Adblock Plus released an Android browser that blocks annoying ads. The browser is based on Firefox for Android and it looks and feels extremely similar. Firefox for Android users will feel right at home.
The Adblock Browser is currently in beta, so it’s not quite ready for prime time just yet. However, during my short testing, the browser never crashed and worked as well as Firefox for Android. The biggest drawback so far is the lack of integration with Firefox Sync. This means you won’t be able to sync your Firefox settings, tabs, history, or passwords with Adblock Browser just yet. Hopefully Adblock Plus includes this feature in a future release.
If ads annoy you, Adblock Browser works wonders. This beta is just as effective as its browser add-on for Chrome and Firefox. By blocking ads, web pages load faster and you’ll use less data too. But if you’re already using Firefox for Android, you can enable “reading mode” on any page to get a focused view of the page, showing only text and images. This won’t block pop-up ads but it’s a nice feature nonetheless.
By default, some non-obtrusive advertising is allowed but you can tell the browser to block all ads if you want. But please don’t as this is how sites like ours make money. In fact that’s how Google and Microsoft make money too and as a result, both companies have struck a deal with Adblock Plus to be whitelisted.
Adblockers have always been controversial since that’s how a majority of internet sites make money. Adblock Plus hopes to put pressure on sites and advertisers to increase the quality of their ads and decrease their annoyance.
If you want to try the Adblock Browser, scan the QR code using your phone or click on this link. You’ll also need to enable installing applications from unknown sources. See this guide for how to enable this feature.
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