Mozilla today announced it is adding an ad blocker to Firefox for iOS, allowing users to block many third-party ads and ad-related trackers. The ad blocker uses the EasyList filter list and Apple's WebKit Content Blocker technology, the same API Safari ad blockers use. Because App Store ad blockers only work with Safari, Mozilla built the feature directly into the Firefox app. Ad blocking is turned off by default and can be enabled by going to Settings > Browsing > Ad Blocker in the Firefox app. It is important to note that Firefox will not block ads served by the site you are visiting, and ads shown in search results will still appear. Additionally, sponsored shortcuts and other sponsored content shown by Firefox when opening a new tab are separate from ads and will not be blocked.

This update marks a significant shift for Firefox on iOS, bringing ad-blocking capabilities previously limited to Safari extensions directly into the Mozilla browser. The integration leverages established filter lists to provide robust tracking protection while maintaining compatibility with iOS's content-blocking framework. Users seeking an ad-free browsing experience on iOS now have a native option within Firefox, though with the noted limitations regarding site-specific and search ads.