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The Ultimate Superuser’s Guide to uBlock Origin

uBlock Origin is the most powerful and versatile ad blocker available. Unfortunately, the design is also a little obscure. This guide will explain the ins and outs of uBlock Origin’s advanced features, including adding custom lists, creating custom user filters, setting up dynamic blocking rules, and adjusting rules for uBlock Origin on specific domains with the advanced user interface.

Installing uBlock Origin

Setting up advanced options, dynamic filtering rules, saving and reverting filtering rules, third-party scripts and frames, viewing and editing dynamic rules, removing elements with static rules, finding and using custom filter lists, storing and syncing rules.

A pre-built version of the uBlock Origin extension is available for Google Chrome , Firefox , Safari , Microsoft Edge and Opera . You can also build the extension manually from source for Firefox and Chrome.

Also read: uBlock Origin – Better Than AdBlock Plus?

A quick warning : uBlock Origin is not and has never been connected to ublock.org or the uBlock extension. The Origin part in the name is very important in distinguishing between these two unrelated projects that once shared a similar codebase. ublock.org and the uBlock extension should be avoided, as they are imitators that purposefully confuse the market to steal data and deceive users. Be sure you have uBlock Origin and not uBlock.

Before we can do anything interesting with uBlock Origin, we need to enable advanced settings. Make sure to check out the required reading before you proceed. If you lack the troubleshooting experience to manage these types of decisions, consider reading up on how cookies work before you start tinkering with their functionality. Otherwise, expect the unexpected!

1. Click on the uBlock Origin extension’s icon.

2. Click the Settings icon.

3. Tick the box next to “I am an advanced user.”

Once you have advanced settings enabled, you can adjust blocking settings on a granular level.

Filtering is handled in uBlock Origin at two levels: globally and locally. Global rules apply to all URLs, while local rules are for the current URL only.

The first column specifies the URL that the content originates from.

The second column indicates global settings, which are inherited by the specific URLs.

The third column indicates local rules for the current URL.

If you mouse over a box in the “global” or “local” rules column, you’ll see red, grey, and green thirds.

Click on the red third to set a blocking rule for the associated content type. The green third permits the corresponding element. The grey third sets a “noop” rule, which stands for “no operation.” This setting will prevent uBlock Origin from taking action on the associated content. Setting a “noop” filter will override global settings for a specific URL.

At the top of the window are content types. These can be blocked at the global and URL-specific level. These are blunt filters but useful nonetheless.

Under the content types are the URLs loaded on the current webpage. A plus icon indicates that content from that URL is being permitted. A minus icon indicates that content from the URL is being blocked. You can sometimes see a mixture of pluses and minuses for one URL, which indicates that some of the content is permitted while other content is blocked.

You can also look at the color coding next to the URL. Green indicates that content from that URL is permitted. Yellow indicates that some content from that URL is blocked. Red indicates that all content from the URL will be blocked.

Settings an inherited based on specificity. For example, global content type rules have the lowest priority. Rules set on filtering lists have a medium priority ranking: they can override global settings, but not URL-specific user settings. The highest priority is given to URL-specific local rules set by the user.

Changes you make to filtering rules are automatically reset the next time you visit a website. To make your settings permanent, click the lock icon.

To revert to the last saved state, click the eraser icon.

In general, it’s a good idea to block third-party scripts and frames by default. This protects both your privacy and your eyeballs. It can also break websites, so keep a quick finger on the “noop” override.

To block third-party scripts and frames, click the red third of the box next to each in the global column. This will automatically block all third-party scripts and frames on every URL.

If a website breaks, you can set a “noop” override to permit third-party scripts and frames. Click the grey box in the local rules column to set a “noop” rule and override the global blocking rule for this URL.

This noop rule will only apply to the current URL.

Alternatively, you can also hunt down the URL of the blocked resource and permit that resource specifically. This is easiest with the third-party frame has a clear origin, like a YouTube or Twitter embed. If you permit those frames globally and save the rule, those URL-specific filters will trump the global content type filters.

By balancing global and local filters with content type filters, you can set sensible online privacy settings while permitting content you don’t find as objectionable.

To view the filters that you’ve already set, look at uBlock Origin’s Settings page under the My Rules tab. Here, you’ll see the rules you’ve set in two lists. The list on the left is for permanent rules and the list on the right is for temporary rules, as indicated by their headings.

The text contents of the right-most temporary rule column can be edited directly with the cursor, mouse, and keyboard. If uBlock Origin detects a difference between the two columns, you’ll see contextual buttons labeled “Revert” and “Commit” that offer the option to sync the columns with one another. Click “Revert” to copy the unchanged contents of the permanent rule list to the temporary rules list. Click “Commit” to copy the change from the temporary rules list to the permanent rules list.

You’ll notice that the text formatting of the rules follows specific conventions. The syntax is like so:

If you follow the dynamic filtering rules syntax guide on uBlock Origin’s GitHub page, you can change and set rules with text strings directly from this pane.

