5 ms·

Because I want to use a browser with Adblock and iOS won't let me, so it's ruled out from the start. Why would I settle for an expensive device that makes brow

Because I want to use a browser with Adblock and iOS won't let me, so it's ruled out from the start. Why would I settle for an expensive device that makes browsing the internet painful? Why would I limit myself to only the software apple will approve? It isn't even in the running and as long as their software policies remain as is, won't be in the running.

zibby8 4y ago
iOS supports ad-blockers in Safari.
layer8 4y ago
There are adblocker extensions (aka “content blockers”) on iOS that work very well. This has been the case since iOS 9 IIRC, so seven years ago.
- Tijdreiziger 4y ago
  It only supports ‘Chrome Manifest v3’-style ‘simple’ blocking lists, not ‘true’ adblockers. These mostly work fine but are clearly less powerful. They also don’t work with non-Safari browsers (e.g. Firefox).
  - scarface74 4y ago
    This hasn’t been true for two years Safari on iOS has supported web extensions for that long.
    - fomine3 4y ago
      iOS Safari supports Web Extensions for a year, but does it useful for adblocker? It lacks WebRequest API (from the beginning of Mac Safari).
      - scarface74 4y ago
        I keep seeing these handwavy responses about the “limitations” of ad blocking on iOS. But I don’t see any ads with 1Blocker installed.
        fomine3 4y ago
        Yeah it's generally fine by just using a Content Blocker app, but your argument about web extensions and adblocker is wrong. "I don’t see any ads" is handwavy response.
        scarface74 4y ago
        If the purpose of an ad blocker is to not see any ads and unless you can show me a web page that shows ads when I’m running 1Blocker that doesn’t with a supposedly superior solution then how is 1Blocker on iOS inferior?
        fomine3 4y ago
        I'm also fine with a Content Blocker app (I use local made one) like you. It rarely miss some ads (I don't know is it due to missed rules or API) but ignorable. So I'm not against for Apple/Google to introduce rule based API for efficiency. I just say Web Extensions on Safari seems to irrelevant for this topic. You can say "Content blocker is fine" instead. Technically it's less capable than what webRequests API can do, but it's almost fine for most users except like HNers.
        scarface74 4y ago
        How is it “irrelevant” when 1Blocker in fact has added a web extension for increase functionality?
        fomine3 4y ago
        Ah Ok I found 1Blocker now uses not only Content Blocker but also Extension's content script to do more blocking work. Thanks for correction. https://backstage.1blocker.com/how-to-block-youtube-ads-in-safari-with-1blocker-a9091cff160d https://backstage.1blocker.com/how-to-block-youtube-ads-in-s...
- yunohn 4y ago
  What? iOS only supports content blockers as safari extensions since iOS 15, which is the latest iOS… Please do source your claim that this has been possible for 7yrs, as that’s not my experience. (https://developer.apple.com/safari/extensions/ https://developer.apple.com/safari/extensions/)
  - layer8 4y ago
    See e.g. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9695552 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9695552 and https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10230704 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10230704.
mplewis 4y ago
iOS supports adblockers since iOS 9 was released in 2015.
- LegitShady 4y ago
  it does not support real adblockers like ublock origin, it supports 'blocking lists' which are garbage.
  - scarface74 4y ago
    iOS supports web extensions and has since iOS 12/13
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
AnthonyMouse 4y ago
I was an inch away from buying an iPhone, even though I disapprove of their curation model, because Android is such a garbage fire. (Not one modern Android phone has in-kernel-tree drivers? Not one?) And the forced curation is dumb but if they're approving everything I'd want to use anyway, Android can eat it until they sort out their problems. What do I even need? Signal and Firefox with uBlock, that's really it. On iOS, Signal can't do SMS and there's no uBlock. Of course.
- ChuckNorris89 4y ago
  >Not one modern Android phone has in-kernel-tree drivers? Not one That's up to Qualcomm, not Android. And Qualcomm needs to sell new chips every year, therefore planned obsolescence by tying the drivers to a version of Android works in their favor.
  - AnthonyMouse 4y ago
    Google has the leverage to fix this if they wanted to. Samsung is also leaving a competitive advantage on the table by not doing this with Exynos. And the planned obsolescence is pointless. Even if you could run the latest Linux kernel on a phone you bought ten years ago, a phone from that year might have a 3G radio and less than a GB of memory. Which can still make phone calls, or be used in place of a Raspberry Pi, but it's hardly competition for anything currently commanding significant margins.
    - ChuckNorris89 4y ago
      >Google has the leverage to fix this if they wanted to. How? >Samsung is also leaving a competitive advantage on the table by not doing this with Exynos. How is Samsung different than the rest? They also make their money from selling as much hardware as possible as often as possible. They don't have a way to monetize users post-sale through subscriptions, services and AppStore cuts. All that infrastructure is owned by Google and that's where the money goes to.
      - 4y ago
scarface74 4y ago
Seeing that rule based content blocking has been built into iOS for 6 years and web extension support has been built in for two…
buildbot 4y ago
Network level adblocking + DNS over HTTPs solves this really well and improves overall security imo

zibby8 4y ago

iOS supports ad-blockers in Safari.

layer8 4y ago

There are adblocker extensions (aka “content blockers”) on iOS that work very well. This has been the case since iOS 9 IIRC, so seven years ago.

