1Blocker Reviews

Original Review: I’ve found little to no value in upgrading from the legacy version. The interface might actually be worse - they’ve removed the ability to enable/disable specific types of widgets (e.g., allow Twitter but disable other social media widgets) and lumped it all into an “annoyances” category that’s so tedious to customize it’s not worth the trouble. And you can’t whitelist specific features for certain sites, such as allow comments while blocking everything else. If you whitelist a site, you whitelist everything. And there’s still that long delay after you change anything in the settings, although I suspect this isn’t 1Blocker ’s fault.

Update: After around three months of use since upgrading, I’ve deleted 1Blocker from my phone. The “upgrade” was such a downgrade in performance and interface that it has made 1Blocker unusable. Time to find a new ad blocker.

1Blocker itself does exactly what it's meant to, and I have no issues when it comes to ad blocking itself. My issue, and to me it's a huge one, is the fact that 1Blocker always turns itself off. It is so annoying that I turn on the VPN, then it randomly turns itself off. It could be on for as little as five minutes or a couple of hours, but it ALWAYS turns itself off. I would be less upset had this application been free, but the fact that I paid for this thing to block ads and it does always turns itself off and ends up NOT blocking them is really infuriating. What is most upsetting is that when it is on, it works so well, and want to give 1Blocker a good review and recommend it to everyone, but the fact that it always turns off makes it very unreliable. Because of this, I cannot recommend you or anyone else I know purchase 1Blocker.

I had the legacy version and was having problems with CNET autoplaying videos. I upgraded to this version and it actually worked to get those videos to stop autoplaying and interrupting my background audio. I was happy until I started noticing that when I did a google search for a product, most of the results were unclickable. They showed a black page saying “the url is blocked by a content blocker”. I whitelisted google and the problem persists. I turned off the Block Trackers rules and it started to load some of the blocked google search results but I just now googled a definition and Meriam-Webster was blocked.

The developer states that you can get help on Twitter so I sent him 3 messages and received zero replies in 2 weeks. I don’t recommend 1Blocker unless the developer starts being available to help with problems that users may have. Right now, there isn’t much info on the internet for this app X so users have to rely on the developer for assistance.

Back in the day I used to use this app and it worked very well to stop annoyances and improve webpage performance. That is now no longer the case.

this app does not seem to be able to come up with a reliable way to block the now ubiquitous EU/GDPR cookie notices that does not make pages unusable. On so many pages this app stops the cookie notice from appearing, but it does not stop the overlay behind it that blocks the page. The user is left with a non-functional page that will not scroll or accept any input. The only was to access it is reload without content blockers and answer the cookie notice question.

Cookie notices have become so annoying they’re almost worse than ads, but having this app break so many webpages is the worst of all. I am moving away from using it and at this point won’t renew my subscription.

UPDATE: after running into issues following the devs’ reply below, I contacted them directly. Issue hasn’t really been fixed as such but at least most of the functionality CAN be recovered:

Go to Settings -> “Premium” even if you do NOT (want to) subscribe -> almost at the bottom, left is a tiny Restore Purchase link -> click & IGNORE PURCHASE ERROR MESSAGE(!): (re)enabling more than one filter should now work anyway.

Thanks to Cloud Sync (enabled by default) seems like all my connected devices have then been updated as well.

Rating updated now - under the assumption that filter updates will continue to be at least included once in a while with App updates...

====== Original Review ======
I have been a paying supporter since 2015, had no issue paying for the new version in 2018, and would have happily continued with paid upgrades!

But as I just installed it on a new device, I find there is no “Restore Purchase” option anywhere, and instead this has been turned into yet another endless-payments “freemium” piece of crippleware!



If you want constant payments for constant filter updates (which I’m not interested in), maybe, but disabling existing paid functionality deserves a ZERO Star rating.

But the cherry on this {bleep}pie is the unwanted pop-up in my (ex) paid app ASKING ME to give you this review.

This is the best ad blocker for iOS and macOS, but the latest update switched to a subscription plan, and removed some features for existing paying customers, such as the ability to manually block things it missed on websites.

Also it seems to be changing the prices offered, presumably to be manipulative and get people who initially refuse premium to consider it again. It initially offered the 1 year for $10, then later offered it for $5. Combined with the 1 year "free" for existing users, I reluctantly subscribed to that plan.

I get the need for recurring revenue, but removing features from existing paying customers with no warning in the release notes isn't cool. I was an enthusiastic supporter of this app, we'll see if I continue to recommend it to friends after this.

I am very big on protecting my privacy and eliminating distractions. I have personally evaluated every ad blocker I can find. Many are good, but this app is consistently the better choice.

I resent Apple's attempts to limit what ad blockers and other extensions can do to help a user. However, I admire how this app works within those limitations to deliver a better browsing experience.

