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[Zaph]

Posted this over in the WWDC thread, but it's potentially big news so I think it warrants its own thread. Hopefully it doesn't infringe any GAF rules?

[The Verge] iPhone users can block ads in Safari on iOS 9

(...) one change that Apple didn’t highlight is the ability to block web ads in Safari. Apple engineer Ricky Mondello first revealed the change on Monday, and the company is planning to provide more details to developers tomorrow. iOS developers will be able to create extensions for Safari that block cookies, images, resources, pop-ups, and other web content.

With Apple's continuing struggle to prevent ads launching the App Store, their new/increased focus on privacy, and long standing cold war with Google, this seems like a logical move. Apple are even hosting a session on content blocking tomorrow.

While mobile ad revenue is very low, iOS users have always been a lucrative and disproportionately appealing demographic, so if this becomes widespread, could we see more sites trying harder to move mobile readers to their app? Or even a paywall?

Personally, I'll be glad to see the back of two things - App Store redirects and the new(ish) trend of adverts combining gif's with audio to get around Safari's hard block on auto-playing video. But I fear that, unlike desktop versions, there won't be a convenient way to quick toggle it on/off between sites, so most users might permanently leave it on.

 

[ElFly]

Hope this doesn't mean that Google will begin to escalate and make adblocking way more difficult.

 

[Your Entertainer]

The ads opening the app store or completely taking up the screen + sound for a large amount of time are unacceptable and I'll be more than happy to see them disappear.

 

[bms2993]

Yes! I can block ads on all my sites and on all my devices! Ha ha ha!

 

[entremet]

Does Android have native ad blockers?

Since Android is Google and Google is basically an ad company that dabbles in tech, do you think they would allow this natively?

This is also the reason why companies will act differently depending on who their customers are. Google's customers are advertisers, not the user.

 

[samn]

Does Android have native ad blockers?

Since Android is Google and Google is basically an ad company that dabbles in tech, do you think they would allow this natively?

Google takes them off the play store because they 'interfere with the operation of other apps'

 

[sixteen-bit]

Glad this is happening. App Store redirects really spoil the user experience on Safari.

 

[entremet]

Google takes them off the play store because they 'interfere with the operation of other apps'

Makes sense. Advertising is their core business and advertisers their core clients.

This is why we need multiple companies in tech.

 

[FaintDeftone]

I'm very iffy on the whole ad blocking apps.

A lot of ads are obnoxious and can slow your device and browser down. Putting a stop to them is nice.

On the other hand, I feel bad that I'm not doing my part in helping fund the site's existence.

 

[ClosingADoor]

Damn bullshit if you ask me. But advertising networks should get their shit together in blocking those popup and app store opening ads. That is clearly annoying and should not be allowed.

Or Apple should fix their browser and find a way to break the ads doing that.

Now you are just hurting businesses that can only survive on advertising revenue.

 

[DOWN]

Hope this doesn't mean that Google will begin to escalate and make adblocking way more difficult.

They already are. They have to.

 

[Zeyphersan]

I'm very iffy on the whole ad blocking apps.

A lot of ads are obnoxious and can slow your device and browser down. Putting a stop to them is nice.

On the other hand, I feel bad that I'm not doing my part in helping fund the site's existence.

I actually keep ads on most of the time, since I want to directly fund the youtubers/sites that I enjoy the content from

However, anything I can do to stop the redirects-to-App Store ads I will take

 

[bigkrev]

GAFMobile has been borderline unusable for months now, with redirects seemingly happening every other page.

I hope this helps.

 

[gruenel]

nevermind, misread.

 

[shadowsdarknes]

Yes! I can block ads on all my sites and on all my devices! Ha ha ha!

All your sites?

 

[JMDSO]

The problem with ad blockers on Android is most (if not every one) require root access.

Now if only Google would get on extensions for Chrome mobile.

 

[Hatty]

I'd gladly use it if I could just block the redirect ads

 

[Patryn]

The ads opening the app store or completely taking up the screen + sound for a large amount of time are unacceptable and I'll be more than happy to see them disappear.

This would be the main reason I'd want an ad blocker.

It's funny how I didn't mind ads on my mobile stuff until this started happening. Once again, the ad people annoy their way out of business.

 

[entremet]

I'm very iffy on the whole ad blocking apps.

A lot of ads are obnoxious and can slow your device and browser down. Putting a stop to them is nice.

On the other hand, I feel bad that I'm not doing my part in helping fund the site's existence.

I don't think Apple is anti ads here. They just are against ads that hinder the user experience. Appstore redirect are very jarring.

 

[Air]

Good, now maybe Google will do something about their ads that force the App Store to randomly pop up. I don't mind viewing ads on mobile, but when they hijack my phone and bring me to a page I didn't click on- there is a problem.

 

[Rootbeer]

apple's war against google continues. this is sure to impact them.

