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So, my next smartphone will be iPhone, even if I prefer open source. AdBlockers are just too important. Not only they protect your privacy, but they also stop s

So, my next smartphone will be iPhone, even if I prefer open source. AdBlockers are just too important. Not only they protect your privacy, but they also stop some malware programs that use ads for spreading. And don't Google & Amazon already make 30% from app sales?

ameshkov 8y ago
Hurry not, Apple did the very same thing last year: https://9to5mac.com/2017/07/15/apple-reportedly-shifts-app-store-policy-to-stop-adblockers-outside-of-safari/ https://9to5mac.com/2017/07/15/apple-reportedly-shifts-app-s...
- NeutronStar 8y ago
  Applefans forgetting that Apple does as much BS are the best!
  - dang 8y ago
    Please don't post unsubstantive comments here, such as sports-team-style BigCorp flamewars.
- tinus_hn 8y ago
  That’s not about adblocking but about using vpns for a purpose that is not a virtual private network. The general adblock system works in Safari as well as other apps that use web views though.
  - Aissen 8y ago
    It's exactly the subject of this article. They even say so.
  - saagarjha 8y ago
    > as well as other apps that use web views though Actually, they only work in the specific case of SFSafariViewController. This isn't available for any old webview to implement.
    - tinus_hn 8y ago
      I was under the impression that Firefox Focus blocked ads in some other apps as well but that doesn’t appear to be the case indeed, at least not in Chrome.
      - saagarjha 8y ago
        Firefox Focus ships with a content blocker extension, I think, so it can block ads in Safari and third-party apps using SFSafariViewController. Chrome uses a webview, so the content blocker won't work there.
  - criley2 8y ago
    If we're talking about non-VPN solutions, then Android continues to allow several ad-blocking solutions such as browsers with it built in, or browsers like Firefox which run extension systems which support popular blockers like Ublock Origin. Does iOS support custom browsers like Firefox running their own engine and extension systems? They never did when I was a user.
  - bad_user 8y ago
    Firefox for Android supports uBlock Origin, which is the most efficient ad blocker for the web. Safari's ad blocking is piss poor compared to it, because it is technologically limited.
- dang 8y ago
  We've changed the title above to the relevant phrase from the article, which mentions both Google and Apple. (Submitted title was 'Amazon follows Google and bans system-wide ad blockers on their AppStore'.)
hendersoon 8y ago
Apple also blocks VPN-based adblockers from their appstore, and unlike Android you cannot easily sideload apps on iOS. There's technically a way to do it, but you need to plug your phone into your computer and re-push them every 7 days, unless you pay $99/year for a developer license. Or jailbreak, of course, which has its own problems.
- gvurrdon 8y ago
  This is still available on iOS, amongst others: https://adguard.com/en/adguard-ios-pro/overview.html https://adguard.com/en/adguard-ios-pro/overview.html Of course, the limits on installing software on one's own device are still a concern.
  - hendersoon 8y ago
    Yes, but not for long: https://adguard.com/en/blog/adguard-ios-1-3-0/ https://adguard.com/en/blog/adguard-ios-1-3-0/
    - gvurrdon 8y ago
      That article appears to be somewhat out of date; Adguard Pro is still available: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/adguard-pro-no-ads-popups/id1126386264 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/adguard-pro-no-ads-popups/id...
      - ameshkov 8y ago
        It is, but system-wide ad blocking is disabled by default. You need to manually add filters subscriptions or hosts files in order to get it back. Not that it's much of a problem, though.
        codetrotter 8y ago
        Does adding said hosts files require a jailbroken device or are the files added in the app?
laGrenouille 8y ago
The problem is that on an iPhone you are locked into those applications in the Apple App store (unless you jailbreak). On an Android device, you can install 3rd party applications directly. AdGuard, for example, has a stand alone method for direct downloads.
- Operyl 8y ago
  Not entirely, you can sign applications for 7 days at a time without paying. Still an annoyance, though, for some. Tools for example: http://www.cydiaimpactor.com/ http://www.cydiaimpactor.com/ EDIT: Someone thinks I'm wrong, can you explain why? Thanks!
  - mikestew 8y ago
    I'm guessing you're downvoted because your implied solution is no better (and arguably worse) than parent's "unless you jailbreak". Regardless, it's not a solution for "normals": 1. Download and install Xcode. 2. Find the source code for the application you want. You know GitHub works, right, Grandma? 3. Compile, sign, and deploy to your device. Assuming it built without error, that is. 4. Aww, shit, Apple's signing process is still a hot mess. Best get to Googlin' on those validation errors!
    - Operyl 8y ago
      It's still a valid solution is all. And there are tools available to make it easier for the "normals" as you call them. http://www.cydiaimpactor.com/ http://www.cydiaimpactor.com/
