Top-tech-tip no.12

About content blockers on iOS devices.

With the introduction of iOS 9, Apple has given us a way to block adverts and pop-ups whilst browsing the web through the mobile version of Safari. On compatible 64-bit iPhones (5s or newer) there are a multitude of content blockers available through the App Store – with my personal preference being Adblock Plus. These adblockers take the form of applications that, once downloaded, sit on your home screen and allow you to then implement the adblocking in Safari by going through the ‘System’ app. By tapping the app icon you will usually be show how to switch this feature on but if not under “Settings>Safari>Content Blockers” you will find a toggle switch to prevent ads.

Once you have followed the guide for getting this up and running you should be able to enjoy browsing the web with fewer (if not no) adverts. Individual applications do however have their own methods of displaying ads that are not monitored by this software so you may still see advertising in apps such as Facebook.

On morality, adblocking presents a tough predicament. If you’re enjoying content online, and the content creator is only able to produce their work with the help of advert revenue, then you may be inadvertently depriving them of funding. On the other hand content blockers are not overtly harmful, many people use them to save on data allowances and increase battery life that otherwise may be used to load adverts. A good compromise may be to ‘whitelist’ or allow adverts only from sites you wish to support – even the most basic of adblockers allows this function from within their app and you can continue browsing sites guilt free.

There are times when there may be a website that doesn’t load correctly if there’s a content blocker active. In times like this holding down on the refresh icon ⟲ in the top right corner of the screen will bring up the option to reload the page with the blocker disabled.