1Blocker Review 2024: What Your iPhone Has Been Missing

1Blocker is a top-performing ad blocker built specifically for Apple operating systems and the Safari browser. It integrates with not only the browser, but all apps across the device protecting you from ads, trackers, cookies, and even the dreaded comments section of some sites. 

We found this software to be highly effective, even the free version, and cost-efficient. 1Blocker passed all of the ad and tracker-blocking tests we threw at it with flying colors.

1Blocker overview

Ads blocked on Forbes	3
Adblock Tester score	100/100
Cover Your Tracks score	2.5/3
Can You Block It score	2/3
Does it block YouTube ads?	Yes
Whitelisting available	Yes
Blacklisting available	Yes
Compatibility	macOS, iOS, Safari
Paid version	Starts at $2.99/mo

We last tested 1Blocker on October 29, 2024.

Our experience

Most ad blockers aren't built for Apple products. Even when there's a version compatible with iOS, macOS, or Safari, it usually has fewer features or doesn’t work quite right. On top of that, parental controls either seem hidden or nonexistent. Enter 1Blocker.

Before we tested 1Blocker, we went to sites like Reddit to see what actual 1Blocker customers had to say. For the most part, commenters seemed to like it. 

We started our test with the free version and were impressed with the ad-blocking capabilities. Once we moved to the paid version we were very impressed.

1Blocker improved our iOS and macOS experience. We were able to seamlessly browse the web, use apps, and click links without worrying about constant tracking. 

One caveat is that we found certain aspects of the apps didn’t work as well with all functions of 1Blocker turned on. We also found that some images failed to load on sites and within emails. 

This was an easy fix, however. 1Blocker allowed us to toggle off the firewall for a certain amount of time, which allowed us to view these images (that we realized were laden with trackers).

Overall we found 1Blocker to be an effective tool. The only problem was the inability to easily toggle the ad blocker off and on in Safari on iOS. This was strictly an iOS problem and didn’t happen when we used 1Blocker on Safari on our Macbook Pro. 

Otherwise, we had a positive experience and definitely recommend the product if you’re looking for a powerful tool for macOS or iOS.

1Blocker paid plan

If you want to get the most out of 1Blocker by accessing all the content blocking it has to offer, you’ll need to go with a paid plan. In addition to unlocking all the current features, you’ll also receive weekly updates and new features before they’re released to those using the free plan.

There are three subscription models offered. The first tier is monthly and comes in at a reasonable $2.99/mo. The annual plan is $1.25/mo (billed annually), which is also reasonable. 

There’s also a lifetime plan for $38.99 that’s a one-and-done payment. If you plan on using 1Blocker for three or more years, consider the one-time payment plan and never worry about it needing to renew.

	Free	Premium
Price	Free	Annual: $4.99/mo (billed annually) Monthly: $2.99/mo (billed annually)
Blocks ads
Blocks trackers
Blocks annoyances
Blocks widgets
Blocks comments
Blocks adult sites
Whitelisting from Safari
Whitelist synchronization
Rule updates
Use all Safari filters at once
Advanced customization options
Details	View Plan	View Plan

Main features

The features and customization options on 1Blocker’s paid plan are extensive and highly customizable. Features for Safari are broken down into General, Regional, and Custom options.

There’s also a firewall feature that blocks in-app trackers. When you open social media apps, 1Blocker stops them from collecting data on everything else you’re doing on your device, or where you’re going if your location services are active. (Yeah, social media apps do that, and so do other apps.)

General

The general Safari filters include:

• Blocking ads on sites
• Blocking web trackers
• Blocking annoyances, such as mobile app banners and crypto mining
• Blocking widgets
• Blocking comments where they aren’t the primary focus
• Blocking adult sites

Regional

The regional Safari filters block ads in these specific countries:

• Russia
• Germany
• Spain
• Italy
• France
• China
• Japan
• Holland (Dutch)
• Poland

Custom

Custom rules allow you to create your own options on webpages by using the app’s templates. These rules include:

• Allow List: Turn off blocking for your favorite sites
• Block Sites: Configure rules to block any site or page
• Block Cookies: Ignore cookies when sending requests to sites
• Hide Elements: Visual editor for hiing buttons, sidebars, or other elements
• Force HTTPS: Allows you to make websites HTTPS-only

Firewall

The firewall feature is useful for blocking in-app trackers. Trackers can do anything from collecting data on the other sites you’re using (and what you’re looking at on those sites) to allowing apps to continue tracking your geolocation if your location services are turned on. 

If you aren’t interested in being under constant surveillance, 1Blocker’s firewall can help. It even integrates with Siri to allow you to toggle off and on through voice commands.

