uBlock Origin for Mac

Be Free From Unwanted Online Ads

So, you are reading an article online when an ad suddenly pops up on your screen, or you are browsing through a website, and suddenly you are directed to another website. Annoying right? If this is your everyday dilemma, then it is best to install an ad blocker to your device. An ad blocker is a software that is capable of removing or altering online advertising in a web browser or an application. uBlock Origin is a free and open-source privacy app that you can use to stop ads from appearing while you browse. It is a wide-spectrum blocker that does not only save you from insistent ads but protects you from scripts and third-party servers as well. 

The uBlock Origin Service

First things first,  uBlock Origin is not just an ad blocker but a general-purpose blocker. True it blocks unwanted ads through its support of the Adblock Plus filter syntax, but uBlock Origin extends the syntax to work with custom rules and filters. It also has an advanced mode that allows the app to work in default-deny mode. This blocks all third-party network requests by default unless allowed by the user. uBlock Origin also works just like NoScript, which blocks scripts that tends to slow down your browsing speed. 

uBlock Origin is essentially a content filter for your browser. It works with a filter list which in turn tells the program you are running which content to block. The software comes with several well-maintained filter lists, including EasyPrivacy, Malware Domain List, AdServer List, and Advanced Tracking List. The program will then match the content your browser attempts to load with your active list and filter out ads, tracking servers, and malware sites that you have included. 

But while ad blockers help you deal with annoying ads and save you from malware, most of them tend to slow down your browser whenever you have a large number of filters in your list. uBlock Origin boasts a lighter CPU and memory footprint. It will only load the filters needed for a particular web page instead of the entire filter list. This way, you can have a faster browser start-up and web page loading. 

App Installation

uBlock Origin is available as a browser extension for popular browsers such as Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox browser. It is also compatible with any Chromium-based browsers as well as other browsers based on Firefox such as SeaMonkey, and Pale Moon. Users of other browsing programs like Microsoft Edge and Safari can also add uBlock Origin as an extension. 

Installing uBlock Origin is as easy as installing your standard web browser extension. You only need to allow access to your privacy and activity for you to be able to install the app. The standard ad, malware, and privacy filters are enabled by default, so you are already protected even if you haven't configured your filter lists. 

Once installed, you can see the shield icon next to your address bar. Clicking the icon opens up a control pop-up where you can switch on and off the blocker for individual sites. 

Protect Your Browsing Activity

uBlock Origin is a great app to have when you don't want to deal with annoying ads every time you go online. The app is a fast and lightweight content blocker that offers plenty of filter list. It does not only filter out ads but also protects your privacy. If you are looking for a blocker that offers lots of privacy filters but do not slow you down,  uBlock Origin is definitely worth checking out.