Mozilla launches native ad blocking for Firefox on iOS, rolling out gradually and off by default; still shows its own ads

Mozilla has launched a native ad-blocking feature for Firefox on iOS, moving it out of the experimental phase. The feature, which is off by default, allows users to block third-party ads, trackers, and pop-ups, but still displays ads on Mozilla's own pages.¹²³⁵⁶

To enable the ad blocker, users must navigate to Settings > Browsing > Ad Blocker. Mozilla explained that implementing ad blocking on iOS required building it directly into the browser due to Apple's restrictions on web rendering.⁴

The ad blocker relies on EasyList to filter out unwanted content, but it does not eliminate ads from search results or sponsored content on Firefox's home and new tab pages. Mozilla has stated that it has no plans to expand this built-in ad-blocking feature beyond iOS, emphasizing its commitment to supporting the existing ecosystem of ad-blocking extensions.⁷⁹

“Firefox already supports a strong ecosystem of ad-blocking and privacy extensions,” Mozilla noted. The rollout is gradual, and Mozilla has not provided a timeline for a general release, which will depend on the initial rollout's success.

The update is now available in the App Store.