Firefox for iOS now has a native adblocker(support.mozilla.org)
137 pointsby pentagrama2 hours ago10 comments
  • internet2000an hour ago
    In case anyone here missed it, there's a native Ublock Origin for Safari. It works great → https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ublock-origin-lite/id674534269...
    • simcop23873 minutes ago
      Mostly so, it's got all the limitations of Manifest V3 which prevents it from doing a good bit of blocking, https://ublockorigin.com/#manifest-v3-section

      In particular:

      * Cannot use all filter lists simultaneously (rule limits apply)

      * No cosmetic filtering in the default mode

      * No scriptlet injection by default

      * Limited dynamic filtering capabilities

      * Requires broader host permissions upfront

      But it's definitely still better than no adblockers

    • Nextgrid6 minutes ago
      This is not a true uBlock Origin. It's a best effort attempt at converting UBO rules to Apple's declarative blocking framework, but is nowhere near as capable as actual UBO.
  • Shankan hour ago
    > Ads shown on search engine results pages, including Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo and other search providers

    There are many subpar adblockers available both built into browsers on iOS and as extensions. uBlock Origin Lite for Safari remains the best mobile adblocker on iOS, I suppose.

  • VCFundedGenYer2 hours ago
    Technically, Firefox Focus (a separate browser for iOS) includes an adblocker feature that can be applied system wide via iOS's content blockers subsystem. This was released in the late 2010s.

    Firefox including it is likely just reducing the steps required.

    • brightbeigean hour ago
      If you search the App Store and don’t find it, it’s called Firefox Klar in some markets
    • adityeah2 hours ago
      Yes and not only that, one can enable that as a safari extension and get an ad-free experience on safari too.
  • temp08262 hours ago
    What's the current excuse for not supporting extensions on iOS? Orion on iOS does and it's the reason I dropped FF ages ago.
    • TheDong2 hours ago
      Apple themselves do not allow using anything other than WebKit unless you move to the EU or Japan: https://developer.apple.com/support/alternative-browser-engi...

      Firefox addons target gecko, not webkit.

      What Orion's doing is horribly hacky and prone to cause issues with a multitude of addons, and of course Mozilla shouldn't bow to Apple's incredibly anti-competitive behavior.

      You pay apple for a phone that can act more-or-less as a general purpose computer with apps. Apple should let you install the apps you want, and that they don't do so is insulting.

      The fact that the EU and Japan ruled it illegal, and Apple responded by only changing it in those two countries instead of all countries is doubly insulting.

      • prinny_7 minutes ago
        Can you please expand on why what Orion does is hacky and may cause issues with other add ons?
      • 39 minutes ago
        undefined
      • yoavman hour ago
        > Firefox addons target gecko, not webkit.

        Are they? I've built a few Firefox extension and I cannot recall any part of the API that is Gecko-specific. While parts of the API aren't entirely browser-agnostic, they definitely seem to be engine-agnostic.

      • Tryk30 minutes ago
        *EU is not one country
        • benoau2 minutes ago
          The law that requires allowing alternative browsers, the DMA, applies to the entire EU.

          But I believe there are zero third party browsers, to publish their browser in the EU Mozilla need an EU development team because developers outside the EU are unable to install it for testing, and Mozilla cannot publish it as their existing app. Enforcement is taking years.

      • wblan hour ago
        Not all markets or manufacturers will have the same degree of vertical integration and that's ok.
        • Grombobulousan hour ago
          It’s okay if you’re in a healthy market with many competitive choices.

          It’s not okay if you’re a duopoly where over 95% of people buy your product as a prerequisite to functioning in modern society.

        • grepexan hour ago
          Read: not all markets and manufacturers will have the same respect for their customers.
    • close042 hours ago
      Until recently Apple only allowed Webkit on iOS. In the EU and Japan now they allow proprietary engines. But this means Mozilla needs to put in all the extra effort to maintain yet another branch for iOS with all the features, for an even more limited user base in those regions alone.
    • tcfhgjan hour ago
      what's the current excuse for buying a device which doesn't allow you to control what software you use on it?
      • temp082620 minutes ago
        My current excuse? Android (the only current realistic alternative; I don't have the time nor care to fiddle with technical details on a device that I need to be a reliable tool. I'm not afraid of going deep on something less standard, Linux has been my daily driven OS for literally decades) is trash and untrustworthy in my experience. Browser extensions alone are not nearly enough to tip the scale for me to go back to it. As mentioned I use something that provides extension support already (from a browser that has far fewer developers working on it!), which is why I find it stupid that Mozilla won't figure out a way to do it themselves.
      • confusedbucket20 minutes ago
        Where do I buy this device that does let me run any software I want?