Also read: How to Get More Out of Your Adblocker

If you want to remove elements from the page using graphical tools, you can access that feature by setting cosmetic rules. These rules remove DOM elements based on a graphically-based node selection by the user. If you see something on a website that bothers you, like a email subscription banner, an ad-block detector, or anything else offensive to your sensibilities, you can remove it this way.

Temporary Rules: Element Zapper

There are two different ways to set cosmetic rules in uBlock Origin. The first is with the Element Zapper, accessed through the lightning bolt icon on uBlock Origin’s extension dropdown pane.

This tool sets a temporary rule removing the specified DOM element. With the next browser session, the element will return. To create a rule, click the element zapper icon, and then click on the page element you want to remove. As you mouse over various DOM elements, they’ll be colored yellow to indicate what element is currently selected. Once the right element is selected, click to remove the selected element instantly. No confirmation box will appear after clicking

The element zapper will do its best to pick the element you’ve selected, but you might need to dance your mouse around a bit to get the element you’re hoping for. It will attempt to adhere to the largest DOM object that its algorithm can locate and select.

Permanent Rules: Element Picker

To set a permanent rule, use the Element Picker, represented by the eyedropper icon to the right of the lightning bolt.

This will activate an interface similar to the element zapper, but now DOM elements will be highlighted in red instead of yellow.

When you click on the red highlighted element, a text box will appear in the lower-right, previewing the class or ID of the selected element. It’s this text-based class or ID match that will be used to remove the element in the future. And since many sites obfuscate their code to make ad blocking more difficult, you may need to refine the element picker’s automatic selection from time to time. You can also use this tool to select “layers” of the DOM that are completely obscured or exist only in DOM logic.

To select a different element, mouse over its name in the yellow box below the white text box. Click on the text to see the associated element highlighted in red.

When the correct element is selected, click the “Create” button to create the rule and remove the element. You can also click the adjacent “Pick” button to return to the element picker if you selected the wrong part of the page.

In the future you can find the rule in uBlock Origin’s settings under the “My Filters” tab. New rules will appear at the bottom of the list with their data and timestamp.

If you want to ignore a rule, you can type an exclamation point at the beginning of the line to comment out the element rule. You can also see additional static filer syntax in uBlock Origin’s documentation on GitHub.

uBlock Origin comes with some preset filter lists, but there are many more you can add. The easiest way to add more filters is to browse FilterLists .

If you find a filter list you want to add to uBlock Origin’s filters, click “Details” and then “Subscribe.” This will automatically download and include the list in uBlock Origin’s blocking rules for websites visited in the future. Only lists with the uBlock Origin icon can be added to uBlock Origin in this way.

These filters will then appear under the “Filter Lists” tab in uBlock Origin’s options page. They can be viewed and toggled from that page in the future.

To make a local backup of your uBlock Origin rules, you can save your settings out to a file. Find the dialog options at the bottom of the main uBlock Origin settings tab.

If you want to use the browser-based cloud storage for extensions, you can tick the “Enable cloud storage” option on the main page of uBlock Origin’s settings. This will allow you to upload data within the extension’s small file space within the browser. This only syncs with other copies of the same browser, however.

If you upload your uBlock Origin settings in Firefox, you cannot then download them in Chrome on another computer. As a result, sharing configurations through files is the most reliable method of the time being. To sync your rules among multiple browsers and computers, you can share the backup configuration text file over a cloud storage service.

uBlock Origin isn’t exactly an ad blocker. It’s a wide-spectrum content blocker. That means it can control what comes into your browser no matter its origin. That makes it extremely powerful, and extremely easy to mess up. So take care with what you do, and if something breaks, be prepared to fix it.

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Alexander Fox is a tech and science writer based in Philadelphia, PA with one cat, three Macs and more USB cables than he could ever use.

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• Software and apps

Our Favorite Ad Blockers and Browser Extensions to Protect Privacy

By Thorin Klosowski

Everything you do online—from browsing to shopping to using social networks—is tracked, typically as behavioral or advertising data. But browser extensions are simple, generally free add-ons that you can use to slow down or break this type of data collection, without completely ruining your experience of using the internet.

Browser extensions, also called add-ons, are tiny bits of software you can download to add new features to your web browser. They are sometimes created by developers as a hobby project to solve a problem for themselves, but are also developed by larger companies as part of their own suite of software.

Not all browsers offer the exact same extensions, but Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox are the two most popular browsers, and the ones I focus on here. (Most Chrome extensions will also work with Microsoft Edge , Brave , Opera , and Vivaldi , though we haven’t fully tested them.) Of the two, I recommend Firefox if you prioritize privacy, as it’s much more focused on privacy out of the box compared with Chrome. Regardless of which browser you use, a pack of extensions can increase your privacy by decreasing your exposure to trackers, as well as have the welcome side effect of boosting your security. I’ve included links for both Chrome and Firefox, along with alternatives to our favorites, if they exist.

