How to Block Ads on a Mac using Safari

Are you sick of annoying ads and popups distracting you when you’re browsing the internet? Then you’ve come to the right place!    

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This short guide will teach you how to block intrusive ads, trackers, popups, and more on a Mac using the Safari web browser.

Three ways to block popups in Safari 

Update Safari Preferences

1. Go to ‘Preferences’ in the Safari browser and click on the ‘Websites’ tab
2. Click ‘Popup Windows’ on the left
3. You can activate the Safari popup blocker and select whether you want to ‘Allow’ ‘Block’ or ‘Block and Notify’ popups when they appear.

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Check out the Safari User Guide on Apple.com for more guidance on how Safari blocks ads and popups.

Enable Reader Mode

Safari Reader Mode is a built-in tool that is designed to hide ads and other visual distractions when you’re reading a webpage. It is especially beneficial when reading blogs and articles as it displays an article's basic text and images in a clean and user-friendly format.

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Follow these simple steps to activate Reader Mode and block popups in Safari:

1. Visit a website
2. Click on ‘Settings for Visited Website’ in the Safari menu
3. Tick two boxes: ‘Use Reader when available’ and ‘Enable content blockers’

Download an Tracker & Ad Blocker

Reader Mode can be effective in certain situations e.g. when reading a blog or news article. However, you will need to download a third-party ad blocker on Safari if you want to get rid of ads on Safari without removing all visual elements from web pages. 

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Ghostery is ranked as one of the best free ad blockers on the market. In summary, Ghostery for Mac, iPhone and iPad:

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• Blocks ads in Safari and other web browsers 
• Blocks trackers on websites and non-private search engines
• Prevents private data from leaving your browser
• Prevents companies from tracking and profiling your browsing activity

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Our Safari ad blocking browser extension is equipped with advanced AI technology which prevents various tracking techniques and allows you to browse the internet safely and quickly. The Ghostery adblock download is available for macOS, iOS, and iPadOS.

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Check out our recent blog if you want to learn more about ad blockers.

How to get rid of ads on Mac

Above, we have outlined the best ways to get rid of ads on Mac. To summarize, you can block popups and ads on Mac by going into Safari Preferences, enabling reader mode, or by downloading a specialist ad blocker for Mac. 

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Ghostery’s browser extension is one of the best ad blockers for Mac that will block ads, prevent tracking, and improve your browsing experience while using a Mac. 

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Summary 

Updating your preferences in Safari or activating Reader Mode can block ads and other visual distractions. However, downloading a dedicated ad and Safari popup blocker is the best solution if you want to protect your personal data and enhance your browsing experience.

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Download the Ghostery ad blocker extension for Safari if you want to block annoying ads, prevent tracking, and improve your digital privacy.