Leave a Review 1Blocker
Overall great, but the latest update removed features without a subscription
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 1Blocker, we'll see if I continue to recommend it to friends after this.Show lessPatrickl27
Developer Response
Existing customers who paid for any 1Blocker app in the past get the new 1Blocker on all platforms for free forever. So, all the features you had are still free for you and also you can use both iOS and Mac versions of 1Blocker now. We introduced cloud-based rule updates for our filter lists, they are optional and if you deсide to try them out, you will have one year of the free trial. If you don't activate trial period, you will still receive the updates just like it was before. Every 1Blocker release in App Store contain an updated set of rules. Feel free to contact us at support@1blocker.com. We will be happy to assist you.ABC
The app 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 the app 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 this app 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 this app.Show lessmohàâ7
Best Safari Ad-blocker, but 4 months w/no update?
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.Show lessMB 101
Developer Response
Hello, thank you for your honest feedback! We understand what is driving your concerns and we are sorry for this delay. We have been working on a big and important feature that will let us improve the time needed to update the rules, it will be launched very soon and we really hope you'll enjoy it. If you have any questions or just want more details, please, send us a message at support@1blocker.comSeems better
Update - a year later and I decided to give this app 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 this app does its job, it also breaks lots of sites unless you toggle off the “block trackers” switch - which is one reason why I got the app 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 this app’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 this app).Show lessj%nml
Developer Response
Thank you so much for getting back to us and for giving us another chance! We're happy to hear that 1Blocker achieved a better level of performance on your device. The rule sets that we use are getting better with every release! If you notice any issues, you are always welcome to contact us at support@1blocker.com. This will definitely help us improve our app!Svelte and works
I’ve been using 1Blocker and now X since its inception. I recently had to setup an iOS device without 1Blocker 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?”Show lessAlphaman64
Worth the upgrade!
I waited a year because I didn’t understand the reason for the upgrade & give them time to ensure a smooth transition.
The new version blocks much more than the old. Legacy still works pretty well, but the X version wipes out ads completely (for me, on the news sites I visit daily). If you’ve been waiting, I assure you that it’s more than ready.
They went from one list of 50K sites to 8 lists with up to 400K sites blocked. I’m willing to re-purchase every couple of years to pay for the ongoing battle with advertisers. Better than a subscription. Kudos to the developers.Show lessin the end...
Perfect for what I need
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 this app (and any other) provides. It’s counterintuitive yes but that’s just how it works now.
Anyway after doing all that, this app 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!Show lessTimc266
Still Solid But Update Disappoints
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 the app’s fault.
Update: After around three months of use since upgrading, I’ve deleted the app from my phone. The “upgrade” was such a downgrade in performance and interface that it has made the app unusable. Time to find a new ad blocker.Show lessmichael.cantera
The Best Ad Blocker—Period
This is—without a doubt—the best ad blocker for iOS. The rules are insanely customizable, but simply installing and activating 1Blocker will ensure that you don't see ads on iPhone or iPad ever again, which makes it both very simple for *everyone* and very powerful for more advanced users. The developers are also responsive when questions are asked.
If you used the first version of 1Blocker (now called "Legacy") and are wondering if you should pay to upgrade to this latest version—do it. It's worth every penny, and I'm really excited about the future of this app.Show lessdmetzcher
Works perfect
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 the app cost is perfectly reasonable. Technically the app 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.......Show lessKubisuro