As for other browsers, Apple’s Safari isn’t bad when it comes to privacy, but it lacks wide support for popular browser extensions. Edge is based on Chromium and will work with the bulk of the Chrome extensions in this article, we haven’t tested it thoroughly. Brave is one of the more popular privacy-first browsers, but even it isn’t free of privacy-related controversies . The Tor Browser is the go-to for anonymity, especially in censored countries, but it’s unusable for most people as a daily browser. Dozens of other lower-profile browsers exist, but few get the security updates and support that most of us need in the software we use all day.

Like apps and desktop software, extensions are useful, but they can be a privacy nightmare . It’s rare for researchers to bother looking closely at extensions to make sure they’re above board. In the last few years, we’ve seen a number of popular extensions turn out to be malware , and one very popular tab management extension was flagged and removed from the Chrome Web Store after the extension’s development changed hands. So, while often useful, it’s best to avoid extensions unless you know exactly what they’re up to. The ones included here are widely scrutinized, or created by reputable companies.

Privacy almost always comes at the cost of usability. Sometimes a browser extension might cause a website to display text strangely, prevent embedded images or tweets from loading on a page, or remove the little social media buttons that make it easy to share an article. But in exchange for the occasional slight headache, companies will have a harder time tracking what you do online.

Ad blocker: uBlock Origin

Chrome / Firefox

Ad blockers are browser extensions that block intrusive pop-ups, invasive trackers, and malicious ads. You have a lot of options for different ad blockers, but I’ve always found that uBlock Origin doesn’t hog system resources (an assumption others have confirmed ), nor does it block so much that it ruins a site’s layout and functionality. I also like how easy it is to disable uBlock Origin on a case-by-case basis, either to allow ads on sites that aren’t annoying or to temporarily enable features uBlock tends to break, like comments sections.

Alternatives: I’ve found that AdBlock , AdBlock Plus , and Ghostery all have steep learning curves or poor performance, but some people prefer them to uBlock Origin. If you want to go hard on ad blockers and kill every ad from every device on your home network, you can build a tiny computer dedicated to just that using Pi-hole software.

Tracking blocker: Privacy Badger

In conjunction with uBlock Origin, consider also running Privacy Badger, an extension designed to block tracking tools , the scripts that tend to record your visits and build profiles based on the websites you view. If you want to learn more about these types of trackers, type an address of a site into The Markup’s Blacklight tool, which lists the trackers it finds on a website and details what that tracking company does.

Alternatives: If you want to learn more about the trackers on the sites you visit, Disconnect can provide more detailed information, but it can be a bit overwhelming. Firefox has a built-in feature (powered by Disconnect) to block trackers, but some may get through, so we still recommend an extra add-on.

Local resources: Decentraleyes

When a website loads resources—such as the sort of JavaScript libraries that add basic animations to a web page, or a date-picker pop-up when you book a hotel room—it often pulls those resources from a third-party host such as Google. Decentraleyes packs a number of the most popular of these libraries so your browser can use them right from your computer instead of fetching them from a third party. It prevents sites from breaking due to settings in an ad or tracking blocker, and works as a useful complement to either.

Alternatives: LocalCDN does the same thing as Decentraleyes, but has less reviews than Decentraleyes.

Login protection: Use a password manager

A password manager is the first step to protecting your online accounts. Password managers are usually accessed through a browser extension that generates, stores, and fills your passwords as you browse the internet. This makes it easier, faster, and more secure to log in to websites. We like 1Password and Bitwarden . Most browsers can also save and fill passwords without a dedicated password manager, but they tend to lock you into that specific browser, or don’t provide tools for password sharing. A dedicated password manager is better at warning you about weak or compromised passwords.

Firefox Multi-Account Containers

As the name suggests, Firefox Multi-Account Containers is a Firefox-only extension, but I’ve found it useful while working from home on my personal computer full time. Essentially, Multi-Account Containers lets you create separate storage containers for different types of browsing—such as work, personal, social media, and shopping—so your web-browsing behavior doesn’t get tracked across sites as easily. In my case, my Google Account for work is siloed off from everything else I do. This prevents me from being accidentally logged in to work email or bombarded by ads for bear canisters because I’m researching the VPN provider TunnelBear. I used to do this by running different browsers—one for work and one for personal stuff—but now I can do it all in Firefox.

Alternatives: Temporary Containers works similarly to Multi-Account Containers but offers more ways to customize how the containers function. Facebook Container is essentially a streamlined version that isolates only Facebook, typically the worst offender for tracking your browsing. If you don’t want to futz around with a bunch of different settings, Facebook Container is a great option for cutting off only your Facebook use.

