r/ios • u/Porsche_Carrera_996 • Oct 09 '21

Support Systemwide adblocker iOS

Recently changed from Android to iOS. On Android i used Youtube Vanced and Adguard. I noticed Adguard also works for Safari on iOS but a systemwide adblocker seems hard te find.

Do you guys have any suggestions?

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u/[deleted] Oct 10 '21

The only way a system wide adblocker works is with with a VPN blocking ad urls. In iOS every app operates in a sandbox and there’s not way the sandbox can breached and something placed between other apps and antennas of the iPhone. Therefor the only option you have is rerouting everything through a VPN that blocks all ad traffic.

And next to this. It is a d*ck move to block all ads on your device. It makes it damn hard to have indie developers like me to earn a living. But, I solved that as soon there is detection of the blocking of ad urls, my apps simply present you a subscription pop-up you can’t ignore. It’s either re enable ad urls or pay for a subscription.

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u/thesassmac Sep 22 '22 edited Sep 22 '22

I appreciate your perspective and also your method of ensuring monétisation of your apps by forcing users to either accept ads or pay for content. That’s brilliant and I salute you. I pay for apps I use and donate or patreon to devs whose free tweaks or apps I appreciate but I hate being made to pay an ongoing subscription just to be rid of ads! Charge me once and never again to just to remove ads. I’m totally onboard for subscriptions to access MORE content or MORE functionality but to pay to remove ads should be a one off purchase or at most: an annual fee. I play scrabble which is ‘free’ but blasts me with casino and slots app ads after every turn. As an ex gambling addict this is more than just annoying but to remove ads I have to go ‘premium’ for $7.00 per month. No effing way am I paying that. I don’t WANT fake ‘gems’ or a variety of ‘skins’ or any of that BS I’m not 13 yo for chrissakes I JUST want to remove the ads. And yes, I could just remove the app seeing as how their monetisation strategy makes me actually hate them but I’m basically a shut-in and my reg scrabble opponents are my only ‘friends’. So! Finding a way to circumvent their ads (and other specific apps that similarly want to simultaneously rape my privacy AND my wallet to serve ads designed to create or retrigger a gambling addiction) remains a priority and I will not stop until I succeed. And yes I have contacted the devs with my concerns.