Blocking Ads in Safari: A Complete Guide for iPhone and Mac

Advertising on the Internet has become so intrusive that it interferes with comfortable browsing even in Safari - a browser that Apple positions as “the fastest and most secure.” Pop-up banners, auto-playing videos with sound, tracking scripts and “smart” targeted ads are not only annoying, but also eat up traffic, slow down page loading, and on mobile devices they also consume battery power. Fortunately, Safari offers built-in ad-fighting tools, and third-party solutions allow you to block it almost completely.

In this article we will look at all available ad blocking methods - from standard functions iOS And macOS to advanced settings and extensions. You'll learn how to turn off personalized ads, block trackers, speed up page loading times, and even save bandwidth on mobile devices. We also tested popular blockers and compiled a rating of the most effective solutions for iPhone, iPad And Mac.

Why Safari Ads Are Dangerous: 5 Hidden Threats

Many users consider advertising to be simply annoying, but in fact it brings real risks for device safety and performance. Here's what happens when you don't block ads in your browser:

• 🔋 Battery consumption. Auto-playing videos and animated banners force the processor to work at full capacity, reducing battery life by 15–30%.
• 📡 Overuse of traffic. On mobile devices, advertising can eat up to 50% of the total downloaded data, especially on sites with aggressive targeting.
• 🕵️ Collection of personal data. Trackers (for example, Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel) monitor your behavior even if you don't click on ads.
• 🦠 Security vulnerabilities. Attackers often disguise malicious code as advertising banners (the so-called malvertising).
• ⏳ Loading slow. Pages with advertising take 2–3 times longer to load due to additional requests to ad servers.

According to company research PageFair, in 2023 the share of advertising with malicious code increased by 28% compared to 2022, and the average user encounters 1,700 trackers per month. At the same time Apple is actively fighting this problem: in iOS 17 And macOS Sonoma There are new privacy tools available, but they need to be configured correctly.

⚠️ Attention: Some sites (for example, Forbes, The New York Times) block access to users with ad blockers enabled. In such cases, you can temporarily disable protection or add the site to exceptions.

Built-in Safari Tools: How to Block Ads Without Extensions

Before installing third-party blockers, check Safari built-in features — they work without additional programs and do not require root access or jailbreak. Here's what you can do right now:

1. Enable “Cross-Site Tracking Protection”

This feature blocks trackers that collect data about your activities across websites. To activate it:

• On iPhone/iPad: go to Settings → Safari → Privacy Protection and enable the option Cross-site tracking protection.
• On Mac: open Safari → Settings → Privacy and check the box next to Disable cross-site tracking.

2. Turn off personalized advertising

Apple allows you to limit targeted advertising in your services (for example, in App Store or Apple News). This does not block banners on sites, but reduces their “intrusiveness”:

• On iOS: Settings → Privacy and Security → Apple Advertising → disable Personalized advertising.
• On Mac: System Settings → Privacy and Security → Advertising → uncheck Limit ad tracking.

3. Use Read mode

Function Reading mode removes all advertising, leaving only text and main images. It is activated manually:

• On iPhone/iPad: Open an article, tap AA in the address bar and select Show Reading Mode.
• On Mac: Click on the icon 📖 on the left side of the address bar.

⚠️ Attention: Safari's built-in tools do not block pop-ups (pop-up) and video advertising on YouTube. This requires third party extensions.

Best ad blockers for Safari on iPhone and iPad

On mobile devices Apple limits extension options, but there are workarounds. We tested 10 popular blockers and chose top 3 solutionsthat actually work:

1. 1Blocker (paid, but with a free version)

One of the most powerful solutions for iOS. Blocks ads, trackers, social widgets and even cryptominers. Supports customization of rules via JSON files.

• 🔹 Pros: minimal impact on loading speed, regular updates of rule bases.
• 🔸 Cons: the free version is limited to 10,000 rules.

2. AdGuard Pro (paid, ~$3 per month)

Full blocker with DNS filtering, which operates at the system level. Can block ads even in other browsers and applications (e.g. Instagram or TikTok).

• 🔹 Pros: supports Safari Content Blockers, there is a “Constriction” function to bypass anti-blockers.
• 🔸 Cons: high price compared to analogues.

3. Wipr (free with premium options)

A simple and lightweight open source blocker. Ideal for those who don't want to pay but need basic protection.

• 🔹 Pros: free, no registration required, minimalistic interface.
• 🔸 Cons: There are no advanced features like DNS filtering.