Extra-credit tools

Regardless of which browser you use, you should enable its HTTPS-preferred mode. This ensures the browser will always attempt to go to the secure version of a web page. You might have to opt into this feature in your browser:

• Chrome : Click the three-dot icon, then Settings > Privacy and security, and enable “Always use secure connections.”
• Firefox : Click the three-line icon, then open Settings > Privacy & Security > Enable HTTPS-Only Mode.
• Safari : Safari automatically updates any site to HTTPS when possible, but doesn’t have an option to block sites that aren’t secure.

There are also a few options that aren’t for everyone:

• Use a VPN: The browser extensions above hide the bulk of your activity while browsing, but a virtual private network (VPN) can add another layer of privacy by routing your traffic through a secure, encrypted connection. This prevents your internet service provider from seeing your online activities. VPNs can also change your location and IP address, making it more difficult for other parties to track you over time (though an untrustworthy company may still leak or monitor that same data ).
• Enable DNS over HTTPS (DoH): Web browsers are rolling out support for DoH, a protocol that increases privacy by encrypting DNS , which makes it much more difficult for someone—your internet service provider included—to snoop on your web browsing. MUO has a guide for enabling DoH in most modern browsers. (Although, if you use a trustworthy VPN, it’s redundant to have DoH enabled in your browser.)
• Change your default search engine: It’s no secret Google tracks everything you do and then uses that information to serve up ads. Alternatives like DuckDuckGo and Startpage work well, and they don’t store your personal information or search data. Here’s how to change your search engine on Chrome or Firefox . You may still need to visit Google for some searches, but the less you use it, the better. If you can’t peel yourself away from Google, Simple Search cuts the advertising cruft from Google search results to show you just the results for what you searched for.

There are many layers of privacy protection, and how deep you want to go with it depends on what’s important to you. If you’re interested in more advanced privacy protections because you want to keep your data out of the hands of government or law enforcement, I recommend reading the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s guide to using the Tor Browser or checking out the Tails operating system . Plenty of other extensions exist if you want to take things further, including NoScript , Cookie AutoDelete , uMatrix , and CanvasBlocker . They tend to make general web browsing a pain, though, so I recommend them only for advanced users.

Meet your guide

Thorin Klosowski

Thorin Klosowski is the former editor of privacy and security topics at Wirecutter. He has been writing about technology for over a decade, with an emphasis on learning by doing—which is to say, breaking things as often as possible to see how they work. For better or worse, he applies that same DIY approach to his reporting.

Mentioned above

• Everyone should use a password manager, and after researching dozens and testing six, we recommend 1Password because it’s secure and easy to use. The Best Password Managers  
• A virtual private network (VPN) is a useful way to improve security or privacy in certain situations, but it’s difficult to find one that’s trustworthy. The Best VPN Service  
• A VPN can secure a public Wi-Fi connection and reduce some types of online tracking, but is it reliable to access video sites or limit tracking? Read on to see. What Is a VPN and What Can (and Can’t) It Do?  

Further reading

Step 9 to Simple Online Security: Secure Your Web Browser

by Thorin Klosowski

You can block malicious ads and invasive trackers with a few safe, free add-ons for most web browsers.

Back Up and Secure Your Digital Life

by Haley Perry

From password managers to backup software, here are the apps and services everyone needs to protect themselves from security breaches and data loss.

The Best Internet Security: Layers of Protection, and Good Habits

by Kevin Purdy

Experts told us that to stay safe online, you should keep your OS and software updated, use an anti-malware app, and practice good browsing habits.

7 Simple Ways to Protect Your Digital Privacy

Follow these simple steps to lock down your devices and accounts and take back some control over who has access to your data.

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The best ad blockers in 2024

Say goodbye to intrusive online advertising with the best ad blockers

Best in-browser ad blockers

Best ad-blocking apps, best ad-blocking mobile apps, other privacy-focused extensions and apps.

The best ad blockers are crucial to survive on the modern internet. Not matter where you go, you're at risk of being harassed by pop-ups, tracker cookies, malvertising and countless other digital nasties that seem hell-bent on ruining your online experience. Even if all your browsing is above board, you're still at risk.

Thankfully there's no shortage of apps and browser extensions that can block ads and keep you safer when you're online. Combined with the best antivirus software and the best VPNs , a good ad-blocker gives you a perfect arsenal of tools to offer as much protection as possible. Even the FBI recommends using an ad-blocker for protection.

The only thing you need to figure out is which ad-blocker is right for you. There are so many to choose from, and whether you are willing to live with the downsides. Most free sites rely on advertising revenue to survive, including Tom's Guide. But if you're happy with the trade-off, we've got a thorough list of the best ad blockers and privacy tools — with options for every browser and platform.

The best ad blockers you can get today

1. adblock plus (chrome, edge, firefox, opera, safari, android, ios).

AdBlock Plus (ABP) is among the most popular ad blockers, with extensions available for Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Edge and Opera. ABP features a quick setup, loading preset filter lists that allow users to quickly block most ads, as well as the option to filter malware and social media buttons. 

