Firefox has just become a little more tempting for iPhone users who are tired of seeing ads everywhere they browse.
Mozilla is gradually rolling out an experimental built in ad blocker for Firefox on iOS. The feature uses the EasyList filter to prevent many advertisements from loading, along with several types of advertising related trackers.
For people who already use Firefox on a desktop, this could be the feature that finally makes the browser feel like a serious alternative to Safari on an iPhone.
Firefox has always had a strong reputation among privacy conscious users. Its desktop browser offers extensive privacy controls and a wide range of tools designed to reduce tracking. Until now, however, many iPhone users have had little reason to abandon Safari, particularly if they already have years of browsing history, bookmarks and open tabs tied to Apple’s ecosystem.
That could be starting to change.
The new ad blocker is being introduced gradually and is disabled by default. Once available, users can turn it on through Firefox’s settings by opening the Browsing section and switching on the Ad Blocker option.
There is also an option to activate the feature while browsing a webpage through the Firefox menu.
What does Firefox’s ad blocker actually block?
Mozilla says the feature can block a broad range of advertising content before it loads. That includes advertisements delivered through third party advertising networks, advertising related trackers and third party ads displayed across websites.
It is also designed to tackle some of the more irritating parts of modern web browsing, including pop ups and overlays.
That distinction matters. Blocking an advertisement is useful, but preventing the tracking technology that can accompany it is arguably more important for people who care about privacy.
A webpage can contain several different systems designed to monitor activity, measure advertising performance or build a profile of browsing behaviour. Cutting down on those requests can make websites feel less cluttered while also reducing the amount of information being shared with advertising networks.
Still, Firefox is not promising a completely ad free internet.
Mozilla describes the blocker as experimental, and some advertisements will inevitably get through. Websites can deliver advertisements in different ways, and not every method will be covered by the current filter list.
There are also deliberate exceptions.
Sponsored content appearing on Firefox’s own Home and New Tab pages will not be blocked. Search engine advertisements are also excluded. These advertisements provide revenue for Mozilla, so the company is drawing a clear line between blocking unwanted advertising across the wider web and protecting some of its own income sources.
Could this finally push people away from Safari?
For many iPhone users, the biggest obstacle to changing browsers is not that Safari is particularly difficult to replace. It is simply that Safari is already there.
Apple’s browser is deeply integrated into iOS, and people who have accumulated dozens or even hundreds of tabs may have little enthusiasm for starting again somewhere else.
Safari can also block pop ups, but users who want broader advertisement blocking generally need to rely on a third party content blocker or extension.
Firefox’s approach is therefore interesting because it puts the feature directly inside the browser.
That makes the experience considerably simpler. Instead of finding an additional tool, installing it and working out which settings to use, users can activate the built in blocker and continue browsing.
For someone who already prefers Firefox on a computer, that could remove one of the biggest reasons to keep using Safari on an iPhone.
Privacy is another major part of the appeal.
Modern advertising is about much more than placing a banner on a webpage. Tracking systems can follow activity across websites and help advertisers understand what people are interested in. Blocking some of that activity can make browsing feel both cleaner and less intrusive.
Firefox’s new feature will not eliminate every tracker or advertisement, but it gives users another straightforward way to reduce the amount of advertising technology running in the background.
That could be enough to change the browser equation for some people.
The bigger question is whether Firefox can turn this feature into a reason for people to change their everyday browsing habits.
For longtime Firefox users, the answer may already be yes. If the browser can offer the familiar Firefox experience on iPhone while reducing the advertising clutter that has become a normal part of browsing, switching suddenly looks far less inconvenient.
Safari still has the advantage of being deeply integrated with Apple devices. But convenience only gets you so far when the web experience itself becomes frustrating.
Firefox is now offering something that many users have wanted for years: a simple way to browse with fewer advertisements and fewer trackers without having to build the experience themselves.
It may not be enough to make everyone abandon Safari. For people who have been waiting for a better privacy focused browser on iPhone, however, this could be the nudge they needed.
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