Browsing the internet on your mobile phone can be annoying if you see ads on web pages. We are going to show you how to block ads in Firefox for Android and stay safe online.
Ad banners have several issues, they can get in the way of your taps. They can be a privacy risk and track your browsing preferences across sites. Some ads can contain malicious code, or could lead you to a web page that is used in a phishing attack, or to steal your usernames and passwords. Ads can also drain your smartphone’s battery faster and uses more data.
A good ad blocker can protect you from all the above-mentioned problems, and the best one to use is uBlock Origin. The add-on is free and open source. The mobile version of the extension is just as good as the plugin for desktop browsers.
How to block ads in Firefox for Android
1. Open Firefox and tap on the menu button.
2. Tap on Add-ons.
3. Firefox will display a list of recommended extensions that have been chosen by Mozilla. Tap on the plus symbol next to uBlock Origin.
4. You will see a prompt from Firefox that displays some permissions that are required by the extension. Tap on the add button to install uBlock Origin.
Firefox will ask you whether you would like to allow uBlock Origin in Private Browsing mode. This is an optional step, but we recommend allowing the extension in incognito mode, as it can protect you from trackers and ads.
To manage the ad blocking on a web page, visit any website, and tap on the menu button > add-ons > and then on uBlock Origin. This will open up the blocking settings for the current web page, including a large button to disable/enable the blocker for the site. This can be useful to whitelist a website from ads, or to see if a broken page loads correctly. You may use the advanced options, such as the element picker mode, element zapper mode.
And that’s it, now you know how to block ads in Firefox for Android. But, there is more to it. uBlock Origin offers a great deal of customization options in the form of filter lists.
You can access the screen from the add-ons > “Open the dashboard” option. This allows you to subscribe to various lists that are maintained by the community.
Want to install more extensions in Firefox? Find out how you can do that by reading our tutorial.
