Mozilla has incorporated a built-in ad blocker into Firefox for iOS, utilizing Apple’s WebKit API.
Mozilla has introduced a built-in ad blocker for Firefox on iOS, utilizing Apple’s WebKit content blocker technology along with the EasyList filter, although it is disabled by default. In March 2024, Apple allowed other browsers to use its engine to comply with the Digital Markets Act, but no competing engine has been released for European iPhones since then.
The ad blocker became available with Firefox version 155 following a few weeks of testing, according to Digital Trends. It operates under Apple's guidelines instead of Mozilla's, employing Apple’s WebKit content blocker with the community-maintained EasyList filter and is turned off until activated in settings.
What it fails to block is significant. Advertisements from the site itself remain visible, as do those in search results, and Mozilla’s own sponsored shortcuts are treated differently.
Firefox is notably late to the game, as Brave, Opera, and Vivaldi have already integrated built-in ad blocking on iOS, while desktop users have enjoyed extensions for a considerable time.
The delay stems from the underlying engine. All browsers on an iPhone utilize WebKit, making Firefox on iOS an interface over Apple’s engine.
On paper, Europe altered this regulation. In March 2024, Apple opened BrowserEngineKit in compliance with the Digital Markets Act. This interface arrived with iOS 17.4 and applies solely within the European Union.
However, two and a half years later, no engines have been released. Both Google and Mozilla have experimented with their own engines, but neither has launched one publicly.
Mozilla explained at the time that Apple’s method would require them to develop and maintain two separate browsers, which would be “a burden Apple themselves will not have to bear,” a spokesperson stated in January 2024.
Microsoft has quantified the cost associated with this; its engineers found a Blink prototype to be 28.6% faster than WebKit on Speedometer 3.1 when tested on the same device.
Open Web Advocacy is urging Brussels to take action, pointing out that Apple has “had more than two years to produce a compliant solution,” as stated by its director, Alex Moore.
The Commission has taken action in other areas, as evidenced by Apple losing its appeal against gatekeeper designation at the General Court in July.
However, regarding the engine situation, there has been no progress. The regulation is in place, the interface is available, yet no competing engine operates on a European iPhone, and Microsoft has not released a Blink-based version of Edge either.
Thus, this feature subtly highlights that Mozilla has created the best blocker that Apple’s API permits, especially in a year when Chrome disabled Manifest V2 extensions, including uBlock Origin.
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Mozilla has incorporated a built-in ad blocker into Firefox for iOS, utilizing Apple’s WebKit API.
Mozilla released a native ad blocker for Firefox on iOS utilizing Apple's WebKit API. Two and a half years following the DMA, no competing engine has been launched.