Savvy users can chose additional block lists as well as set custom filters or whitelist their favorite sites to keep their ad revenue in the black. AdBlock Plus allows what it calls "non-intrusive advertising" through filters; that may irk some users, though this feature can be disabled in settings. 

On Android, the AdBlock Browser provides a Firefox-based browser that blocks incoming advertising, while on iOS, the AdBlock Plus app integrates with the content blocker system to seamlessly block advertising on Safari with minimal setup.

Download AdBlock Plus: Firefox , Chrome , Safari , Opera , Edge

2. AdBlock (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)

AdBlock (no relation to AdBlock Plus) is the other best ad-blocking browser extension of note, available for users of Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari. AdBlock uses a series of filter lists to automatically block ad content coming from known ad servers and providers. Users can stick with the default block lists, subscribe to additional ones, or even create their own, as well as whitelist their favorite websites. 

As one of the most downloaded Chrome and Safari extensions, AdBlock has the trust of many users worldwide.

Download AdBlock: Chrome , Firefox , Safari , Edge

3. uBlock Origin (Chrome, Firefox)

Ublock Origin is a browser-based ad blocker that focuses on simple, efficient blocking with a low resource overhead. The extension comes loaded with a number of filter lists for known advertising and malware sources, with extra filter lists available and the option to read and create your own custom filters from hosts files.

Download Ublock Origin: Chrome , Firefox

4. Poper Blocker (Chrome)

Rather than be an all-in one blocking solution, Poper Blocker (aka Pop Up Blocker For Chrome), is designed to complement other adblockers. 

In this case, Poper Blocker focuses on blocking pop-ups, pop-unders, overlays, timed and scroll pop-ups, and other varieties that might slip past other ad-blocking extensions. Small notifications tell you when pop-ups are blocked. You also can view your blocking stats, but otherwise, you can generally just keep Poper Blocker running in the background with minimal impact alongside other adblocker extensions.

Download Poper Blocker: Chrome

5. Stands Fair AdBlocker (Chrome)

For a fast and light ad-blocking plugin, Chrome users can turn to Stands Fair AdBlocker. The extension does precisely what it promises, blocking ads and pop-ups from cluttering up your browser view while also preventing any tracking from going on. 

Stand's Fair AdBlocker gives you control over the type of ads you can block, specifying everything from autoplay video ads, YouTube ads, expanding ads and more. It can even block Facebook ads if you want.

The "Fair" part of AdBlocker comes into play by giving you the ability to allow certain types of ads or even whitelist ad-supported websites you don't want to shortchange of badly needed revenue. This is one ad blocker that doesn't take a scorched earth approach to its stated purpose.

Download Stands Fair AdBlocker: Chrome

6. Ghostery (Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Edge)

Like the other extensions on our list of the best ad blockers, Ghostery can remove ads from webpages, so you can focus on content and browse more efficiently. But the real value in Ghostery lies in its privacy protection features. You can use Ghostery to view trackers, which lets you see who's trying to collect data on you. With Ghostery, you can also stop that tracking from taking place. If you really want to safeguard your privacy, you can turn to Ghostery's Enhanced Anti Tracking to anonymize your data.

Ghostery's a free download that offers basic web protection. More advanced protection starts at $4.99 a month and the $11.99 monthly tier comes with a built-in VPN. There are also versions of Ghostery that work with Android and iOS devices.

Download Ghostery: Chrome , Firefox , Opera , Safari , Edge

7. Adblocker for YouTube (Chrome, Firefox)

YouTube has gotten more aggressive with ads, so the makers of ad-blocking extensions have followed suit. Adblocker for YouTube is a Chrome extension that promises to automatically block YouTube ads, whether we're talking about the pre-roll ad appearing before your video or any text and banner ads that appear on the video itself.

If you prefer Firefox to Chrome, there's also an AdBlocker for YouTube extension that works on that browser. Same name, different developer apparently, but the functionality of stripping out video and display ads remains. This version works on Android devices too.

Download Adblocker for YouTube: Chrome , Firefox

1. AdGuard (Windows, Mac, Android, iOS)

Uses looking for a more robust experience can try out the subscription-based AdGuard, which provides desktop and mobile options to reduce the ads you see when surfing online. 

AdGuard on Windows and Mac covers popular browsers, with highly configurable options for ads, content, and tracker blocking, as well as a parental controls module for restricting adult content. AdGuard for Android is a no-root ad-blocker that blocks advertising on apps and games, though you’ll have to install it from AdGuard’s site instead of through Google Play. AdGuard for iOS works with Safari to effectively filter ads on the default browser.

Download AdGuard: Windows , Mac , Android , iOS

2. AdLock ($33 per year)

AdLock avoids the browser-based route, instead opting to run as a separate program to be able to block not only browser-based ads, but also advertising in other programs like Skype or games. 

