For the longest of times, Firefox users had to rely on extensions or other means to integrate content blocking in the open source browser. Extensions like NoScript or uBlock Origin provided Firefox users with excellent blocking capabilities.
However, only a fraction of all users of the browser installed these extensions. Mozilla’s argument that Firefox was a privacy-focused browser always fell a bit short because of it.
This could change soon though. After testing an ad-blocker in desktop Firefox earlier this year, Mozilla has integrated the option to block ads in Firefox Beta for iOS.
If you have installed Firefox 153.2 for iOS, you may notice a new option to “block ads” in the settings under browsing after enabling the “Ad Blocker” feature flag in the browser.
The setting appears to be enabled by default, but it is unclear whether that is only for the beta or if the final stable release will also have the content blocker enabled by default — or get it at all.
According to user tests, the implementation lacks user interface visibility, just like the test implementation in desktop Firefox. It remains to be seen where this will lead to. Will Firefox get a native content blocker just like Brave and some other Chromium-based browsers like Opera or Vivaldi? It is difficult to tell right now, but since it is in Beta, it seems possible that the next major Firefox for iOS release will include a built-in content blocker.
What is your take on this? Rely on native content blockers or extensions? Let us know in the comments below.