Tijdreiziger 4y ago
It only supports ‘Chrome Manifest v3’-style ‘simple’ blocking lists, not ‘true’ adblockers. These mostly work fine but are clearly less powerful. They also don’t work with non-Safari browsers (e.g. Firefox).
- scarface74 4y ago
  This hasn’t been true for two years Safari on iOS has supported web extensions for that long.
  - fomine3 4y ago
    iOS Safari supports Web Extensions for a year, but does it useful for adblocker? It lacks WebRequest API (from the beginning of Mac Safari).
    - scarface74 4y ago
      I keep seeing these handwavy responses about the “limitations” of ad blocking on iOS. But I don’t see any ads with 1Blocker installed.
      - fomine3 4y ago
        Yeah it's generally fine by just using a Content Blocker app, but your argument about web extensions and adblocker is wrong. "I don’t see any ads" is handwavy response.
        scarface74 4y ago
        If the purpose of an ad blocker is to not see any ads and unless you can show me a web page that shows ads when I’m running 1Blocker that doesn’t with a supposedly superior solution then how is 1Blocker on iOS inferior?
        fomine3 4y ago
        I'm also fine with a Content Blocker app (I use local made one) like you. It rarely miss some ads (I don't know is it due to missed rules or API) but ignorable. So I'm not against for Apple/Google to introduce rule based API for efficiency. I just say Web Extensions on Safari seems to irrelevant for this topic. You can say "Content blocker is fine" instead. Technically it's less capable than what webRequests API can do, but it's almost fine for most users except like HNers.
        scarface74 4y ago
        How is it “irrelevant” when 1Blocker in fact has added a web extension for increase functionality?
        fomine3 4y ago
        Ah Ok I found 1Blocker now uses not only Content Blocker but also Extension's content script to do more blocking work. Thanks for correction. https://backstage.1blocker.com/how-to-block-youtube-ads-in-safari-with-1blocker-a9091cff160d https://backstage.1blocker.com/how-to-block-youtube-ads-in-s...
yunohn 4y ago
What? iOS only supports content blockers as safari extensions since iOS 15, which is the latest iOS… Please do source your claim that this has been possible for 7yrs, as that’s not my experience. (https://developer.apple.com/safari/extensions/ https://developer.apple.com/safari/extensions/)
- layer8 4y ago
  See e.g. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9695552 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9695552 and https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10230704 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10230704.

mplewis 4y ago

iOS supports adblockers since iOS 9 was released in 2015.

LegitShady 4y ago
it does not support real adblockers like ublock origin, it supports 'blocking lists' which are garbage.
- scarface74 4y ago
  iOS supports web extensions and has since iOS 12/13

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

AnthonyMouse 4y ago

I was an inch away from buying an iPhone, even though I disapprove of their curation model, because Android is such a garbage fire. (Not one modern Android phone has in-kernel-tree drivers? Not one?) And the forced curation is dumb but if they're approving everything I'd want to use anyway, Android can eat it until they sort out their problems. What do I even need? Signal and Firefox with uBlock, that's really it. On iOS, Signal can't do SMS and there's no uBlock. Of course.

ChuckNorris89 4y ago
>Not one modern Android phone has in-kernel-tree drivers? Not one That's up to Qualcomm, not Android. And Qualcomm needs to sell new chips every year, therefore planned obsolescence by tying the drivers to a version of Android works in their favor.
- AnthonyMouse 4y ago
  Google has the leverage to fix this if they wanted to. Samsung is also leaving a competitive advantage on the table by not doing this with Exynos. And the planned obsolescence is pointless. Even if you could run the latest Linux kernel on a phone you bought ten years ago, a phone from that year might have a 3G radio and less than a GB of memory. Which can still make phone calls, or be used in place of a Raspberry Pi, but it's hardly competition for anything currently commanding significant margins.
  - ChuckNorris89 4y ago
    >Google has the leverage to fix this if they wanted to. How? >Samsung is also leaving a competitive advantage on the table by not doing this with Exynos. How is Samsung different than the rest? They also make their money from selling as much hardware as possible as often as possible. They don't have a way to monetize users post-sale through subscriptions, services and AppStore cuts. All that infrastructure is owned by Google and that's where the money goes to.
    - 4y ago

scarface74 4y ago

Seeing that rule based content blocking has been built into iOS for 6 years and web extension support has been built in for two…

buildbot 4y ago

Network level adblocking + DNS over HTTPs solves this really well and improves overall security imo