    - saagarjha 8y ago
      Generally, those that go down this path use a much more streamlined solution like downloading an IPA file and using something like Cydia Impactor (http://www.cydiaimpactor.com http://www.cydiaimpactor.com) to sign and install the app. It least, I think that that's easier than finding a kernel bug in iOS…
      - 8y ago
babaganoosh89 8y ago
I believe Google shares the 30% cut with the telecom companies but not sure what the actual split is.
UlisesAC4 8y ago
You do not have to go that far to that kind of apps, fou can check f-droid or fossdroid for free and opensourcer android apps.
cyberpip 8y ago
Check out https://blokada.org/index.html https://blokada.org/index.html . Creates a VPN tunnel for your traffic and routes through a host file. Even let's you set name servers. Can't do that on iPhone necessarily. Root not required!
- Tijdreiziger 8y ago
  To add to this, because it's not immediately clear from your comment, the VPN tunnel runs locally on your phone.
- hikarudo 8y ago
  I'd never heard of blockada, just installed it and it seems to work great! Thanks!
- pranalli 8y ago
  Thank you for referring me to this!
aftbit 8y ago
Apple bans system-wide adblock as well. Mobile Safari ships with adblock IIRC but that doesn't help with all the other random apps that want to show you ads. Meanwhile, despite Google & Amazon's changes, you can still install any adblock you want on an Android device without using a computer or paying for a signing key as you'd need to on an Apple device by just downloading the APK using Chrome and installing it directly. Alternatively, you could install an alternative app store like F-droid and then install & upgrade adblock apps through there.
shmerl 8y ago
Try Librem 5.
- Skunkleton 8y ago
  Easy to not have ads on a theoretical phone.
  - shmerl 8y ago
    The above was about the next device. So it's one option. You can also install something like Plasma Mobile today on Nexus 5 if you really want to have a proper open source option.
jamesb93 8y ago
But its incredibly easy to install system wide adblockers on Android. Just get adaway from f-droid.
- saagarjha 8y ago
  > its incredibly easy to install system wide adblockers on Android I wouldn't call acquiring root access so that I can install a adblocking app "incredibly easy".
  - e40 8y ago
    Blokada doesn't require root. Been using it for a while and it's fantastic.
    - saagarjha 8y ago
      …so it uses the VPN API, just like the apps that have been banned from the App Store/Play Store/Appstore. Adaway requires root because it modifies /etc/hosts.
      - JackCh 8y ago
        >"…so it uses the VPN API, just like the apps that have been banned from the App Store/Play Store/Appstore." Yes precisely. And that's not a problem because F-Droid doesn't ban these sort of things.
admax88q 8y ago
> AdBlockers are just too important. I mean you can still install them from F-Droid, especially if you prefer open source.
pwg 8y ago
Don't run off so quickly. You can install either: DNS666: https://f-droid.org/packages/org.jak_linux.dns66/ https://f-droid.org/packages/org.jak_linux.dns66/ or Blokada: https://f-droid.org/packages/org.blokada.alarm/ https://f-droid.org/packages/org.blokada.alarm/ from the F-Droid store: https://f-droid.org/en/ https://f-droid.org/en/ And achieve system wide ad blocking, without worrying about Google's selfish policies.
- burger_moon 8y ago
  Which of these do you prefer? I used fdroid but haven't installed a system ad blocker. I just use firefox focus which does a good job of preventing trackers and most ads but it's not perfect.
  - ReverseCold 8y ago
    On Samsung phones you can get "Disconnect" or "SABS" or "Adhell" to remove ads systemwide (based on Samsung's Knox security thing)
    - craftyguy 8y ago
      I'm not sure I'd trust Samsung to act in your best interest.
      - telchar 8y ago
        I wouldn't. They forced ads into my tv after I purchased it.
      - paulie_a 8y ago
        Plus Samsung doesn't support is products. Last year I got a critical security update labeled july.. In December. And they have a bunch of garbage custom apps. Great hardware, poor service
        ReverseCold 8y ago
dzmien 8y ago
I'm confused. Doesn't the article say that Apple similarly prohibits ad blockers from their app store? And besides, installing a "third party" apk on an Android phone is trivial, and there are third party "stores" like F-Droid which offer a myriad of open source apps. I seem to recall that Apple makes the installation of third party apps relatively more difficult. I have not used an iPhone in quite some time, so I feel that I must be missing something.
s73v3r_ 8y ago
I believe this is about blocking ad-blockers that work outside of the browser. As in, in apps, which are solely supported by those ads.
gruez 8y ago
why not firefox for android + ublock?
- a1xndr 8y ago
  on phones, ads are not limited to your web browser
direction534 8y ago
I guess that works if you are too retarded to install an adblocker on android.

ameshkov 8y ago

Hurry not, Apple did the very same thing last year: https://9to5mac.com/2017/07/15/apple-reportedly-shifts-app-store-policy-to-stop-adblockers-outside-of-safari/ https://9to5mac.com/2017/07/15/apple-reportedly-shifts-app-s...