I hope that the Hide Element feature gets a little more love. It took me awhile to figure out that to hide an element in the hide interface, I must click the element once to make its background pulse, and then I must click the element AGAIN to actually mark it as the element I want to hide, before clicking Save. If I want to hide multiple elements on a page, I must know to click Save in order to be prompted to hide another element. Perhaps I still don't understand the functionality fully. I'm a stickler for intuitive usability, and I found this a bit frustrating.

And, I know this is devilishly difficult, but I would gladly pay an extra sum if there were a way to block Twitter ads.

All in all, this app remains my gold standard for ad blocking on Safari for macOS and Safari for iOS.

I’ve used 1Blocker for years to bring browsing peace of mind. Very cool that they’ve now developed a clever way to implement a full on-device firewall! Unfortunately, it’s definitely still deserving of its beta label, for two reasons: (1) it chews through battery life like a starving dog through kibbles when reception is poor (such as in a locker), and (2) having it active makes it impossible to see in iOS Settings how much cellular data each app is using, since it’s all just tallied under this app.

So I’ll probably be disabling it again and waiting for refinement (and deleting Facebook Messenger in the meantime because I trust their network activity as far as I can throw it—which isn’t far, since I can’t really throw radio waves).

Keep at it, 1B!

Update - a year later and I decided to give 1Blocker another try to see if things work any better for me. And they do. Pretty good on my iPhone X running IOS 13 - so far. So I’m updating to 4 stars. We’ll see how things go for a while.

Original review - While I’m sure 1Blocker does its job, it also breaks lots of sites unless you toggle off the “block trackers” switch - which is one reason why I got 1Blocker in the first place. It too frequently destroys the normal browsing experience. So your choice is either to put up with broken sites or cripple 1Blocker’s functionality after paying for it.

Oh, wait - there’s a third option: use something else. That’s what I did and I’m much happier (except for the money I wasted on 1Blocker).

Many OTHER ad blockers have fallen into disrepair, not having been updated in ages or at least visibly updated and losing their effectiveness. This one bucks the trend and goes full throttle ad blocking with great configurability such as easy white listing. I only wish that some websites that I visit and enjoy had ads that weren’t so utterly obnoxious that they hijack my Safari with a new page to announce “You’ve own a prize! Click OK!” And then I can’t find my way back because swiping back just loads the ad again. UGH. Well, this blocker effectively stops that crud with the latest policies. I’m sure it is a full time job just keeping that up to date so 1Blocker cost is perfectly reasonable. Technically 1Blocker is above all the rest since they’ve managed to implement more than 50,000 policies using a modular system. Awesome. Now if only websites realized their ads were so obnoxious that JUST MAYBE less obnoxious ads would result in less ad blocking and more revenue.......

I usually don’t rate products, but I just installed the premium version today. I use my phone quite a bit; larger screens drive me batty due to visual issues. I’m sick of advertisements, tracking and the like, despite Apple’s claims that iPhone sorts these things out for us. In my experience and opinion, the phone settings are an utter failure. So far, I am mightily impressed. There are some cool settings that are definitely over my low tech head, but that’s fine (and I’m used to it). That notwithstanding, I’m most grateful to not be bombarded and and harassed and this works very smoothly and quickly. So far, so good, as they say. Thank you!😊

I’ve been a this app “Legacy” user since the beginning and tried several other ad blockers in the meantime but thought this app was the best and always went back. I upgraded to this app X to support the developer(s) but have been very happy with the new version. I’ve had problems with a few paywall news sites that I subscribe to but overall I still feel it’s the best. It breaks very few sites and does a good job blocking ads. I am really looking forward to the release of partial whitelisting since I believe it will allow me access to my paywall news sites while still blocking the ads once I’ve logged in.

For those having difficulty enabling the content blocking in Settings, you probably have the native content blocking in iOS enabled under the Screen Time section in Settings. Just go to Settings then Screen Time then Content Restrictions, and disable Content Restrictions *there*, under Screen Time.

THEN go to Settings>Safari>Content Blockers and now, after you disabled Content Restrictions under Screen Time, you should now be able to ENable the Content Restrictions 1Blocker (and any other) provides. It’s counterintuitive yes but that’s just how it works now.

Anyway after doing all that, 1Blocker works awesome. No more annoying (and arguably pornographic) “Suggested Content” at the bottom of virtually every website! Which is exactly what I was looking to do! Thank you this is such a huge help and now pages load much faster to boot!

I’ve been using this app and now X since its inception. I recently had to setup an iOS device without this app X and thought it was broken because loading webpages was so slow. And then, I saw all the ads. It was then I realized the problem was not the iPad, not iOS, not my network, but the Internet, where having a webpage with 90% ads and 10% content has become the norm.
I finally was able to convince my wife to delete the Facebook app and instead use a browser with an ad blocker, and she’s now got incredible battery life and no longer says “Why are they showing me this crap?” or worse, “How did they know to give me THAT ad? Are they eavesdropping?”

