How to Turn Off (or On) the Ad Blocker on iPhone (2026)
To turn off the ad blocker in Safari on iPhone, go to Settings → Apps → Safari → Extensions and switch off your content blocker. To turn it off for just one site, open the site, tap the Page Menu button on the left side of the address bar, tap the More button (•••) and switch off Use Content Blockers. To turn it back on, flip the same switch again.
Most of the time you only need to allow one site, not switch blocking off everywhere. Below are the steps for Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave and Kipzy, plus system-wide blockers and the reasons a site asks you to turn your blocker off in the first place.
First, find out which blocker you're using
iPhone has no single ad blocker switch. Ads can be blocked in four different places:
- A Safari content blocker or extension: an app you installed that works inside Safari only.
- A browser's own blocker: Brave, Edge, Kipzy and some others block ads inside their own app.
- A DNS or VPN-based blocker: an app or profile that filters ads for the whole iPhone.
- Your Wi-Fi network: some home routers and work networks block ad servers before they reach your phone.
If you turn off one and the site still complains, another one is probably active. The quickest test: open the page on mobile data in a different browser. If it works there, the blocker is in your usual browser.
How to turn off the ad blocker in Safari
Turn it off for every site
- Open Settings, tap Apps, then tap Safari.
- Tap Extensions.
- Tap the content blocker or extension and turn off Allow Extension, or switch it off in the list.
- Go back to Safari and reload the page.
If you've installed more than one blocker, turn them all off. Safari lets several run at the same time, and any one of them can trigger an "ad blocker detected" message.
Turn it off for one site only
This is the better option when a single site breaks or blocks you:
- Open the site in Safari.
- Tap the Page Menu button on the left side of the address bar.
- Tap the More button (•••).
- Under Website Settings for that site, turn off Use Content Blockers.
Safari remembers this for that site, and blocking keeps working everywhere else. To review the sites you've allowed, go to Settings → Apps → Safari and look under Settings for Websites.
If you use Safari web extensions rather than classic content blockers, the per-site switch is in a different spot: tap the Page Menu button, tap Manage Extensions, then turn each extension off or on for that website. Apple's guide to Safari extensions has the same steps.
Turn it off for a moment
If you just want to load a page once without blocking, tap the Page Menu button and choose Turn Off Content Blockers. The page reloads without them for that tab. Blocking comes back when you close the tab or open another one, so you don't have to remember to turn it on again.
The same menu may also show Reduce Privacy Protections. That's not an ad blocker: it relaxes Safari's own tracking and fingerprinting protection for the page. Only use it if a site still won't work with your content blockers off.
How to turn the ad blocker back on in Safari
- Go to Settings → Apps → Safari → Extensions and switch your content blocker back on.
- For a site you allowed, open it, tap the Page Menu button, tap More (•••) and turn Use Content Blockers back on.
- Open the blocker app once to make sure its filter lists are up to date, then reload the page.
If no blocker shows up under Extensions, you don't have one installed. Safari doesn't come with a full ad blocker. Our guide on how to block ads on iPhone walks through the setup.
Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Brave on iPhone
Chrome
Chrome on iPhone has no ad blocker and doesn't support extensions, so there's nothing to turn off. What it does have is a pop-up blocker in Settings → Content Settings → Block Pop-ups. If ads are still blocked in Chrome, the blocker is system-wide (see DNS and VPN blockers below). For more on how the two browsers compare, see Chrome vs Safari on iPhone.
Firefox
Firefox for iPhone has Enhanced Tracking Protection, which blocks trackers rather than all ads. To turn it off for one site, tap the shield icon in the address bar and switch protection off for that site. To turn it off everywhere, go to Firefox's Settings → Tracking Protection.
Microsoft Edge
Edge has a built-in ad blocker powered by Adblock Plus, and it's off by default. To turn it on or off, tap the menu (•••), then Settings → Content blockers, and switch Block ads. Under Advanced settings, Allow acceptable ads lets some ads through when it's on.