NeutronStar 8y ago
Applefans forgetting that Apple does as much BS are the best!
- dang 8y ago
  Please don't post unsubstantive comments here, such as sports-team-style BigCorp flamewars.
tinus_hn 8y ago
That’s not about adblocking but about using vpns for a purpose that is not a virtual private network. The general adblock system works in Safari as well as other apps that use web views though.
- Aissen 8y ago
  It's exactly the subject of this article. They even say so.
- saagarjha 8y ago
  > as well as other apps that use web views though Actually, they only work in the specific case of SFSafariViewController. This isn't available for any old webview to implement.
  - tinus_hn 8y ago
    I was under the impression that Firefox Focus blocked ads in some other apps as well but that doesn’t appear to be the case indeed, at least not in Chrome.
    - saagarjha 8y ago
      Firefox Focus ships with a content blocker extension, I think, so it can block ads in Safari and third-party apps using SFSafariViewController. Chrome uses a webview, so the content blocker won't work there.
- criley2 8y ago
  If we're talking about non-VPN solutions, then Android continues to allow several ad-blocking solutions such as browsers with it built in, or browsers like Firefox which run extension systems which support popular blockers like Ublock Origin. Does iOS support custom browsers like Firefox running their own engine and extension systems? They never did when I was a user.
- bad_user 8y ago
  Firefox for Android supports uBlock Origin, which is the most efficient ad blocker for the web. Safari's ad blocking is piss poor compared to it, because it is technologically limited.
dang 8y ago
We've changed the title above to the relevant phrase from the article, which mentions both Google and Apple. (Submitted title was 'Amazon follows Google and bans system-wide ad blockers on their AppStore'.)

hendersoon 8y ago

Apple also blocks VPN-based adblockers from their appstore, and unlike Android you cannot easily sideload apps on iOS. There's technically a way to do it, but you need to plug your phone into your computer and re-push them every 7 days, unless you pay $99/year for a developer license. Or jailbreak, of course, which has its own problems.

gvurrdon 8y ago
This is still available on iOS, amongst others: https://adguard.com/en/adguard-ios-pro/overview.html https://adguard.com/en/adguard-ios-pro/overview.html Of course, the limits on installing software on one's own device are still a concern.
- hendersoon 8y ago
  Yes, but not for long: https://adguard.com/en/blog/adguard-ios-1-3-0/ https://adguard.com/en/blog/adguard-ios-1-3-0/
  - gvurrdon 8y ago
    That article appears to be somewhat out of date; Adguard Pro is still available: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/adguard-pro-no-ads-popups/id1126386264 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/adguard-pro-no-ads-popups/id...
    - ameshkov 8y ago
      It is, but system-wide ad blocking is disabled by default. You need to manually add filters subscriptions or hosts files in order to get it back. Not that it's much of a problem, though.
      - codetrotter 8y ago
        Does adding said hosts files require a jailbroken device or are the files added in the app?

laGrenouille 8y ago

The problem is that on an iPhone you are locked into those applications in the Apple App store (unless you jailbreak). On an Android device, you can install 3rd party applications directly. AdGuard, for example, has a stand alone method for direct downloads.

Operyl 8y ago
Not entirely, you can sign applications for 7 days at a time without paying. Still an annoyance, though, for some. Tools for example: http://www.cydiaimpactor.com/ http://www.cydiaimpactor.com/ EDIT: Someone thinks I'm wrong, can you explain why? Thanks!
- mikestew 8y ago
  I'm guessing you're downvoted because your implied solution is no better (and arguably worse) than parent's "unless you jailbreak". Regardless, it's not a solution for "normals": 1. Download and install Xcode. 2. Find the source code for the application you want. You know GitHub works, right, Grandma? 3. Compile, sign, and deploy to your device. Assuming it built without error, that is. 4. Aww, shit, Apple's signing process is still a hot mess. Best get to Googlin' on those validation errors!
  - Operyl 8y ago
    It's still a valid solution is all. And there are tools available to make it easier for the "normals" as you call them. http://www.cydiaimpactor.com/ http://www.cydiaimpactor.com/
  - saagarjha 8y ago
    Generally, those that go down this path use a much more streamlined solution like downloading an IPA file and using something like Cydia Impactor (http://www.cydiaimpactor.com http://www.cydiaimpactor.com) to sign and install the app. It least, I think that that's easier than finding a kernel bug in iOS…
    - 8y ago

babaganoosh89 8y ago

I believe Google shares the 30% cut with the telecom companies but not sure what the actual split is.

