and have tried still retain that white space.
A dev of one of the content blockers mentioned that it largely depends on how the website is coded. Some of them are made with ad spaces in mind, so that white space you mentioned is basically "set in stone" and will be there with or without an ad. Some might use the space more dynamically so if the ad is not present, the white space won't be either.
Just received an invitation to test Magic. I've only used it for an hour or so, but if the beta is any indication, then Purify is going to have some real competition. No choppy scrolling on Amazon; comment boxes are appearing as they should; fast page loading; and a very nice UI.
That's promising to hear. Though if this update doesn't do anything for my frequented sites (it would be the third time) then that may very well be the last straw for me personally for this app. :/
I wonder if there's a particular reason the dev is ripping off the Mozilla Firefox logo for the icon?
This is the official account for Magic on Macrumors. Let us know if you have any questions!
Cheers.
/Magic
Cheers.
/Magic
I recently asked for a beta code on Twitter (same name as on here) as I wanted to test out a few sites. I suppose a few obvious ones and ones maybe more personal.
- will the app block trackers as well?
- in the screenshots, this particular webpage has a Facebook banner at the bottom and a pop-up leading you to another article when you get to the bottom. Will it block these?
- many but not all of the blockers I use currently break videos on Giantbomb.com (a video game website) and videos/images/menu buttons on nfl.com. Would you know why that is and will Magic be the same?
Thanks for opening a dialogue here, looking forward to see how Magic stacks up against the current competition.
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I recently asked for a beta code on Twitter (same name as on here) as I wanted to test out a few sites. I suppose a few obvious ones and ones maybe more personal.
- will the app block trackers as well?
- in the screenshots, this particular webpage has a Facebook banner at the bottom and a pop-up leading you to another article when you get to the bottom. Will it block these?
- many but not all of the blockers I use currently break videos on Giantbomb.com (a video game website) and videos/images/menu buttons on nfl.com. Would you know why that is and will Magic be the same?
Thanks for opening a dialogue here, looking forward to see how Magic stacks up against the current competition.
We haven't got any message from you on Twitter. I just sent you a message there though.
Answer to your questions:
1. Yes, Magic block trackers (and a lot of them).
2. That Facebook banner on TechRadar.com is removed in Magic.
3. Giantbomb.com and NFL.com works perfect too.
Send us your Apple ID through Macrumors or Twitter and we will send you an invite.
Important to notice is that no blocker is perfect because the web always change. But with the help from our users reporting broken websites or ads coming through we can always get better.
Cheers.
/Magic
Release date, very soon (a matter of days hopefully). It will be a paid app.
Any thoughts on the random loading of blank pages that seem to be hitting people with other blockers like Crystal or Purify? Are these other ad blockers themselves buggy, are there issues with the Content Blocker API, or is it just a coincidence and Safari itself is buggy? Just thought you might have more insight being a developer of an ad blocker and possibly come across these issues yourself.
Thanks for the quick reply. I replied to your message.
Good to know, looking forward to testing it. I know no blocker is perfect but some of the ones I am using are better in some ways but lack some features like whitelisting, while some seem to be standing still and doesn't seem to be making any visible progress.
So far you seem to be quite approachable and responsive, which makes it seem all the more better and a good sign for the future.
Some preliminary thoughts after using Magic last night and most of today:
- sites load quickly, probably on par with some of the faster ones I've used like Purify and Adblock Fast. I've tested the sites I usually go to, along with some of the sites that BasicGreatGuy has used in his reviews, and they have all performed very well.
- granular controls. You can choose what you want: block ads, block trackers, block social widgets (social buttons and comments), content (images, videos, etc.) There is even an option for regional settings, whitelisting, EU cookie notices and adult ads.
- a shortcut is available in Safari so you can whitelist without opening the app again. There is also a report problem link that automatically opens your mail app so you can send them an email with details on what the problem is.
- blocks ads is enabled by default and I haven't had any ads poke through in my testing thus far. That goes for banner ads as well as video ads that play prior to your video of choice (there may be a couple seconds of black screen before the actual video starts playing though)
- might not be a fault of the app itself but with block trackers on, it breaks video playing functionality on Giantbomb.com and images/video functionality on nfl.com as seen in the first set of screenshots. If I disable tracker blocking, both work fine as shown in the second set. I reported the issue to the dev on Twitter and got an extremely quick reply that they were going to investigate.
- with ads and trackers both blocked, videos worked fine on other sites like The Verge. The site itself loaded pretty quickly without any visible issues. If trackers are not blocked, the main site takes a lot longer to load (bar stays about halfway for probably upwards of 10 seconds; only tested by feel and not actually timed)
So far I have to say that I like this app a lot. I like the granular controls and with the basic ad blocking on, all the sites I frequently visit work fine without issue. Not all of them work properly with tracker blocking on but the developers were quick to respond and hopefully a fix can be found. Despite that, it works better for me than some other apps since some of them bundle the two together and so I'd have to disable the blocker (even if just temporarily through holding the refresh button) just for things to work, whereas with Magic I can still retain some degree of content blocking.
Still too soon to give it a final grade but so far, it's a very promising app and I've been very impressed. Barring any big meltdown upon launch, I basically see myself switching over to this as my daily driver.
- sites load quickly, probably on par with some of the faster ones I've used like Purify and Adblock Fast. I've tested the sites I usually go to, along with some of the sites that BasicGreatGuy has used in his reviews, and they have all performed very well.
- granular controls. You can choose what you want: block ads, block trackers, block social widgets (social buttons and comments), content (images, videos, etc.) There is even an option for regional settings, whitelisting, EU cookie notices and adult ads.
- a shortcut is available in Safari so you can whitelist without opening the app again. There is also a report problem link that automatically opens your mail app so you can send them an email with details on what the problem is.
- blocks ads is enabled by default and I haven't had any ads poke through in my testing thus far. That goes for banner ads as well as video ads that play prior to your video of choice (there may be a couple seconds of black screen before the actual video starts playing though)
- might not be a fault of the app itself but with block trackers on, it breaks video playing functionality on Giantbomb.com and images/video functionality on nfl.com as seen in the first set of screenshots. If I disable tracker blocking, both work fine as shown in the second set. I reported the issue to the dev on Twitter and got an extremely quick reply that they were going to investigate.
- with ads and trackers both blocked, videos worked fine on other sites like The Verge. The site itself loaded pretty quickly without any visible issues. If trackers are not blocked, the main site takes a lot longer to load (bar stays about halfway for probably upwards of 10 seconds; only tested by feel and not actually timed)
So far I have to say that I like this app a lot. I like the granular controls and with the basic ad blocking on, all the sites I frequently visit work fine without issue. Not all of them work properly with tracker blocking on but the developers were quick to respond and hopefully a fix can be found. Despite that, it works better for me than some other apps since some of them bundle the two together and so I'd have to disable the blocker (even if just temporarily through holding the refresh button) just for things to work, whereas with Magic I can still retain some degree of content blocking.
Still too soon to give it a final grade but so far, it's a very promising app and I've been very impressed. Barring any big meltdown upon launch, I basically see myself switching over to this as my daily driver.
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Another quirk I've noticed with Magic is that it doesn't always remove advertisement indicators and placeholder boxes. For example, on Huffington Post articles, ad images/banners themselves are removed, but I can still see the word "Advertisement" along with two grey lines above and below where the ad would have been. Purify seems to remove such objects more often than not.
I would not mind beta testing Magic, I have tested many and it seems that they all leave much to be desired.
many of which offer next to none for support after release.
many of which offer next to none for support after release.