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Safari Web extension

Web extensions add custom functionality to Safari. You can find more information about Web extensions here.

What the Web extension looks like in Safari *mobile_border

AdGuard's Safari Web extension is a tool that takes advantage of the new features of iOS 15. It serves to enhance the capabilities of AdGuard for iOS. With it, AdGuard can apply advanced filtering rules and ultimately block more ads.

What it does

By default, Safari provides only basic tools to content blockers. These tools don't allow the level of performance that can be found in content blockers on other operating systems (Windows, Mac, Android). For example, AdGuard apps on other platforms can use such effective weapons against ads as CSS rules, CSS selectors, and scriptlets. Unfortunately, these instruments are absolutely irreplaceable when dealing with more complex cases such as pre-roll ads on YouTube, for example.

AdGuard's Safari Web extension compliments AdGuard by giving it the ability to employ these types of filtering rules.

Besides that, AdGuard's Safari Web extension can be used to quickly manage AdGuard for iOS right from the browser. Tap the Extensions button — it's the one with a jigsaw icon, depending on your device type it may be located to the left or to the right of the address bar. Find AdGuard in the list and tap it.

Web extension menu *mobile_border

On iPads AdGuard's Safari Web extension is accessible directly by tapping the AdGuard icon in the browser's address bar.

You will see the following list of options:

  • Enabling/disabling protection on the website. Turning the switch off will disable AdGuard completely for the current website and add a respective exclusion rule. Turning the switch back on will resume protection for the website and delete the rule. Any such change will require some time to take effect.

  • Blocking elements on the page manually. Tap the Block elements on this page button to prompt a pop-up for element blocking. Select any element on the page you want to hide, adjust the selection zone, then preview changes and confirm the removal. A corresponding filtering rule will be added to AdGuard (that you can later disable or delete to revert the change).

  • Report an issue. Swipe up to bring out the Report an issue button. Use it to report a missed ad or any other problem that you encountered on the current page.

How to enable AdGuard's Safari Web extension

note

AdGuard's Safari Web extension requires access to the web pages' content to operate, but doesn't use it for any purpose other than blocking ads.

In the iOS settings

The Web extension is not a standalone tool and requires AdGuard for iOS. If you don't have AdGuard for iOS installed on your device, please install it first and complete the onboarding process to prepare it for work.

Once done, open Settings → Safari → Extensions.

Select "Safari" *mobile_border

Select "Extensions" *mobile_border

Find ALLOW THESE EXTENSIONS section and then find AdGuard among the available extensions.

Select "AdGuard" in ALLOW THESE EXTENSIONS section *mobile_border

Tap it, then toggle the switch. On the same screen, set the All Websites permission for AdGuard to either Allow or Ask. If you choose Allow, you won't have to give permission every time you visit a new website. If you are unsure, choose Ask to grant permissions on a per-site basis.

Extension settings *mobile_border

In Safari

Alternitavely, you can also turn AdGuard extension on from the Safari browser. Tap the Extensions button (if you don't see it next to the address bar, tap the aA icon).

In Safari tap aA icon *mobile_border

Then find the Manage Extensions option in the list and tap it. In the opened window turn on the switch next to AdGuard.

Extensions *mobile_border

Extensions *mobile_border

If you use this method, you may have to go to Safari settings to grant AdGuard extension the necessary permissions anyway.

You should now be able to see AdGuard among the available extensions. Tap it and then the yellow i icon. Enable Advanced protection by tapping the Turn on button and confirming the action.

note

If you use AdGuard for iOS without Premium subscription, you won't be able to enable Advanced protection.

Alternatively, you can enable Advanced protection directly from the app, in the Protection tab (second from the left in the bottom icon row).

AdGuard's Safari Web extension only works on iOS versions 15 and later.