Ad blockers can speed up your browser, protect your identity, and improve your online experience. Want to know which ad blocker is right for you?
You've probably heard of ad blockers, as they are becoming more and more common nowadays with the rise of digital advertising and online fraud. They provide a way for content consumers to avoid ads and can help keep your identity safe online by masking you from sites that might be spying on you. Consider retargeting ads. Have you ever wondered how they get all that information and know the exact dates you are thinking of flying to Puerto Rico?
Rundown on Ad Blockers
Ad blockers like AdAway and Privacy Badger are browser add-ons or extensions that remove ads on specific websites. Depending on your blocker type, certain content is blocked. Most ad blockers block ads, while other no-tracking ad blockers prevent websites from spying on you and other things that could compromise your privacy. This can be information such as how much time you spent on a particular page or which buttons you clicked most often. However, most ad blockers aim to remove annoying pop-up ads and banner ads that annoy people.
Apart from the privacy and ad removal aspect of ad blockers, they also provide users with other benefits. Ad blockers can greatly speed up your browsing experience by blocking ads and other bandwidth-consuming pop-ups. This can help you save your mobile data as pages load faster. Using an ad blocker also makes websites look nicer and cleaner, and makes articles easier to read because there are no boxes between paragraphs.
As useful and obvious as the use of ad blocking may seem, it creates an ethical dilemma between content consumers and advertisers. Many people find it difficult to use blockers, because in a sense they “deprive websites” of content revenue. If the content is not displayed, the website provider cannot make money. But many ad blockers let you choose the sites you want to block ads from, which could be those you think are spying on you for information you don't want to provide.
How to Use an Ad Blocker
To use an ad blocker, you must choose the right one. There are many options, all with slightly different offerings.
Take Ghostery, one of the most popular privacy extensions on the market. Ghostery can be used in several different browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, and Internet Explorer. You can also use it on iOS or Android. Although the product has a slightly longer learning curve compared to others, it is incredibly robust.
You can choose exactly what you want to track and block, such as advertising, analytics, and social media can manually choose which extension you want to block or you can let it automatically decide what to block based on your browsing patterns and history. You can also disable the ad blocker at any time if you wish by clicking pause in the menu at the top of your browser. Ghostery is a great option, but there are other options like Purify and 1Blocker.
After choosing the right blocker based on your needs, you will need to install, download and run the application. The rest is clear. Simply open your regular browser and visit the website. You will notice that there are no annoying ads or pop-ups. In the background, your ad blocker does the heavy lifting of examining site components and their scripts to see if there are any that need to be blocked.
If a Webpage Doesn’t Support Ad Blockers
Since websites rely on ads to make money, they have started blocking your content if they detect that you are using a blocker. As frustrating as it is, it's not that bad because most sites don't restrict their content. And if they do, you can simply disable your ad blocker or stop them on that site for a set period of time.
AdBlock makes it very easy to block certain websites. Say you're on a site that doesn't allow ad blockers, you can simply click the little AdBlock icon at the top of your browser and click “Stop on this site.” AdBlock also tells you how many ads you've blocked on your current page, as well as the total number of ads you've blocked over your lifetime.
A blocker comparable to AdBlock is uBlock Origin.Other blockers like Adblock Plus and AdGuard are good solutions that track blocked ads. Adblock Plus is used on over 100 million devices worldwide, while AdGuard has a parental control feature that allows you to prevent your children from viewing and accessing inappropriate websites.
Protect Yourself From Website Spying
Ad blockers are good for many things, not just blocking annoying ads from appearing while you watch the morning news. If you're looking for protection that provides ad blocking without the need to download another extension, check out Opera Browser. The company behind the browser is based in Norway and the product is a fast and easy-to-use browser with built-in ad blocking and VPN. The next time you get a pop-up or find yourself “switching” an ad multiple times, get yourself an ad blocker.
What are the best ad blockers?
When it comes to the best ad blockers and privacy extensions you can add to your browser, AdBlock Plus is available on multiple platforms, from desktop browsers to Android and iOS. As a result, it's likely to be the first stop for many people when looking for one. To block ads only on desktop, try AdBlock or Ghostery, which work with a wide variety of browsers. Additionally, AdGuard and AdLock are the best ad blockers among standalone apps, while mobile users should check out AdAway for Android or 1Blocker X for iOS.