UlisesAC4 8y ago

You do not have to go that far to that kind of apps, fou can check f-droid or fossdroid for free and opensourcer android apps.

cyberpip 8y ago

Check out https://blokada.org/index.html https://blokada.org/index.html . Creates a VPN tunnel for your traffic and routes through a host file. Even let's you set name servers. Can't do that on iPhone necessarily. Root not required!

Tijdreiziger 8y ago
To add to this, because it's not immediately clear from your comment, the VPN tunnel runs locally on your phone.
hikarudo 8y ago
I'd never heard of blockada, just installed it and it seems to work great! Thanks!
pranalli 8y ago
Thank you for referring me to this!

aftbit 8y ago

Apple bans system-wide adblock as well. Mobile Safari ships with adblock IIRC but that doesn't help with all the other random apps that want to show you ads. Meanwhile, despite Google & Amazon's changes, you can still install any adblock you want on an Android device without using a computer or paying for a signing key as you'd need to on an Apple device by just downloading the APK using Chrome and installing it directly. Alternatively, you could install an alternative app store like F-droid and then install & upgrade adblock apps through there.

shmerl 8y ago

Try Librem 5.

Skunkleton 8y ago
Easy to not have ads on a theoretical phone.
- shmerl 8y ago
  The above was about the next device. So it's one option. You can also install something like Plasma Mobile today on Nexus 5 if you really want to have a proper open source option.

jamesb93 8y ago

But its incredibly easy to install system wide adblockers on Android. Just get adaway from f-droid.

saagarjha 8y ago
> its incredibly easy to install system wide adblockers on Android I wouldn't call acquiring root access so that I can install a adblocking app "incredibly easy".
- e40 8y ago
  Blokada doesn't require root. Been using it for a while and it's fantastic.
  - saagarjha 8y ago
    …so it uses the VPN API, just like the apps that have been banned from the App Store/Play Store/Appstore. Adaway requires root because it modifies /etc/hosts.
    - JackCh 8y ago
      >"…so it uses the VPN API, just like the apps that have been banned from the App Store/Play Store/Appstore." Yes precisely. And that's not a problem because F-Droid doesn't ban these sort of things.

admax88q 8y ago

> AdBlockers are just too important. I mean you can still install them from F-Droid, especially if you prefer open source.

pwg 8y ago

Don't run off so quickly. You can install either: DNS666: https://f-droid.org/packages/org.jak_linux.dns66/ https://f-droid.org/packages/org.jak_linux.dns66/ or Blokada: https://f-droid.org/packages/org.blokada.alarm/ https://f-droid.org/packages/org.blokada.alarm/ from the F-Droid store: https://f-droid.org/en/ https://f-droid.org/en/ And achieve system wide ad blocking, without worrying about Google's selfish policies.

burger_moon 8y ago
Which of these do you prefer? I used fdroid but haven't installed a system ad blocker. I just use firefox focus which does a good job of preventing trackers and most ads but it's not perfect.
- ReverseCold 8y ago
  On Samsung phones you can get "Disconnect" or "SABS" or "Adhell" to remove ads systemwide (based on Samsung's Knox security thing)
  - craftyguy 8y ago
    I'm not sure I'd trust Samsung to act in your best interest.
    - telchar 8y ago
      I wouldn't. They forced ads into my tv after I purchased it.
    - paulie_a 8y ago
      Plus Samsung doesn't support is products. Last year I got a critical security update labeled july.. In December. And they have a bunch of garbage custom apps. Great hardware, poor service
      - ReverseCold 8y ago

dzmien 8y ago

I'm confused. Doesn't the article say that Apple similarly prohibits ad blockers from their app store? And besides, installing a "third party" apk on an Android phone is trivial, and there are third party "stores" like F-Droid which offer a myriad of open source apps. I seem to recall that Apple makes the installation of third party apps relatively more difficult. I have not used an iPhone in quite some time, so I feel that I must be missing something.

s73v3r_ 8y ago

I believe this is about blocking ad-blockers that work outside of the browser. As in, in apps, which are solely supported by those ads.

gruez 8y ago

why not firefox for android + ublock?

a1xndr 8y ago
on phones, ads are not limited to your web browser

direction534 8y ago

I guess that works if you are too retarded to install an adblocker on android.