Firefox helps iPhone users bypass ads on web sites while making money showing its own ads
Baked-in Firefox ad blocking on iOS begins rolling out slowly today, and is off by default
After several weeks of anticipation, Mozilla has introduced ad blocking to the iOS version of its popular browser, Firefox. However, it's important to note that ads will still appear on Mozilla's own pages, including the new tab page. The company officially launched the new native ad blocking feature for iOS Firefox on Tuesday, taking it out of the experimental phase.
Mozilla had to adjust its initial plans due to architectural differences between iOS and other operating systems. Unlike other platforms, Apple forces all web browsers on iOS to use its own WebKit for rendering sites, instead of their own preferred back end. Mozilla incorporated Apple's WebKit Content Blockers into the iOS version of Firefox.
Apple specifically discourages the use of app extensions to block web content due to performance drawbacks. Mozilla implemented ad blocking by incorporating Apple's WebKit Content Blocking in a structured format. Ad blocking in Firefox for iOS is currently off by default, but can be easily enabled in the in-app settings menu. Turning on ad blocking will block ad-related trackers, ads from third-party advertising networks, third-party ads served by websites, and popups/overlays.
However, it will not eliminate ads on search result pages or sponsored content on Firefox's home or new tab page, as Mozilla doesn't want to lose these ad revenue sources. The feature will roll out gradually to selected iOS Firefox users, and Mozilla hasn't set a timeline for a general release.
Written by urgent.news from The Register's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