        Most Android phones don't even let users unlock the bootloader anymore. And if you do unlock the bootloader, now Google Pay doesn't work, among other things. I don't really feel like being in control of what software I use when the software I actually want refuses to run. F-Droid homepage is also concerning.

        Linux phones barely handle the basic functions.

        • seba_dos115 minutes ago
          > Linux phones barely handle the basic functions.

          The one I'm typing this on right now reliably handles all the functions I need and lets me run any software I want.

      • cogman1017 minutes ago
        As a mobile device? There are like 3 of them on the market right now and you'll run into huge headaches at every turn if you try and use them.
      • whstlan hour ago
        1. Not wanting to.

        2. Caring about other aspects of the device.

        I don't personally agree with Apple's decisions, but you "vote with wallet" people need to have at least some modicum of empathy before you start demanding that people have a lot for you and join your cause.

        • tcfhgjan hour ago
          you are reading a lot into almost nothing

          > 1. Not wanting to.

          obviously you DO want to if you want to use extensions but cannot use them because you actually cannot control the software on your device

          • whstl40 minutes ago
            I am not talking about myself. That's where the empathy part comes.
    • VCFundedGenYeran hour ago
      As always, it's Apple neutering their own platform. They don't allow a lot of things on iOS. Non-WebKit browsers is one of them (Which is asinine).

      The EU forced them to allow other browser engines in their regions, but it's not global, and therefore fragmented.

  • michimagdesignan hour ago
    Paying for Wipr 2 + Filtr is still the gold standard on apple platforms imo. But it’s not open source and there are no custom block lists.
  • rrgokan hour ago
    It this still only DNS blocking or does cosmetic blocking too?
    • HelloUsernamean hour ago
      "Firefox blocks many types of advertising at the network level. It uses a filter list based on EasyList to block many ads before they load."

      I guess still all DNS it seems? For which NextDNS is much more useful.

  • hosteur24 minutes ago
    Why did it take so long?
  • ramijames28 minutes ago
    If you haven't been using Firefox, what are you even doing with your life?
    • EbNar14 minutes ago
      I've been using it for 20 years and switched 4 yearso ago to something else. My life is fine, thanks.

      EDIT: so, the downvotes are because what, exactly?

  • ImJamal2 hours ago
    > Firefox does not block:

    > Ads shown on search engine results pages, including Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo and other search providers

    > Sponsored content on the Firefox Home or New Tab page

    So block ads unless it impacts their revenue sources.

    • pmkaryan hour ago
      Ads are bad! Blocking ads on our own homepage? How do you expect us to keep the lights on?
    • NicuCalcea12 minutes ago
      > You can manage the sponsored content on the Firefox Home and New Tab page in your Homepage settings.
    • lakkal24 minutes ago
      > Sponsored content on the Firefox Home or New Tab page

      Not ideal, but (at least on desktop) you can set the Home page to a blank page, and there is an extension called 'Blank New Tab' that I've been using for quite a while.

    • WarmWash35 minutes ago
      The correct way to avoid ads is to not visit pages that use them.
    • rvzan hour ago
      Mozilla knows not to bite Google’s hand, who is the one that actually feeds them hundreds of millions of dollars.
      • charcircuit38 minutes ago
        Mozilla is the one who is funneling billions of dollars worth of traffic to Google.
        • EbNar5 minutes ago
          So, is Mozilla promoting a search engine monoculture? Yeah, "Google bad, but..."
    • eviksan hour ago
      "better than nothing"
    • add-sub-mul-div2 hours ago
      It doesn't have those limitations on Windows or Android, so it must be an Apple requirement or limitation.
      • smallerizean hour ago
        Easylist does not block those things on any platforms.

        I'm not aware of any adblockers that can block the ads on the built-in New Tab page. (You can just disable them in settings anyway.)

  • jamesforestwestan hour ago
    Well, not bad. But it's not uBlock, and Safari's blocker is already working fine for me. Brave's also been doing this for years. But at least it's something.