The easy way to block ads on your Mac. Annoying ads like pop-ups, video ads, banners and ads disguised as content are things of the past thanks to Adblock Plus (ABP)! Safari users enjoy a peaceful and delightful web experience when using Adblock Plus, the world’s number 1 ad blocker. No disruptive ads. No nasty viruses. Select the Manage Add-ons option on the drop-down list. Click the Toolbars and Extensions link in the left navigation pane. Right-click the AdBlock add-on name in the list, then click the Disable.
Apr 24, 2020 If you are using the Safari browser on your Mac, then you can disable any pop-up and other unwanted ads by going through the Security tab of Safari preferences. Each option that is in the box will make sure that the Safari browser will be able to prevent any pop-ups and any fraud warnings.
Pop-ups can be ads, notices, offers, or alerts that open in your current browser window, in a new window, or in another tab. Some pop-ups are third-party ads that use phishing tactics—like warnings or prizes—to trick you into believing they’re from Apple or another trusted company, so you’ll share personal or financial information. Or they might claim to offer free downloads, software updates, or plugins, to try to trick you into installing unwanted software.
Unless you’re confident of an ad’s legitimacy, you should avoid interacting with pop-ups or webpages that seem to take over your screen. Here are additional tips that can help you manage pop-ups and other unwanted interruptions.
Check and update your software
Always make sure you install the latest software updates for all your Apple products. Many software releases have important security updates and may include improvements that help control pop-ups.
The safest place to download apps for your Mac is the App Store. If you need third-party software for your Mac, and it isn’t available in the App Store, get it directly from the developer or another reliable source, rather than through an ad or link.
Check Safari settings and security preferences
Make sure Safari security settings are turned on, particularly Block Pop-ups—for pop-up windows—and the Fraudulent Website Warning.
On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, go to Settings > Safari and turn on Block Pop-ups and Fraudulent Website Warning.
On your Mac, you can find these options in Safari > Preferences. The Websites tab includes options to block some or all pop-up windows, and you can turn on fraudulent site warnings in the Security tab.
Pop-ups and ads in Safari
If you see an annoying pop-up ad in Safari, you can go to the Search field and enter a new URL or search term to browse to a new site. If you don’t see the Search field on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, tap the top of the screen to make it appear.
Some pop-ups and ads have fake buttons that resemble the close button, so use caution if you try to close a pop-up or ad. If you're unsure, avoid interacting with the pop-up or ad and close the Safari window or tab.
On your Mac, you can also update your settings to prevent windows from opening again after you close Safari, or just press and hold the Shift key when you open Safari.
If you might have installed adware or other unwanted software on your Mac
If you see pop-ups on your Mac that just won’t go away, you might have inadvertently downloaded and installed adware (advertising-supported software) or other unwanted software. Certain third-party download sites might include programs that you don’t want with the software that you install.
If you think that you might have malware or adware on your Mac, update to the latest version of macOS. If your Mac is already running the latest version, restart it. macOS includes a built-in tool that removes known malware when you restart your Mac.
Check your Applications folder to see if you have any apps that you didn’t expect and uninstall them. You can also check the Extensions tab in Safari preferences to check if you installed any unnecessary extensions that you'd prefer to turn off. If you continue to see advertising or other unwanted programs on your Mac, contact Apple.
Learn more
- How to safely open software on your Mac
- How to recognize and avoid phishing and other scams
Ads are the cornerstone of digital economy. That’s why blocking them becomes more difficult each year. And, sadly, ad blockers cannot eliminate all ads that keep popping up on your screen. In this article we’ll teach you a few methods of reducing web pop-ups, and we’ll take a look at some of the best Mac ad blocking options.
Yes, Macs might be safer from viruses and malware, but not from ads, adware, popups, and cookies that help advertisers retarget ads at you wherever you go. Digital adverts are everywhere. The more time you spend online, the more you will see, even embedded in apps and Facebook messenger.
But first, a more effective way how to remove ads on Mac is to clear out potential web popups that continue to direct ads to your Mac. What this usually means is you are infected with malware. Some signs of this include:
- More popups and ads than you would normally expect when browsing the web;
- Suddenly getting redirected away from a page you were visiting;
- ‘Recommended updates’ and other indicators that you need a certain piece of seemingly legitimate software.
Why remove ads?
Blocking ads don't just improve your browsing experience. It could also prevent malware and other viruses from gaining a foothold in your Mac. Cybercriminals are getting smarter. They need to find clever ways to steal data, find your payment details, passwords, and sell or make use of this online.
It is worth installing anti-virus to add another layer of protection to your Mac. Adware scripts (that you may not be aware of) drain your browser memory. This renders even a new Mac unbearably slow. Good news, Mac anti-viruses are too getting smarter these days.
For example, CleanMyMac X by MacPaw has found a niche in removing macOS-specific viruses. Its anti-virus database lists a few hundreds of latest adware infections.
How To Disable Ad Blocking Software
Now, onto the issue of finding the most suitable solutions for blocking ads.
How to remove ads on Mac?
- Block ads in Safari
Firstly, for those that use Safari on macOS, you can disable popups and unwanted ads in the Security tab of Safari preferences.
Each is a box you can tick, to ensure that Safari does all it can to prevent popups and any Fraudulent Website Warnings. These are ads that use phishing techniques to make you think you need to download something from Apple or other legitimate software companies. We will outline ways to remove these nasty pieces of software further down this article.
