Ad blockers are always a hot topic to discuss. Designed for laptops, desktops, smartphones, and laptops, ad blockers and browser extensions provide you the web content you are looking for after removing the flashing annoying ads. Here, we are going to discuss a few reasons to use an Adblocker. So, let us first understand what an ad blocker is?
What is an adblocker?
An ad blocker is a tool that eliminates advertisements while you browse the internet. It is mainly used to block advertisements thus improving the browsing experience There are many adblockers to choose from, and they differ based on different things like cost and effectiveness. Say, for example, you use one of the popular browsers- Safari, Mozilla, Chrome, or Internet Explorer. You can try to install AdBlock Plus. It is the world’s best free adblocker. It is free of cost and can be installed easily. The unique thing about this ad blocker is it works both on iOS and Android.
Not enough? You can also try Stands Fair Adblocker (if you use Chrome for browsing), uBlock ( works on iPhone or Android), or AdGuard ( almost free, though for some of its features you need to pay a charge). This proves that you have plenty of choices to choose from.
How to install an adblocker?
Ad blockers are generally browser extensions. They are also known as add-ons or plugins. All the same. This signifies that they are small pieces of codes that are installed in the browser, instead of your PC.
And installation of these ad blockers is easy. Just visit any of the ad blocker sites. You will come across a big, colorful “install” button. Clicking on it will do the trick. You might come across an extra installation step, in which case you must follow the instructions displayed on the screen. It takes just a few seconds.
Confused whether you should get an adblocker or not? Then, let us give you some reasons to use an Adblocker.
Reasons to Use an Adblocker
Adblocker makes your browsing safe
Nowadays, attackers are purchasing ad space in some of the popular websites and loading them with nasty ads that can harm both your data and computer. The easiest and fastest way to avoid this is to clock online ads from displaying at all. This is one of the popular reasons to use an Adblocker. An ad blocker helps you to remove several online ads and at the same time reduces the opportunity for advertising attacks. However, ad blockers do not block all ads- in fact, several companies pay a good amount of money to ad blocking developers to make their ads “whitelisted”. So, you must take a few necessary steps to ensure that you are indeed protected.
Ad blockers stop ad servers from following you
It is one of the important reasons to use an Adblocker. Ad servers not only deliver ads to your browser, but they also like to keep an eye on what you do online and collect all types of personal information about you and your habits that can be sold to any third party or used to send you more targeted advertising. Ad blockers claim that it can stop ad servers from tracking you.
It makes your web page load faster
This is one of the vital reasons to use an Adblocker that no one should ignore. When an ad blocker stops the analytics code, imagery, and text that comes with each online ad, your browser is free to focus on loading the real content of the site that you want to visit- say, the article that you want to read or the video you want to watch- without any disruptions.
It makes your data plan last for a long time and saves money too
This is specifically true for those who want their mobile browsing experience to be ad-free. Some studies have shown that, while visiting new websites, most of your mobile data is eaten by the ads. Though results vary from one site to another, once you take online ads out of the calculation, there is less data to download- which can be great in terms of saving money.
Ad blockers can declutter your browsing experience
One of the major reasons to use an Adblocker is well, no ads when you browse. You get clean websites, no distracting pop-ups, no sudden sound. Replacing all the advertisements with a pleasant, reader-friendly white empty space can make the time you spend online feel like a unique experience. If everything surrounding ad blockers sounds great at this point, it is just because they are a decent and helpful tool that everyone must have while browsing the internet. It is worth to install one. But like everything, ad blockers also have disadvantages. What are they?
- It can make important content and other features disappear
Stories around ad blockers wrecking experience in all types of websites, from flight booking engines to online shopping retailers to the point that the website becomes unusable. Built-in customer support instant messaging apps, shopping carts, and even the whole product pages have been consumed by the ad blockers.
Luckily, it can be solved by “whitelisting” select sites- and then adding them to a list of sites that the ad blocker will never touch. Unluckily, it is a textbook case of “you do not know what you don’t know.” If you cannot see the feature in the initial place, you cannot possibly understand that it is missing. Keeping your ad blocker switched on signifies a trade-off between an ad-free browsing session and an entirely functional one.
2. It can sell your browsing data to the third parties
There are many ad blockers that stop ad servers from tracking the things you do online. The reverse is that some ad blockers are the ones that do the tracking instead and selling or sending data to the third parties. You have been given the warning.
3. It may be the breed of Satan, and you are the unsuspecting minion
This is not that bad. However, ad blockers survive in an ethical twilight zone, in that they pose a threat to several independent media outlets who depend on online advertising for their income. Even the popular guys in the media landscape have taken a shot. Finally, it is up to you to find that moral sweet spot between safeguarding yourself from the risks and irritation of online marketing and allowing digital media to thrive. It is suggested to choose a policy of “smart whitelisting.” Ensure it is switched off for those websites that you want to support.
Few Best Ad Blockers
- AdBlock
AdBlock is one of the most popular browser extensions used for blocking ads, and it is not difficult to see why. As the name signifies, AdBlock not only stops those disturbing pop-up ads, but it also blocks several other ads that you will find on websites. AdBlock can help you to get rid of ads on YouTube and many other video streaming channels, which is something that many ad blockers cannot do.
The unique thing about AdBlock is how we can customize it. The alternatives include preset filters, blocking specific ads, permitting other ads to display, and whitelisting. By default, AdBlock comes with an option, “Acceptable Ads” feature that permits safe ads. If you want to block all the ads, you must switch off this by going to the settings. It is available in the form of an extension on most of the browsers and is simple to install. Many features present in this ad blocker makes it the best adblocker.
CyberSec by NordVPN
One of the several reasons why experts recommend NordVPN is because of the security suite, CyberSec. This free NordVPN feature stops adware and safeguards you by blocking the DNS requests from a long list of servers that are involved with spyware, malware, and tracking. This means that you cannot interact with a risky website unless you change your settings manually to provide it access. One of the best things that makes this feature special is that it can protect your data even if you are already infected by malware. NordVPN blocks communication from risky servers, which stops malware from following via risky activities.