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Ask HN: When will we have mobile browser extensions and ad-blocking?

20 points by aerovistae ↗ HN
Trying to browse the web on mobile is just a hostile experience. I have to close 2-4 popups before I can see any webpage. It feels like the early 2000s all over again and I don't know of any initiatives to move us forward.

How long are we stuck with this world?

26 comments

[ 1.9 ms ] story [ 71.6 ms ] thread
icen
I have uMatrix and uBlock Origin on Firefox for Android. This has been available for a long time.
pwg
Install Firefox. With Firefox you can install extensions, including uBlockOrigin, which will allow you to block the advertising popups.
Normille
For several years, I've been running Yandex Browser on Android with uMatrix, uBlock Origin, HTTPS Everywhere, BItwarden [password manager] and Privacy Bedger.

What are these "pop-ups" and "ads" you speak of?

Yandex Browser is also Chromium based, so loads faster than Firefox and has an absolute killer text-reflow feature [something Firefox used to have but, in a fit of insanity, got rid of several years ago]. It also supports pretty much any extension from the Chrome Webstore you want to install [and the ones that don't one-click install you can usually sideload in 'Developer Mode'].

Give it a go. Sometimes you've got to look further than the end of your nose for solutions to your problems!

gabrielsroka
Any concerns about it being Russian? I used to run Dolphin Browser, but I stopped -- there were some privacy concerns.
Normille
None whatsoever.

I really don't see what difference it makes whether my browsing habits end up in a data silo in Russia [or even China], rather than the USA.

In fact, given the choice, and even if I was up to no good, I'd PREFER the Russians or Chinese to be slurping my data, rather than any of the 'five eyes' nations. I think most three letter agency types are more interested in what their own citizens are up to, rather than worrying about what some nobody in a foreign country is doing.

surround
This is a limitation of iOS. Android browsers can support extensions just fine. In fact, every browser on iOS is just a skin of Safari since the App Store doesn’t allow 3rd party browsers.

Safari does have a “content blocking API,” but it’s far more limited than desktop extensions.

People like to glorify Apple for being “privacy friendly,” but with Android you have the power and the tools to improve your privacy significantly over iOS.

If you really need adblocking, I recommend AdGuard for iOS (which uses the content blocking API) and Pi-hole (for whole network DNS filtering). Good luck.

aerovistae
I use Android, I wasn't aware of this stuff.
surround
Then download Firefox or Firefox Preview and install the uBlock Origin extension.

To block ads in other apps, use AdAway (for a rooted device) or Pi-hole.

thescribbblr
Try edge in android, inbuilt adblocker and uses less battery
Raed667
On Android you can get FireFox, with add-ons. I only need 2:

- uBlock Origin: For the ads

- Video Background Play Fix: Allows me to listen to Youtube without having the screen on.

sigwinch28
If you are using a device which doesn't let you choose your extension or browser (e.g. iOS) I would recommend setting up a PiHole and WireGuard VPN server if you have the expertise.

These can be spun up for a few dollars a month on a cloud provider, or perhaps even at home if you have a static IP allocation.

Depending on your device (e.g. a recent iOS device) you can then set up your device to only tunnel DNS requests back to the Pi hole at either your home or server provider.

Admittedly this is rather involved, but works for all apps and webpages which rely on good ol' DNS to phone home and fetch ads.

dredmorbius
When mobile devices and browsers are provided by organisations with a moral opposition to advertising and marketing.
xodice
Wipr works wonderful on macOS and iOS. NextDNS is also an option. I use both together on my Mac's and iOS devices.

Wipr is one of the many content blockers available for Safari, be it iOS or macOS.

colinbartlett
I’ve been using Purify on iOS since the content blocking APIs were released. It seems to do a great job, no complaints. Am I missing something?
gshdg
Nope. It’s just non-obvious to experiences desktop browser users because desktop browser ad blockers are extensions, not standalone apps. And Apple didn’t do the best job of publicizing the feature.

I use Refine, fwiw.

gabrielsroka
Brave for Android has an ad blocker. It's based on Chromium. Brave was founded by Brendan Eich, creator of JavaScript and formerly of Mozilla.

https://brave.com

jmstfv
My iOS setup:

1. Install Firefox Focus, which has a built-in content blocking capability. FF Focus only allows one tab at a time, which is mostly suitable for quick, throwaway tasks. It's not a browser if you want to have multiple tabs open or save bookmarks. To block Bad Things in Safari, go to Settings > Safari > Content Blockers (under General) > Allow Firefox Focus. In FF Focus, go to Settings > Enable Safari Integration.

2. Pi-hole (or NextDNS) to block spyware/malware on the DNS level.

It's not a 100% replacement for uBlockOrigin (especially if you like maxing it out), but it is good enough.

aed
Haven't seen 1Blocker mentioned yet, which is what I use on iOS: https://1blocker.com

No complaints and for the reasons you mention, I can't imagine browsing on mobile without it.

dnh44
Yeah I use 1Blocker on safari for both iOS and macOS and I think it works pretty great.
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uvw
On Android, I have rooted my phone and installed adaway. It adds /etc/hosts entries to block ads. I haven't seen ads in a long time.

I also use Firefox with unlock sometimes.

On iOS, you could use a different DNS server to block ad domains.

https://adguard.com/en/adguard-dns/overview.html