I'm starting to think that i really need to switch back to iOS this year

 

[Lkr]

if there is a simple ad on a sidebar of a site, i don't mind it. but nothing pisses me off more than an ad that either opens the app store or opens a full screen video with blaring audio

 

[Talamius]

It's a major problem on Android as well. Fullscreen ads with video and sound, ads that open a new tab and switch focus, ads that automatically open the play store (GAF had an ad that would automatically redirect to the play store site for EZ PZ RPG or Clash of Clans for a long time), and ads that spam dialog boxes are getting worse daily. It's something that could drive me to switch if it continues.

if there is a simple ad on a sidebar of a site, i don't mind it. but nothing pisses me off more than an ad that either opens the app store or opens a full screen video with blaring audio

This so much. I have no problem with a sidebar ad. It's unobtrusive. The crap going on now though is out of hand.

 

[entremet]

All your sites?

Stop baiting, bro ;P

 

[BIONIC-ARRRMMM!!]

Praise The Lord.

Fuck these ads that open up the app store. Absolutely annoying.

 

[onadesertedisland]

If Google would ban advertisements that do not have close buttons or obscure them and force clicks to the Play Store that would be nice.

 

[RandyBobandy]

Damn, that's pretty nice

Shame Android don't do this

 

[KHarvey16]

I would love an ad blocker that only blocked redirects. I feel like I can get along perfectly fine without ever allowing an app or safari to send me to the store.

 

[giga]

Ad networks did this to themselves with their awful full screen ads. I'm looking at you ESPN.

Just now:

 

[FStop7]

Considering the amount of browser hijacking as of recently, I welcome it.

 

[wenis]

 

[Junior Mint]

Apple implements multitasking and allows for ad blocking in iOS before Google does on Android lol. What a time we live in. iOS is pretty much Android without the jank - which is a good thing.

 

[Patryn]

I would love an ad blocker that only blocked redirects. I feel like I can get along perfectly fine without ever allowing an app or safari to send me to the store.

This. I have zero problem supporting the sites I like, I just can't stand the redirects.

The only people I hate more than the people who make those ads are the people who must then download the apps, because they're encouraging them.

 

[FlyinJ]

It seems a better solution would be to do everything possible to block app-store redirects in Safari's code. Even going so far as removing the ability for Safari to open the app store at all (although that seems unlikely).

 

[bms2993]

All your sites?

Yes, why?

 

[Wiz]

I thought the app store redirect thing is already fixed in iOS 9, outside of this feature?

 

[Ambient80]

I actually keep ads on most of the time, since I want to directly fund the youtubers/sites that I enjoy the content from

However, anything I can do to stop the redirects-to-App Store ads I will take

Yeah same. I whitelist a ton of sites that I visit regularly so they get their ad revenue. Hopefully it won't be an all-or-nothing deal and they'll let us choose which sites to allow ads on.

 

[ElFly]

Does Android have native ad blockers?

Since Android is Google and Google is basically an ad company that dabbles in tech, do you think they would allow this natively?

This is also the reason why companies will act differently depending on who their customers are. Google's customers are advertisers, not the user.

You can install adblock on android firefox.

But yeah, a native ad blocker is a different beast. Seems this is only for safari?

 

[entremet]

You can install adblock on android firefox.

But yeah, a native ad blocker is a different beast. Seems this is only for safari?

Well Apple only has control of Safari so it makes sense.

 

[Patryn]

It seems a better solution would be to do everything possible to block app-store redirects in Safari's code. Even going so far as removing the ability for Safari to open the app store at all (although that seems unlikely).

The problem with this is that I can see genuine use cases for when people would want a redirect.

The difficulty is finding some way to allow redirects only if the user actively clicks a link, but disallow a redirect for an ad.

 

[RastaMentality]

It seems a better solution would be to do everything possible to block app-store redirects in Safari's code. Even going so far as removing the ability for Safari to open the app store at all (although that seems unlikely).

That wouldn't be helpful for the app's actual website.

 

[The Llama]

Knowing that this will never come to Android (without rooting) makes me more likely to switch back to iOS tbh.

 

[Barzul]

Means I might actually ditch Chrome on iOS for this.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

thank you, Apple.

but if I'm not satisfied...there's a reason I keep my phone jailbroken. such services already exist through that method.

 

[ClosingADoor]

You can install adblock on android firefox.

But yeah, a native ad blocker is a different beast. Seems this is only for safari?

Only Safari. Doesn't Apple take a cut off app advertising revenue? They wouldn't want to hurt their own bottom line. This way they only hurt Googles.

 

[Vashetti]

Yes, why?

You can get banned for admitting to using adblock on NeoGAF.

 

[OTIX]

I thought the app store redirect thing is already fixed in iOS 9, outside of this feature?

It's been fixed several times. The ads go away for a while and then they figure out a new way to get through the blocks. This time it seems Apple has had enough and they're scorching the earth. Not ideal, but at this point it's probably necessary.

 

[stan423321]

Wwwait, am I agreeing with Apple? I guess I am agreeing with Apple. Wouldn't such an API allow Enhanced Steam on iOS and other cool things like this?

 

[Mindwipe]

I don't think Apple is anti ads here. They just are against ads that hinder the user experience. Appstore redirect are very jarring.

I'm afraid my slightly more cynical hat is that the aim of this is to try and push ad funded news sites into Apple News by ruining their external revenue opportunities, and artificially prop up the iAds business as a result (and I'm sure any extension that blocks iAds will not be permitted).

 

[RPGamer92]

Aw yeah, no more Kate Upton ad on mobile GAF that always takes me to the app store >_>