Brave
Brave blocks ads with Brave Shields, on by default. To turn it off for one site, tap the Brave (lion) icon in the address bar and switch Shields off for that site. Default settings for all sites are in Settings → Shields & Privacy. More in Brave vs Safari on iPhone.
DNS and VPN ad blockers
Some blockers filter ads for the whole iPhone, in every app and browser. They come in two forms, and each turns off differently:
- App-based (VPN or DNS): open the blocker app and turn protection off, or switch off the VPN in Settings → VPN. Turn it back on the same way.
- A DNS profile: go to Settings → General → VPN & Device Management. Tap the profile to see what it does, and remove it if you no longer want it. You'll need to reinstall the profile to turn blocking back on.
If the profile belongs to your school or employer, don't remove it. Ask the person who manages the device, since it may control more than ad blocking.
Is Screen Time blocking the site?
Screen Time isn't an ad blocker, but its web filter can block whole sites, which looks similar. If a page says it's restricted, check Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions → App Store, Media, Web, & Games → Web Content. You can add the site under Always Allow or choose Unrestricted. On a child's iPhone, the parent makes these changes, usually with the Screen Time passcode.
Why do sites ask you to turn off your ad blocker?
Most free sites pay for their writers and servers with ads. When a script on the page notices that ad requests failed, it shows a message asking you to allow ads, subscribe, or both. Some sites hide the article until you do.
A few things worth knowing:
- Allowing one site is enough. You don't need to disable your blocker everywhere. Use the per-site steps above.
- Sometimes the site is just broken. Blockers occasionally stop a video player, comments or a checkout page from loading. If a page looks wrong, try it once with blocking off before giving up on it.
- Be careful with "install this to continue" messages. A genuine ad-block notice asks you to change a setting. It never needs you to install an app or a profile.
Turning off the blocker also lets trackers back in on that site. If you're allowing a site you don't fully trust, our guide on stopping websites from tracking you covers the Safari settings that still protect you.
How to turn the ad blocker off or on in Kipzy
Kipzy is an iPhone browser with a built-in ad blocker. It uses EasyList and EasyPrivacy, it's free, and it's on as soon as you open the app. There's nothing to set up in iPhone Settings, and both switches live inside the app.
For one site
- Open the site in Kipzy.
- Tap the shield in the address bar.
- In the sheet that opens, turn off Block ads and trackers. The page reloads with blocking off for that site.
- To turn it back on, tap the shield again and switch it on.
Kipzy remembers your choice for that site. In private tabs, it forgets the choice when the tabs close. To see every site you've allowed, go to Settings → Ad Blocking → Sites with blocking off.
For every site
Go to Settings → Ad Blocking and switch Block ads and trackers off or on. The same page has separate switches for Block popups and Remove tracking from links, so you can keep those on even with ad blocking off. Like any browser's blocker, it only works inside Kipzy, not in other apps.
Common questions
Does iPhone have a built-in ad blocker I can turn off?
No. Safari blocks pop-ups and limits tracking on its own, but it doesn't block ads. If ads are being blocked, you or someone else installed a content blocker, a browser with blocking, or a DNS or VPN blocker.
I turned off my ad blocker but the site still says it's on. Why?
Usually a second blocker is active: another Safari content blocker, a DNS or VPN app, or a blocking Wi-Fi network. Reload the page after each change. Clearing the site's data in Settings → Apps → Safari → Advanced → Website Data can also help if it saved an old check.
Will turning off the ad blocker affect other apps?
A Safari content blocker or a browser's own blocker only works in that browser, so no. Turning off a DNS or VPN blocker affects every app on your iPhone.
How do I turn off the pop-up blocker on iPhone?
That's a separate switch. In Safari, go to Settings → Apps → Safari and turn off Block Pop-ups. Our guide on stopping pop-ups on iPhone covers when you might want to.
Is it safe to turn off my ad blocker?
For a site you know and trust, yes. Ads on less reputable sites are more likely to redirect you or show fake warnings, so allow sites one at a time instead of turning blocking off everywhere.