1Blocker's test results

We use AdBlock Tester, Cover Your Tracks, and Can You Block It to test how well an ad blocker works. 

AdBlock Tester uses various analytics and advertising services to see how effective an ad blocker is when installed. Cover Your Tracks tests trackers, invisible trackers, and your online fingerprint. Finally, Can You Block It checks your ad blocker's effectiveness against interstitial ads, ad blocker detection warnings, and banner ads.

1Blocker had success with all three tests. First, it received a perfect score from AdBlock Tester. 

Then, Cover Your Tracks let us know that 1Blocker provides strong protection against tracking. Having a unique fingerprint means its easier to identity you online, so having a nearly-unique fingerprint counts as a partial pass. 

Most ad blockers show us as having a unique fingerprint, so this is an above-average score.

Last, 1Blocker got a perfect Can You Block It score. It blocked interstial ads, banner ads, and disable ad blocker warnings.

1Blocker paid plan scores

	AdBlock Tester	Cover Your Tracks	Can You Block It
1Blocker score	100/100	2.5/3	3/3

YouTube ad test

Yes, 1Blocker does a great job of blocking YouTube ads without lag time. Because 1Blocker is built to run on an operating system rather than a browser, it even blocks ads in the YouTube app on an iPhone and iPad. That means no more going through Safari for ad blocking when you want to watch a video.

We started a Tiny Desk concert with 1Blocker off and were bombarded with the usual preroll ads and banner ads.

As soon as we enabled 1Blocker, our YouTube stream was seamless with no interruptions.

1Blocker also gives you the ability to toggle off ad blocking so you can continue to support your favorite creators with ad revenue. If you’re using it on a Mac, you can toggle off from the browser extension. If you’re using 1Blocker on an iOS device, you can turn off the block ads toggle while on YouTube. Either way, this powerful tool lets you choose.

Bypassing paywalls test

We imagine most readers have felt annoyed when opening up an article on sites like The New York Times and being blocked by a paywall. That's why we test all of our ad blockers against paywalls to see which ones can bring down those walls. 

We were disappointed that 1Blocker was not able to bring down paywalls on The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, or The Atlantic. But we'll keep testing ad blockers against paywalls with the hope that one will work. 

What browsers and software is it compatible with?

1Blocker is built exclusively for macOS, iOS, and Safari. If you’re hoping to install it on other browsers such as Chrome, Edge, or Firefox, or on a Windows, Linux, or Android device, you won’t be able to do that.

Because 1Blocker is built for Apple devices, it integrates seamlessly with each operating system and syncs across your devices. We’ve been using 1Blocker on our Mac and iPhone and the permissions and whitelists transfer. We’re also able to share it through Apple’s Family Sharing with our family members for no additional cost.

How to use 1Blocker

Once you've settled and downloaded 1Blocker on your Apple devices, you'll need to enable content blocking. The settings differ with each device, so we'll break down the 1Blocker setup below. 

How to enable content blocking in Safari on iOS:

1. Open your iOS settings.
2. Go to Safari > Extensions.
3. Enable your preferred 1Blocker settings.
   

   

How to enable content blocking in Safari on macOS:

1. Open Safari on your Mac.
2. Go to Safari > Settings > Extensions.
3. Check off all 1Blocker boxes.
   

   

4. Open the 1Blocker app and turn on your preferred content-blocking categories. 

Top alternatives

1Blocker is a great service for Apple users, but it's not compatible with Windows or Android. If your household doesn't solely use Apple products, there may be some protection gaps.

The following are some of our favorite 1Blocker alternatives based on their test scores, pricing, compatibility, and more.

FAQs

Bottom line: Is 1Blocker good?

Yes, 1Blocker is a powerful and useful tool. Although other ad blockers such as AdGuard or Adblock Plus do work on Apple devices, 1Blocker was built specifically for these operating systems and integrates beautifully. It provides you with features to keep yourself from being tracked and to allow a clean browsing experience.

There are some slight issues with 1Blocker, such as the inability to easily toggle off and on in Safari on iOS devices, that keep 1Blocker from being perfect. However, the protection, parental controls, and customization options make up for that issue in our opinion. If you’re looking for a way to enhance your experience on your iOS, macOS, and Safari devices, 1Blocker may be the perfect solution.

1Blocker is one of the best apps for Mac, Safari, and iOS devices, but you can also see how our 1Blocker alternatives compare if you need coverage across operating systems: 

• 1Blocker vs. Total Adblock
• 1Blocker vs. AdGuard
• 1Blocker vs. Wipr

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