The app runs in the background, using filters to block ads, popups, and autoplaying videos, speeding up loading times and applying Safe Browsing features to automatically block sites that are known to be unsafe. 

For obvious reasons, the mobile version is unavailable on the Google Play Store, so you'll need to sideload the app if you want to get AdLock into your Android device. iOS users can download AdLock directly from Apple's App Store.

Download AdLock: Windows , Chrome ,  Android , Mac , iOS

3. Wipr (macOS, iOS; $1.99)

If you’re a Safari fan, Wipr may be the best ad blocker for both your Mac and iPhone. The app is available for both iOS and macOS — costing $1.99 from either Apple App Store — and it promises to work with Safari as well as apps that use Safari for displaying web pages.

You’ll find a full array of features with Wipr, which not only blocks apps and trackers, but cryptocurrency miners, EU cookie and GDPR notices and anything else that gets in your way of surfing the web. Its blocklist gets updated twice a week, and there’s little configuration; the idea is that you load Wipr and forget that it’s there while it does its job in the background.

With Wipr, pages should load faster in Safari, which will be particularly welcome if you’re surfing from an iPhone, where ads and trackers can bog down your browser’s speed.

Download Wipr: macOS , iOS

1. 1Blocker (iOS)

1Blocker was one of the first really good ad blockers on iOS when Apple opened up that functionality on iPhones and iPads; the apps has since been optimized for Safari. 

The app is designed to make browsing faster and more secure by blocking ads, popups, trackers and other online cruft. Rather than blocking content of a downloaded page, 1Blocker works with Safari's content blocker API to tell the browser what to block in advance, saving time and resources. 

1Blocker features more than 115,000 blocker rules, custom regional adblocking settings, and easy-to-use custom rules settings. The app is a free download, with premium features available as in-app purchases.

Download 1Blocker: iOS

2. Firefox Focus (Android, iOS)

Firefox Focus is another addition to Mozilla's family of browsers. This one's a privacy-oriented version of Firefox that bakes in ad-blocking and anti-tracking into a light and functional package. Firefox Focus blocks ads and speeds up browsing, while also working in privacy-friendly features like automatic history and cookie clearing. 

Users can selectively block ads, analytics, content and social trackers with easy toggles, turn on a "stealth" mode, and set a default search engine.

Our look at the best Android browsers has more on the various flavors of Firefox.

Download Firefox Focus: Android , iOS

3. AdClear (Android, iOS)

AdClear — or AdClear Plus if you're searching for the iOS version — offers the kind of mobile ad blocking in browsers that similar apps provide. But AdClear takes it one step farther by also blocking ads in apps. 

AdClear achieves this through a DNS changer feature that routes traffic through a VPN. AdClear doesn't catch everything in all apps, and in our experience, some apps ran a little slower. But this free download can put a stop to ads interrupting what you're trying to do whether in an app or a browser.

Download AdClear: Android , iOS

1. Decentraleyes (Chrome, Firefox)

Some times, blocking ads can also prevent websites fromn pulling needed resoruces and libraries from third-party sources, breaking web pages in the process. Decentraleyes tries to stop that from happening by acting as a local content delivery network emulator to serve up the files that websites need. By doing so, this extension can stop websites from sending out requests to the likes of Google Hosted Libraries.

Think of Decentraleyes as a complement to ad blockers. In fact, the extension specifically says it can work with uBlock Origin and AdBlock Plus, both of which we recommend up above.

Download Decentraleyes: Chrome , Firefox

2. Opera (Desktop, Android, iOS)

The Opera browser bakes in ad-blocking features into the browser without the need for an extra add-on, while also offering privacy-friendly tools such as an unlimited, built-in VPN service, incognito mode, fraud and malware warnings for suspicious links and pages, and more. In addition, you can further customize Opera's capabilities with a wide array of extensions. 

Mobile users need not fret, as the Android version comes with just about everything the desktop version has but built for touch-screen interfaces. On iOS, the mobile version of Opera is listed in Apple's App Store as Opera Touch. (Incidentally, we've got a guide on how you can use Opera to block ads on the iPhone .)

Download Opera: Mac or Windows , Android , iOS

3. Privacy Badger (Chrome, Firefox, Opera)

The Electronic Frontier Foundation's Privacy Badger browser extension was born from the EFF's concerns about the business models of some privacy tools and ad blockers. 

Privacy Badger functions similarly to extensions like AdBlock Plus (on which it was based), observing the various tracking tools that advertisers and other third parties might use to track your online activities and selectively blocking them from executing. Built-in learning algorithms adapt to the sites you visit and take any new tracking tools discovered into account. 

While not explicitly an ad blocker, Privacy Badger does also block some advertising, depending on how aggressively the ads track you across websites.