Ad blocking in Safari on Mac: extensions and hidden settings

On macOS opportunities are wider than iOS: here you can install full-fledged browser extensions and even configure system blocking via hosts-file. Let's consider 4 most effective methods:

1. uBlock Origin extension (free)

The most popular open source blocker. Blocks all advertising, including YouTube, and supports customization through custom filters.

• 🔹 How to install: download from official repository, then drag and drop the file .safariextz in Safari → Preferences → Extensions.
• 🔹 Advantage: does not slow down the browser even with thousands of rules.

2. AdGuard for Safari (paid extension)

Similar to the mobile version, but with advanced settings. Can block social widgets (such as Facebook's "Like" buttons) and anti-blockers (scripts that ask you to disable AdBlock).

3. Editing the hosts file (for advanced)

This method blocks ads on system level, but requires administrator rights. We recommend using ready-made scripts like Hosts File by Steven Black:

# Откройте Терминал и выполните:
sudo curl -o /etc/hosts https://raw.githubusercontent.com/StevenBlack/hosts/master/hosts

After that, reboot Mac. Advertising will be blocked during all browsers and applications.

4. Enable Smart Protection in macOS Sonoma

In latest versions macOS a function has appeared Smart protection, which automatically blocks known malicious sites and trackers. To activate it:

1. Open System Settings → Network.
2. Select an active connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet).
3. Click Advanced → DNS and add the address 1.1.1.3 (this is Cloudflare Family, which filters malicious domains).

How to bypass ad blockers: fighting anti-AdBlock

Many sites (especially news and entertainment) have learned to detect ad blockers and show users messages like “Turn off AdBlock to continue.” Here 3 working ways bypass these restrictions:

1. Use Incognito mode with extensions disabled

Some sites only check the main browser profile. Try:

1. Open File -> New private window in Safari.
2. In the address bar, enter about:config (on Mac it works through Development → Show "Development" menu).
3. Find the parameter privacy.resistFingerprinting and install it in true.

2. Change User-Agent

Some anti-blockers only work for certain browsers. To “pretend” to be another device:

• Install the extension User-Agent Switcher.
• Select Safari (iPad) or Chrome (Android) — many sites do not block ads on mobile devices.

3. Use alternative DNS

Some providers (eg AdGuard DNS or NextDNS) filter advertising at the level of DNS requests. This is harder to detect than a browser blocker.

• On iPhone: Settings → Wi-Fi → (i) Near Network → Configure DNS → Manually → add 176.103.130.130 (AdGuard DNS).
• On Mac: System Settings → Network → DNS → add the same address.

⚠️ Attention: Some sites (for example, Twitch or Reddit) can completely block access when using alternative DNS. In this case, return to default settings.

Speed vs. blocking: how not to slow down Safari

One of the main fears of users is that ad blockers will slow down the browser. Indeed, some extensions (especially those with a large number of filters) can increase page loading times. Here's how to avoid it:

• 🚀 Disable unnecessary filters. In the blocker settings, leave only basic lists (for example, EasyList And EasyPrivacy).
• 🔄 Clear your cache regularly. In Safari: Safari → Settings → Privacy → Manage website data → Remove all.
• 🛡️ Use lightweight extensions. For example, uBlock Origin consumes 5 times less memory than AdBlock Plus.
• 🌐 Check your DNS speed. Servers Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) or Google (8.8.8.8) are often faster than the ISP's DNS.

Legal risks: is it possible to block ads legally?

The legality of ad blockers is still controversial. On the one hand, the user has the right to control traffic on his device. On the other hand, many sites exist on advertising revenue, and their owners consider blocking a violation of their rights. Here's what the law says in different countries:

• 🇷🇺 Russia: Ad blockers are not prohibited, but some courts side with publishers (for example, the case Newspapers.Ru against AdBlock in 2016).
• 🇺🇸 USA: Legal as it is considered "fair use" (Fair Use).
• 🇪🇺 EU: Allowed, but some countries (for example, Germany) require sites to warn about blockers.
• 🇨🇳 China: Most blockers are blocked at the provider level.

In 2023 Apple officially allowed ad blockers to work in App Store, but with a caveat: they should not disrupt the functionality of websites (for example, block main content). Therefore, modern blockers (like 1Blocker or AdGuard) offer “white lists” to support your favorite resources.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about ad blocking in Safari

||youtube.com/get_video_info*
||youtube.com/api/stats/*
youtube.com##.ad-showing
youtube.com##.video-ads