Mozilla has officially launched ad blocking for Firefox on iOS today. The release follows a testing period that lasted over the past few weeks.
The new built-in option blocks most third-party ads and trackers before they load on an iPhone. This functionality reduces bandwidth use and declutters mobile websites.
Mozilla relies on Apple's WebKit Content Blocker technology and the EasyList filter to handle the ad blocking. Users do not need to download and install a separate extension to make it work.
Ad blocking is managed directly inside the settings of Firefox on iOS. Mozilla keeps the feature disabled by default.
Users must manually enable the tool by navigating to settings, browsing, and then ad blocker. They can also toggle the feature on or off during an active browsing session through the site menu option.
Certain advertisements will still slip through the system. Mozilla states that ads served directly by a website or ads shown in search results will continue to appear.
Sponsored shortcuts and other sponsored content displayed by Firefox when opening a new tab will also remain unblocked.
This update marks the first time Firefox has gained ad support on the iOS platform. However, numerous rival browsers already provide similar capabilities.
Competing options like Brave, Vivaldi, and Opera already feature built-in ad blockers on iOS.
Users can now update their app to access the new settings menu and enable the blocker manually.
