Tired of endless pop-ups and fake close buttons? They are not just disturbing and some can be dangerous for containing malware and malicious links. Wondering if there’s a way to stop them once and for all? Yes, here are the 10 best pop up blockers working on Chrome, iPhone, Android, Firefox, etc. Pick one you need and enjoy an uninterrupted network.
Table of Contents
What Are Pop Ups? Are They Safe?
Pop-ups are graphical elements that appear suddenly on your screen, often as a small window that overlays the main content. These pop-ups can be ads, subscription requests, cookie terms, malware downloads, or other unsolicited content.
Are Pop-ups safe? They can be both safe and unsafe. While there are legitimate sites use pop-ups for promotions and notifications, many malicious sites use pop-ups to deliver malware, phishing scams, or unwanted ads. Faced with this, using a pop-up blocker can protect your security to some extent, you are also suggested to use a VPN to enhance overall online security.
10 Best Pop Up Blockers
Here are 10 of the most popular pop-up blockers. In terms of picking pop up blocker Chrome extension, we recommend only Google MV3 update-supported ones, as many pop-up blockers that worked well before will no longer be supported in early 2025 with this update.
1. uBlock Origin
uBlock Origin is for sure the best pop up blocker ever. However, the Chrome MV3 update makes Origin soon no longer be supported, thus here recommend uBlock Origin as a top pick pop up blocker for Firefox, Edge, and Opera.
As the pioneer of ad content blocker, uBlock Origin did its best to fight for a no-ad digital world. No donations are asked for, no acceptable ads are displayed, and all content is equally blocked for free. You can even use uBlock Origin to speed up browsing by customizing block settings like “block media elements larger than XX KB”.
Basic Information:
| Working On | Firefox, Edge, Opera, and Chrome(temporally) |
| Last Update | November 20, 2024 |
| Size | 3.8MiB |
| Supported Language | 51 |
Content Can & Can Not be Blocked:
✔︎ Pop-up ads
✔︎ Malicious links
✔︎ Online trackers
✔︎ Some soft paywalls
✔︎ Large media elements
⚠︎ YouTube ads – sometimes can be detected
2. uBlock Origin Lite
You may have used the Chrome uBlock Origin extension and loved it so much, but be confused about the big notice on the extension store saying “This extension may soon no longer be supported”. Fortunately, uBlock Origin has newly launched a Chrome pop up blocker that can be supported by Google MV3 named uBlock Origin Lite.
Although it still has limitations compared to the original uBlock Origin, it is still pretty good considering the restrictions Google has placed on MV3. Since it has just been launched, we believe that uBlock Origin Lite will develop as brilliantly as the original version.
Basic Information:
| Working On | Chrome |
| Last Update | November 27, 2024 |
| Size | 8.0MiB |
| Supported Language | 51 |
Content Can & Can Not be Blocked:
✔︎ Pop-up ads
✔︎ Malicious links
✔︎ Online trackers
✔︎ Some soft paywalls
⚠︎ YouTube ads – sometimes not working
✖︎ Specific media elements
3. Adblock Plus
Another well-known pop up blocker Chrome extension is Adblock Plus, a working well blocker with 500 million downloads. It is a free blocker working for invasion ads but allows for acceptable ads by default, luckily, users are allowed to turn them all off. It also developed an app called “ABP for Samsung Internet” specifically for Samsung users and “Adblock Plus for Safari” for iOS users. In addition, there is a browser named “Adblock Browser” that launched to help users search ads-free.
Though free, this pop up blocker also needs some money to remain free. Thus right after you install this extension for your Chrome, a pop-up will show to guide you to donate some money. Features like blocking cookie requests, floating videos, survey requests, and other distracting content are available only for premium users.