Download Privacy Badger: Chrome , Firefox , Opera

4. Tor Browser (Desktop, Android)

The Tor network helps anonymize your internet activity by bouncing the data you send and receive through a distributed anonymous network of routers to foil a common online surveillance technique called traffic analysis, which can reveal the sites you visit or who you're communicating with. 

The Tor Browser is an all-in-one package that includes everything you need to surf the net through the Tor network in an easy-to-install portable package. The package includes a modified version of Firefox with privacy aids such as NoScript baked in, and an automatic setup aid that makes it easy to connect to and create new Tor circuits. 

On the desktop, you can grab a version of Tor Browser for Windows, macOS or Linux. There's also a version of Tor Browser for Android, which replaces the previous OrBot + OrFox combination recommended for browsing Tor on Android.

Download Tor Browser: Desktop , Android

5. Onion Browser (iOS)

iOS users aren’t left out when it comes to browsing the Tor anonymizer network, with the Onion Browser among the more popular options on Apple’s mobile OS. 

Previously a premium app, Onion Browser has since moved to a donation model, opening up access to everyone who wants to download the app, without compromising security or features. The usual caveats apply: Browsing through Tor will slow down the web experience, and some features, like video streams and video files won’t work in order to preserve anonymity.

Download Onion Browser: iOS

How to choose the best ad blocker for you

Many of the best ad blockers are available for free, either as extensions or as standalone apps, though a few, like AdLock, charge a fee. Determine if the free services provide enough ad-blocking to meet your needs or whether a paid app delivers more for your money. You should also figure out if a browser extension will take care of your ad-blocking needs or whether you should consider switching browsers to one with more built-in privacy features.

You can narrow down your choice in ad blockers by deciding specifically what you're looking to accomplish with such an app or extension. Do you just want to stop annoying pop-up ads from appearing or do you want the full range of services, including privacy features and an end to ad-tracking? Grab the ad blocker that ticks off all the boxes on your wishlist.

Some ad blockers, such as AdBlock Plus include filters and the ability to let in non-obtrusive advertising. Others, like AdBlocker Ultimate, take a more aggressive approach. Find out which one best suits your needs and comfort level.

As we noted at the outset, there's also an ethical component to ad blockers. Do you feel comfortable keeping ad revenue out of the hands of sites you enjoy and use for free? As good as the best ad blockers are, that's still a trade-off you need to consider when deciding whether to install one as a browser extension or as a standalone app. 

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• kep55 I'm waiting for an ad blocker that will spoof the websites into thinking there is no ad blocker in place. More and more sites are incorporating code that disables the site entirely or many of the features if an adblocker is in use. Reply

kep55 said: I'm waiting for an ad blocker that will spoof the websites into thinking there is no ad blocker in place. More and more sites are incorporating code that disables the site entirely or many of the features if an adblocker is in use.

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uBlock Origin by Raymond Hill

Finally, an efficient wide-spectrum content blocker. Easy on CPU and memory.

Extension Metadata

• Documentation
• Release notes
• Community support @ Reddit
• Contributors @ GitHub
• Contributors @ Crowdin

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This add-on needs to:

• Read and modify privacy settings
• Access browser tabs
• Store unlimited amount of client-side data
• Access browser activity during navigation
• Access your data for all websites
• Support site
• Privacy & Security
• See all versions
• anti malware
• anti tracker
• content blocker

uBlock Origin - Kostenloser Open-Source-Werbeblocker.

Schont cpu und arbeitsspeicher..

Github (gorhill/uBlock)

uBlock Origin ist nicht nur ein “Werbeblocker“, sondern ein Blocker für Inhalte über ein breites Spektrum, bei dem CPU- und Arbeitsspeichereffizienz im Vordergrund stehen.

Open-Source-Werbeblocker

Der uBlock Origin ist eine kostenlose und open-source, plattformübergreifende Browser-Erweiterung zur Inhaltsfilterung, die in erster Linie darauf abzielt, mit einer effizienten, benutzerfreundlichen Methode die Verletzung der Privatsphäre zu unterbinden.

CPU- und Arbeitsspeicher-Effizienz

Weltweit könnte uBlock Origin den Verbrauchern mehr als 1,8 Milliarden Dollar pro Jahr einsparen ( Studie ). Open-Source-Werbeblocker sind eine potenziell effektive Technologie zur Energieeinsparung.

Verschiedene Browser werden unterstützt

Die Erweiterung von uBlock Origin ist für einige der am meist verbreiteten Browser verfügbar, darunter Chrome, Chromium, MS Edge, Opera, Firefox und alle Safari-Versionen vor 13.

