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So does iOS Safari. Is the wow part specifically Firefox?

irq 7y ago
> So does iOS Safari. This is incorrect. iOS Safari allows for rudimentary ad blockers to be installed. But no other sort of extensions are possible.
- gnicholas 7y ago
  Actually, safari for iOS does support extensions other than adblockers. There are action extensions as well, though they have to be actively invoked every time you want to run them. This typically requires either 2 or 3 taps on every page, which stinks. It’s also difficult to educate users about their existence. But it’s technically an extension...
  - judge2020 7y ago
    Apple must have felt the "extensions that run on every page" would both A. introduce a common browser pain point (really crappy extensions slowing things down) and B. become dangerous to their users' privacy, since most things Extensions would be used for also require some sort of internet connectivity (eg. Grammarly - sending your text to the cloud).
- chipotle_coyote 7y ago
  I've been using 1Password and Save to Instapaper on iOS for years. I suppose one can argue those aren't "true" extensions, but I'm not sure it'd be a very good argument, given that they're functionally pretty close to their Mac counterparts.
  - irq 7y ago
    I’ve been using both of those tools for years too, but those are OS-wide plugins that do not modify Safari’s behavior- which to me is the very definition of a “browser extension”.
nullspace 7y ago
This is news to me. How do I find and install extensions for iOS Safari?
- tech234a 7y ago
  You can download “content blockers”, such as Adblock Plus (simpler) or AdGuard (more list options and customization), from the App Store. Then, in Settings>Safari >Content Blockers, you enable the filter list(s) provided by that app (most apps have tutorials for this). (This is similar to the way call-blocking apps work.) Notably, content-blocking apps do not have access to what is being blocked, they can only provide block lists. Also, the Shortcuts app allows you to manually run custom JavaScript on webpages in Safari.
- chipotle_coyote 7y ago
  Search for "safari extensions" in the App Store. (I apologize for an answer that sounds so much like "have you tried Googling for this," but that's honestly the best answer that I have. I didn't say Safari for iOS had great extensions available for it, but it does have extensions!)
bashinator 7y ago
Wait, I can install uBlock Origin on my iPhone?
- shantly 7y ago
  Firefox Focus on iOS can block ads in Safari, too, oddly enough. And it's free. It's not uBlock Origin but it does the job well enough I've not bothered to look for any other solutions.

irq 7y ago

> So does iOS Safari. This is incorrect. iOS Safari allows for rudimentary ad blockers to be installed. But no other sort of extensions are possible.

gnicholas 7y ago
Actually, safari for iOS does support extensions other than adblockers. There are action extensions as well, though they have to be actively invoked every time you want to run them. This typically requires either 2 or 3 taps on every page, which stinks. It’s also difficult to educate users about their existence. But it’s technically an extension...
- judge2020 7y ago
  Apple must have felt the "extensions that run on every page" would both A. introduce a common browser pain point (really crappy extensions slowing things down) and B. become dangerous to their users' privacy, since most things Extensions would be used for also require some sort of internet connectivity (eg. Grammarly - sending your text to the cloud).
chipotle_coyote 7y ago
I've been using 1Password and Save to Instapaper on iOS for years. I suppose one can argue those aren't "true" extensions, but I'm not sure it'd be a very good argument, given that they're functionally pretty close to their Mac counterparts.
- irq 7y ago
  I’ve been using both of those tools for years too, but those are OS-wide plugins that do not modify Safari’s behavior- which to me is the very definition of a “browser extension”.

nullspace 7y ago

This is news to me. How do I find and install extensions for iOS Safari?

tech234a 7y ago
You can download “content blockers”, such as Adblock Plus (simpler) or AdGuard (more list options and customization), from the App Store. Then, in Settings>Safari >Content Blockers, you enable the filter list(s) provided by that app (most apps have tutorials for this). (This is similar to the way call-blocking apps work.) Notably, content-blocking apps do not have access to what is being blocked, they can only provide block lists. Also, the Shortcuts app allows you to manually run custom JavaScript on webpages in Safari.
chipotle_coyote 7y ago
Search for "safari extensions" in the App Store. (I apologize for an answer that sounds so much like "have you tried Googling for this," but that's honestly the best answer that I have. I didn't say Safari for iOS had great extensions available for it, but it does have extensions!)

bashinator 7y ago

Wait, I can install uBlock Origin on my iPhone?

shantly 7y ago
Firefox Focus on iOS can block ads in Safari, too, oddly enough. And it's free. It's not uBlock Origin but it does the job well enough I've not bothered to look for any other solutions.