Basic Information:
| Working On | Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Opera, Samsung(ABP for Samsung Internet), and iOS(Adblock Plus for Safari) |
| Last Update | November 21, 2024 |
| Size | 56.07MiB for extension 62.5 MB for iOS 4 MB for Samsung |
| Supported Language | 53 |
Content Can & Can Not be Blocked:
✔︎ Pop-up ads
✔︎ Malicious links
✔︎ Online trackers
⚠︎ YouTube ads – sometimes can be detected
⚠︎ Cookie requests, paid service
⚠︎ Floating videos, paid service
⚠︎ Survey requests, paid service
⚠︎ Other distracting content, paid service
4. AdGuard
AdGuard is a comprehensive pop up blocker that works for almost all your devices. You can either enable it as an extension add-on, or software on Windows and application on a phone. It helps block almost all types of unwanted pop ups including ads, malicious links, banners, floating flashs, etc.
The best part about AdGuard is that this tool can also handle blocker detection, which means you don’t need to search for “how to allow pop ups on Chrome” when visiting sites with detection tools.
Basic Information:
| Working On | Browsers, iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Android TV |
| Last Update | November 28, 2024 |
| Size | 32.06MiB for extension 52 MB for Android 68.7 MB for iOS 143kb for Windows |
| Supported Language | 47 |
Content Can & Can Not be Blocked:
✔︎ Browser pop-up ads (limited to 1 device)
✔︎ Online trackers
✔︎ Floating videos
✔︎ Malicious links
✔︎ Cookie requests
✔︎ YouTube ads
⚠︎ In-app ads (paid)
⚠︎ In-game ads (paid)
5. Ghostery
Ghostery is also a great pop up blocker for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari and Opera. This tool earns 100+ million downloads across platforms and promises to be free forever. In addition to that, Ghostery also developed a private browser to help users enjoy internet ads free forever.
Ghostery stands out for its efficiency it works to remove ads. Compared to other blockers on the market, Ghostery takes much less time to block pop-up ads and even performs well on the Chrome Manifest V3 version.
Basic Information:
| Working On | Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari and Opera |
| Last Update | November 25, 2024 |
| Size | 12.59MiB |
| Supported Language | 13 |
Content Can & Can Not be Blocked:
✔︎ Intrusive ads
✔︎ Cookie pop-ups
✔︎ Hidden trackers
⚠︎ YouTube ads (sometimes not working)
6. NoScript
Since most pop-up ads are triggered by JavaScript code embedded in web pages, NoScript works by blocking all scripts used for serving ads and trackers. This pop up blocker is built into Tor Browser, making your browsing hassle-free.
By default, NoScript blocks all scripts, but users can activate only content from trusted domains. This approach helps block pop-ups and improves security by preventing the execution of potentially harmful scripts.
Basic Information:
| Working On | Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, Vivaldi |
| Last Update | December 3, 2024 |
| Size | 967KiB |
| Supported Language | 26 |
Content Can & Can Not be Blocked:
✔︎ Pop up ads
✔︎ Analytics and tracking scripts
✔︎ JavaScript, Flash, and other potentially nefarious plugins
⚠︎ YouTube ads (sometimes not working)
7. Control D
Control D helps you block pop up ads at a system level by routing all DNS queries to your personal resolver and blocking ad DNS in the first place. This helps filter most ads and trackers before they can even load.
System-level blocking with Control D is more effective than relying solely on browser extensions. However, you still need a browser blocker for ads that can’t be blocked at the DNS level.
Basic Information:
| Working On | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, router |
| Last Update | 9 May 2024 |
| Size | 45 MB for iOS 50.32 MB for Android |
| Supported Language | English |
Content Can & Can Not be Blocked:
✔︎ Malware
✔︎ In-app ads
✔︎ Browser pop ups
✔︎ Trackers
✔︎ Harmful content
✖︎ YouTube ads
8. NextDNS
Another pop up blocker at the DNS level is NextDNS. It is widely used to block malicious pop-ups, stop trackers, and control what children can access.
Similar to Control D, this blocker also uses DNS servers to block malware, ads, and trackers listed in all apps on your device based on host names and has been tested to be super fast. However, this tool is less maintained, the last update was in 2021.