Über uBlock Origin

2014 schuf der Gründer von uBlock Origin , der ursprüngliche Autor und Hauptentwickler, Raymond Hill, die ursprüngliche uBlock-Erweiterung, deren Entwicklung durch die Abspaltung der Codebasis von HTTP-Switchboard mit einer separaten Blockier-Erweiterung, uMatrix , die zuvor für fortgeschrittene Benutzer konzipiert worden war, eingeleitet wurde. Der ursprüngliche uBlock wurde von Raymond Hill entwickelt, um von der Gemeinschaft gepflegte Blocklisten zu ermöglichen und gleichzeitig zusätzliche Funktionen hinzuzufügen und die Code-Qualität auf die entsprechenden Veröffentlichungsstandards zu erweitern. Erstmals im Juni 2014 als exklusive Chrome- und Opera-Erweiterung veröffentlicht, wurde die ursprüngliche uBlock-Erweiterung Ende 2015 unter ihrem aktuellen Namen - uBlock Origin - auf andere Browser ausgeweitet. (gelegentlich weltweit repräsentiert als - uBlock₀)

Im Anschluss an diese Einführung im Jahr 2015 meldete eine gemeinsam von comsource und Sourcepoint durchgeführte Umfrage in der Industrie eine Wachstumsrate von 833% über einen Zeitraum von 10 Monaten bis August 2016, das schnellste Wachstum unter allen zu diesem Zeitpunkt öffentlich gelisteten Industriesoftware-Produkten. Dieser Bericht führte diesen enormen Anstieg auf die kollektive Benutzernachfrage nach "reinen" Blockern zurück, die in der Lage sind, außerhalb des von AdBlock verwendeten "akzeptablen Werbung"-Programms und anderer Branchenerweiterungen zu operieren.

Die Firefox-Version von uBlock Origin gewann schnell in der gesamten Werbeblocker-Branche an Zugkraft und sammelte über 5 Millionen aktive Benutzer, wobei die Chrome-Erweiterung in der Folge über 10 Millionen aktive Benutzer umfasste. Der Entwickler Nik Rolls veröffentlichte dann im Dezember 2016 offiziell uBlock Origin für den Microsoft Edge Browser.

Im Januar 2017 wurde uBlock Origin zu den Repositories für Debian 9 und Ubuntu (16.04) hinzugefügt, und die uBlock Origin-Erweiterung wurde von Mozilla mit der prestigeträchtigen IoT-Ehrung "Pick of the Month" ausgezeichnet.

Für 2024 wird uBlock Origin weiterhin vom Gründer und Hauptentwickler Raymond Hill betreut und aktiv weiterentwickelt.

Die Erweiterung von uBlock Origin bleibt eine branchenführende, plattformübergreifende Open-Source-Browser-Erweiterung mit Software, die speziell für den Einsatz auf mehreren Plattformen entwickelt wurde. Ab 2024 ist die Erweiterung von uBlock Origin für mehrere der am häufigsten verwendeten Browser verfügbar, darunter Chrome, Chromium, Edge, Opera, Firefox und alle Safari-Versionen vor 13 Jahren.

Das Projekt uBlock Origin lehnt Spenden zur Zeit noch ausdrücklich ab und rät stattdessen allen seinen Kunden, Nutzern und Unterstützern, den Blocklisten-Betreuern zu spenden.

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uBlock Origin - An efficient blocker for Chromium, Firefox, and Safari. Fast and lean.

RobFreiburger/uBlock-Safari

Folders and files, repository files navigation.

uBlock Origin for Safari

pronounced you-block origin ( /ˈjuːˌblɒk/ ) — you decide what enters your browser.

An efficient blocker add-on for various browsers. Fast, potent, and lean.

Regarding this Safari port

The majority of this code is shared with upstream . Platform specific portions are under development. Much of the platform shim from the original uBlock Safari version is still being used.

Installation

Release history, further documentation.

Until relatively stable, this extension must be installed manually .

Compatible with Safari 10, untested on older versions.

To benefit from uBlock Origin's higher efficiency, it's advised that you don't use other inefficient blockers at the same time (such as AdBlock or Adblock Plus). uBlock₀ will do as well or better than most popular ad blockers.

To build and load an unpacked extension for development:

• Clone uBlock-Safari and uAssets into the same parent directory
• Build by running ./tools/make-safari.sh in uBlock-Safari 's directory
• In Safari, load the Extension Builder (Develop > Show Extension Builder)
• Click the + button in the bottom left corner and "Add Extension"
• Select dist/build/uBlock.safariextension
• Click install and enter your password
• You will have to reinstall from this panel every time you restart Safari

If you don't see a Develop menu in Safari, you can run defaults write com.apple.Safari IncludeDevelopMenu -bool true or go to Preferences > Advanced > Show Develop menu in menu bar .

Example clone and build:

See the releases pages for a history of releases and highlights for each release.

Visit the upstream uBlock Origin wiki for further documentation.

uBlock Origin's manifesto .

Free. Open source. For users by users. No donations sought.

Without the preset lists of filters, this extension is nothing. So if ever you really do want to contribute something, think about the people working hard to maintain the filter lists you are using, which were made available to use by all for free.

You can contribute by helping translate uBlock₀ on Crowdin .

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