Another way to remove popups in Safari is to check Extensions. You should find this menu option in the same place, and should have the same option to remove any browser extensions that you don't want or need. You should recognize every extension, because at one point you would have had to agree to download and install (Safari doesn't let it happen any other way); malware and other viruses hide in other places across your Mac, so they are unlikely to appear with other browser extensions.
Disable Ad Blocking Software Chrome
When you are browsing the web, and a popup appears, Apple recommends going to a new browser tab and closing the original. Interacting with a popup could cause you to click through to it or accidentally download malicious software. Many popups are legitimate adverts; however, some are there to trick people, with ‘close’ buttons that send web visitors through to the link, with some of them ending up in rough neighbourhood of the web.
Destroying hidden adware extensions
Some extensions behave more covertly than that. There are entities called launch agents which play a supporting role for other apps on your Mac. And after you’ve deleted the main app, its launch agent could still be bombarding you with notifications.
To find such hidden extensions on your Mac you may use a free version of CleanMyMac X.
Install the CleanMyMac X anti-virus (this tool is notarized by Apple)
Open the tab called “Extensions”
Find all suspicious items and click Disable
Look through the tabs under Internet Plugins and Preference Panes. Be vigilant: adwares may have perfectly innocent names.
Common adware extensions
Some of the most common include VSearch, Conduit, Genieo, GoPhoto, Jollywallet, Savekeep, MacShop, Yontoo, Shopper Helper Pro, Slick Savings, PallMall, and Awesome Screenshot. These malicious pieces of tech are bundled into other seemingly legitimate downloads or email attachments, even social media images and videos, and once you've clicked accept, most anti-virus programs believe they're approved by the Mac user.
2. Block ads in Google Chrome
Always make sure you are using the most up-to-date version of Chrome. Security updates prevent some of the latest viruses and cyber threats, making it always worthwhile to click 'yes' to an update.
Did you know: A new Chrome policy takes into effect starting August 5, 2020. The company will no longer show ads on sites that “repeatedly show annoying ads.” And websites that get their revenues from displaying pirated content will likely suffer the most.
To initiate ad blocking in Chrome:
- Launch the Chrome browser.
- On the Apple menu bar, click Chrome > Window.
- In the Window menu, choose Extensions.
Extensions: If you find anything you either don't need or don't recognize, click the Trash icon to remove it.
Now, we'll reset settings to refresh your Chrome
Click Chrome > Preferences... (in the top menu).
Click on Advanced > Reset settings.
Now everything that was causing popups and unwanted ads to appear, including software that uses phishing tactics and browser extensions that are a cover for malware, should be removed.
3. Block ads in Firefox
Make sure you are using the latest version of Firefox. Preventing the latest cyber threats is one of the main reasons software companies insist on so many updates.
To launch ad blocking in Firefox, you can follow a similar set of steps:
Launch Firefox.
Go to the Apple menu bar, click Tools.
Tools > Add-ons.
This takes you to the Add-ons manager page. In the left-hand side pane, you will find Extensions. If you find anything suspicious or that you don't need anymore, click Remove. You can also find these same options within the latest version of Firefox, within a series of menu options in the top right hand of your browser, below the tabs.
To rest Firefox, go to Help and select Troubleshooting Information.
In this page, you will find Reset Firefox to its default state. Click Reset Firefox.
With that done, all add-ons and extensions will be automatically removed, which should remove a lot of the problems caused by unwanted ads and popups.
Remove adware with CleanMyMac
So far we've been using the built-it security tools of your browser. But to fully eliminate ads, you'll likely need a dedicated ad cleaner. Most ad blockers block ad offers proactively and this is fine. But to deal with adware infections, you will need to somehow detect their existing presence on your Mac.
CleanMyMac X is a tool that has been recently notarized by Apple. You can use it 3 ways:
— To delete browser extensions (including the hidden ones)
— Uninstall apps that could contain ads
— Detect malware and viruses
According to 'Objective by the Sea' (a security conference), 20% of Macs contain PUPs or potentially unwanted applications. This type of malware is exactly what CleanMyMac X detects. It also checks for hidden cryptocurrency miners, spyware, and worms that are also found on Macs.
Launch CleanMyMac X.
Choose Malware Removal in the sidebar.
While you are in CleanMyMac X, choose Uninstaller in the sidebar. It will dig out all software that is installed on your Mac. This includes normally hidden and unused apps.
You may also want to download ad blocking software, so here are a few that are recommended.
Use third-party Ad blockers
1. AdBlock Plus (ABP) is a popular option to block ads in Safari, Chrome and Firefox. It comes with custom filters, including a “non-intrusive advertising” whitelist, so you can keep helping media and websites you like while not seeing ads and popups you don’t.
Uninstall Ad Blocking
2. AdBlock - not related to ABP - has Safari, Chrome and Opera options. Ads are blocked from known adservers and you can add others to your blacklist, while maintaining a whitelist, similar to ABP.
How To Disable An Ad Blocker
3. AdBlocker Ultimate comes with Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera, and is proud to have taken no money from media companies and blocks everything it possibly can. AdBlocker Ultimate also blocks known malware, adware, and tracking domains.
There are, of course, dozens more options for how to remove ads on Mac. Safe to say, your browser should be ad, popup and malware free if you take the steps outlined in this article.