Basic Information:
| Working On | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android |
| Last Update | Jan 15, 2021 |
| Size | 19.3 MB for iOS 4 MB for Android |
| Supported Language | English |
Content Can & Can Not be Blocked:
✔︎ Browser pop-up ads
✔︎ In-app ads
✔︎ Trackers
✖︎ YouTube ads
9. AdLock
AdLock is a popular pop up ad blocker that works on all devices. You can block browser ads using the Chrome extension, or download it on your computer and phone to block in-app ads, greatly enhancing your browsing experience and reducing loading times.
However, AdLock is not a completely free service. The Chrome extension is free to use, but “acceptable ads” are ready for you. In-app ads are also only available to paid users.
Basic Information:
| Working On | Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android |
| Last Update | November 8, 2024 |
| Size | 2.92MiB for Chrome 80.1 MB for iOS 1 MB for Android |
| Supported Language | 8 Languages |
Content Can & Can Not be Blocked:
✔︎ Browser pop up ads
✔︎ Dangerous pages
✔︎ Trackers
⚠︎ In-app ads (paid)
✖︎ YouTube ads
10. 1Blocker
1Blocker is an iOS-focused pop-up blocker that also integrates well with Safari. You can use this tool to remove unwanted pop-ups, annoying cookie requests, trackers, widgets, banners, and adult websites.
It is free to use, but the premium version offers more features. Also, you can get a 2-week trial before purchasing. The most impressive feature of 1Blocker is that it has been tested to work with YouTube ads.
Basic Information:
| Working On | iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro |
| Last Update | Nov 5, 2024 |
| Size | 12.7 MB |
| Supported Language | 8 Languages |
Content Can & Can Not be Blocked:
✔︎ Safari pop up ads
✔︎ Cookie notices
✔︎ Social media widgets & share buttons
✔︎ Trackers
✔︎ YouTube ads
⚠︎ In-app ads (paid)
YouTube Anti-Blocker Detection
Another big challenge for pop-up blockers is YouTube’s anti-ad blocking measures. Since many people try to block YouTube ads using pop-up blockers, YouTube keeps updating its ad blocker detection, and once they find out that you are using an ad blocker, they will display a pop-up asking you to disable it before continuing playback.
Many pop-up blockers ultimately fail this detection. Only a few blockers on this list pass the detection, such as uBlock Origin, AdGuard, Ghostery, and 1Blocker. However, as YouTube continues to update the detection technology, many pop-up blockers may eventually be detected. Therefore, the best way to bypass YouTube ads is to buy YouTube Premium. Worried about the price? Let X-VPN help you get a cheap YouTube Premium and save 95%!
Why Chrome No Longer Supports Many Blockers
You must have noticed the warning displayed in the Chrome store saying “This extension may no longer be supported soon because it does not follow best practices for Chrome extensions.” This is because Google Chrome is transitioning from Manifest V2 to V3 to improve overall performance.
This transition has caused great damage to pop-up blockers, as the MV3 version has more restrictions, causing many blockers to stop working. The good news is that blockers are also updating themselves to adapt to this transition, just like uBlock Origine Lite did. It may not be as good as the MV2 era, but there is still hope the 2 parties reach a new balance.
Conclusion
With the increase of crazy marketing ads and malicious flashing links, more and more people need a pop up blocker to improve their browsing experience. The 10 best pop-up blockers introduced here are working great in their own way. Pick one you like to block annoying ads, also use X-VPN to stop targeted ads specially displayed for you!
FAQs
How Do I Disable Pop Ups?
You can disable pop-ups with a pop-up blocker. Each blocker introduced above has its own way of blocking pop-ups. Take 1Blocker as an example, steps to disable pop-ups are:
Step 1. Download and install 1Blocker to your phone.
Step 2. Open the app and navigate to “General”.
Step 3. Swipe right “Block Ads” to select the option.
How to Turn Off Pop Up Blocker?
You can turn off the pop-up blocker with the opposite way of how you turned it on, or whitelist certain apps or websites to make everything work normally.
Which Browser Is Best for Blocking Pop Ups?
In terms of built-in pop-up blocking features, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox are generally considered the best browsers. But when it comes to adding extensions or add-ons to block pop-ups, Firefox works better since many blockers that are not supported by Chrome MV3 still work well on Firefox.