Believe my device has been taken over by firebaselogging googleapis that most all of my apps are now reporting to and now I can’t use my VPN and this app at the same time. Probably not 1Blockers fault it was working well until I started seeing all the firebaselogging and firebaseconfig believe they have connected all the pieces for someone to stalk me and who knows where they go from here.

Update:developer responded with solution but my network had been taken over and not so sure anything is secure now. this app seems to working again and I can use VPN and this app with their solution. Thanks!

This is truly a outstanding app and I truly thank the developers for an amazing system they have put together! I have used the other this app for 2 and a half years and for me have never never had a problem with it. About the time you think 1Blocker can’t get any better the developers pull out a better system! You can tell they have put a lot of time in to this new system and I am telling you download it today you will not be sorry!! As they have always said ( This is the only Add Blocker you will ever need! ) Thanks to a great app and a great team who took the time to not only put this together but in a special way cares !! Thanks

I will admit I paid a steep price for the ad blocking app. Compared to others out there on 1Blocker Store, this is the most expensive app I purchased specifically for ad blocking purposes. 1Blocker works very well and performs as advertised. I would say 1Blocker resembles UBlock Origin, the best ad blocking internet extension on PCs and Mac. Two reasons: First, you can hide certain elements of a website you do not like. And second, there are so many filters you can enable on 1Blocker. If you're willing to spend a bit more money compared to others, you will not be disappointed. I am using 1Blocker on a 10.5'' iPad. Hopefully, 1Blocker will get updated regularly. Also and for others wondering, THIS DOES NOT BLOCK ADS IN APPS. You need to use 1Blocker called Ad Blocker to enable that.

This program has never given me any trouble. I’m amazed at the number of tracking connections prevented by the firewall. Not to be neurotic, but I wonder what is still leaking through. I’m particularly happy that my internet interactions seem to function well with all the blocking selections turned on. Naturally, each user will have particular needs (I, for example, don’t use a VPN, though there might be a time when I would want to), but mine are met. If the developers could add firewall to the Mac program that’d be wonderful. And, if you (developers) could add a donation button to your website, I think I’d like to send you something to express my gratitude.
Can Firefox and/or DuckDuckGo receive your attention at some point?
Thanks,
-Jim

I came from the original 1Blockr and was willing to pay for this new, updated version (legacy blockr gets updates, but it doesn’t work as well as it did a couple years ago). I enjoy a mostly ad-free experience on Safari, but the few ads I do see would likely not be an issue if the developers would UPDATE their app! It’s been 4 MONTHS since the last update, which is entirely too long for a PAID APP, not to mention an Ad-blocking app which needs regular updates of new rules coming out all the time. This is the only reason for my one-star deduction; I don’t have a single app on my phone that hasn’t been updated at least ONCE in the last 4 months, so it’s definitely disappointing to see such a long hiatus for this highly important app.

The original, 1-star rating (see the review below) is changed to 5. On the latest iDevice running iOS 15.2, 1Blocker seems to be quite effective and doesn’t appear to hinder performance.

It does work well on some sites and is totally useless on others. Opening 1Blocker for it to refresh the “rules” is tedious. If kept refreshed in the background, however, 1Blocker drains the battery. Many sites, when being viewed with the Blocker engaged, seem to struggle to still push the commercial and other “social buttons”. In such instances, browsing within such websites is too sluggish.

Just upgraded to this app X, and I have started to play with the settings. I welcome the ability to block those annoying little side bars that want you to tweet, fb, etc. I don’t care to share what I think of a website. I also don’t care to know whether others “like” something on the websites I visit. Being able to block all those websites that don’t have https is a plus. It’s possible this was already offered in the previous version, but I didn’t spend much time finding out. I was just glad to see those pesky “cookies” disappear. I don’t mind paying for anything if it works. The previous version worked well for me, and I think this new one will, once again, be money well spent. Thank you for this new version.
Update-Well, I have now benefited from the paid app for several years. It delivers as promised, and I have not had to worry about my phone’s safety. Great app for those of us who want peace of mind while using their cell. Again, thank you Indie developer.

This is probably the best and fastest AdBlocker you can get. It does have many different advanced options for peer users.

The best thing about this AdBlocker is that it’s made by indie devs who rely completely upon app sales, rather than a corporation worried about selling data to make extra money. Worth it for the privacy, safety, and speed you get with this blocker.

Some might not like this, but I actually prefer to have a one-time payment to get all app features. I don’t need or want another subscription so a single $10 payment for 1Blocker is very much worth it to me.

If you care about true privacy while you browse, this is the best option. To me, the noticeable speed of page loads and customizations are just a bonus.

The one downside is that sometimes 1Blocker updates aren’t as frequent as I’d like. I’d prefer they do more frequent smaller updates but I realize not everyone likes frequent updates. And, since 1Blocker is great and has few issues, it’s probably not actually necessary.