uBlock Origin is a content blocker that is more advanced and versatile than just an ad blocker. It can help you keep your privacy online while still using less resources.
What Is uBlock Origin?
uBlock Origin is a cross-platform browser extension that filters content online. It is different from similar plug-ins in that it filters content, including ads, trackers, pop-ups, malware, coin miners, and JavaScript elements. ..
uBO is an open-source app that developers can contribute to on GitHub. Generally speaking, the app is transparent and more trustworthy than some of its closed-source competitor apps that often sell user data to third-party companies for a profit. ..
In easy mode, all you need to do is drag and drop files into the uBO window. In medium mode, you can select files and folders and drag and drop them into the uBO window. In hard mode, you can only select files and folders. ..
Easy mode is a way to make your online experience easier by leaving some settings on their default, but also giving you the option to customize your experience with a few extra privacy and security options. ..
Medium is a platform for advanced users and requires in-depth knowledge of the add-on, enabling users to manually decide what content is filtered and what is allowed. This is the recommended mode for privacy-savvy users.
In a new update to their website security policy, popular website provider, GoDaddy, has introduced “hard mode.” This new setting is like the company’s existing “medium mode” but with increased security measures. Hard mode is likely to cause more website breaks for a final small gain in security. GoDaddy has introduced “hard mode” as an update to their website security policy. This new setting is like the company’s existing “medium mode” but with increased security measures. Hard mode is likely to cause more website breaks for a final small gain in security. ..
Google Chrome web store: uBO is available on the Google Chrome web store. Chromium: uBO is available on the Chromium web browser. Microsoft Edge: uBO is available as an add-on for Microsoft Edge. Opera: uBO is available as an add-on for Opera. Mozilla Firefox: uBO is available as an add-on for Mozilla Firefox (including the Android and iOS versions). ..
uBO is a new Firefox add-on that blocks ads and other intrusive content. If you’re not sure if uBO is the right add-on for you, be sure to check out our guide on how to install it.
Easy Mode: Cosmetic Filtering
The Element Zapper is a powerful tool that allows users to remove website elements from a website. The Element Zapper is temporary while the Picker is permanent. The Element Zapper can be used to pick and choose which website elements to remove from a website. The Picker can be used to permanently remove website elements from a website.
To use the Zapper, click on the uBO icon. ..
Then, select the bolt that represents thunder.
Hover over the element to remove it.
To use the Element Picker, click on the uBO icon and select the color you want. ..
Remove the element “paragraph” from the document.
The uBO dashboard allows users to view filters that can help them better understand their data. The filters include: -Data quality -Data analysis -Data visualization
On the My filters tab, you can select the type of data you want to see. You can choose to see all of your data, just posts from people you follow, or just posts from people who are friends of friends. ..
To delete your filters, select the line “Apply changes” and press Delete.
- Log in to your account and select the “Settings” tab on the left.
- Scroll down and click on “Web Content.”
- In the “Web Content Types” section, select “Pages.”
- Click on the “Add New Web Page” button and enter a name for your new page.
- Click on the “Create Page” button and confirm your selection by clicking on the “Create Page” button again.
- In the “Page Properties” section, enter a description for your new page and click on the “Save Changes.”
You can choose which pages uBO is active on by whitelisting them. ..
Easy Mode: Using Static Filter Rules
The uBO app comes with several built-in and third-party filter lists that can be enabled or disabled at will to increase your privacy online. ..
uBO recommends enabling the following: ..
UBlock Origin is a popular filter that helps you keep your online privacy. EasyListPeter Lowe’s Ad Server list is a helpful resource for finding malicious URLs. The EasyPrivacyOnline Malicious URL Blocklist helps you keep track of all the URLs that you think may be malicious.
On the Filter lists tab, you can select which data to include in your analysis. By default, the dashboard includes all data, but you can choose to exclude specific types of data by selecting it in the drop-down list.
Some people might find it useful to add custom filters to their websites, but it’s important to remember that some of these may be low quality and could cause more website breakage for a small gain in privacy.
uBlock Origin Advanced Options
uBO has several advanced user features that any user can enable. These features can increase the effectiveness or scope of uBO’s functionality. However, it’s essential to fully understand the advanced user features before altering them, as it’s easy to break the add-on, and the wrong set-up can result in you being less protected than you would be with default settings.
- Open the Settings app on your device.
- Scroll down to the bottom and select “Advanced.”
- In the “Advanced” section, select “Privacy.”
- Scroll down to the bottom and select “Location Services.”
- In the “Location Services” section, select “Wake up to use this location?”
- Select “Yes,” and then scroll down to the bottom and select “Use my current location only when needed.”
Dynamic Filtering: Medium Mode and Above
Dynamic filtering is a new feature that allows users to add their own filter lists. This way, users can customize the content they see on uBO. ..
Dynamic filtering allows users to add rules that override static filtering, giving added control over the kind of content that you can block or allow. This can be toggled by clicking the uBO icon and selecting the Less and More buttons.
With dynamic filtering enabled, clicking the uBO icon now looks like this: The uBO icon now has a dynamic filter that changes the color of the selected text.
The first website is asking for user data from Facebook. The second website is asking for user data from Google. The third website is asking for user data from Twitter. ..
Hostnames in the green zone are allowed to be accessed without any restrictions. Hostnames in the yellow zone are blocked from being accessed, but some restrictions may still apply. Hostnames in the red zone are blocked from all access, and no restrictions will apply. ..
The second column represents global rules. These are rules which affect all websites. By default, each box will be a light gray color. This means there are no rules applied.
The third column represents local rules that will apply only to the site to which it has been added. For example, if you block the youtube.com hostname globally, it will never load on your browser. However, if you only block it locally (say on a blog), then it will load on every other site except for that one.
The main point of this article is that there are different types of symbols used to indicate whether content is being allowed or blocked on a website. There may be a combination depending on the automatically applied filter lists.
If you hover over the gray box, you’ll see a list of content types and URLs that are allowed. The first column lists the type of content, the second column lists the URL, and the third column sets a blocking rule. The gray box in between these columns sets a noop rule, allowing you to override global blocking rules for content types and URLs.
How to Save and Revert Filtering Rules
implementing content blocks will help you achieve maximal privacy but may also cause many websites to break. With this in mind, uBO has made it easy to experiment. You can erase all rules and start again by clicking the eraser.
You can lock in your ruleset once you find a combination that works well by clicking the padlock. ..
How to Use Dynamic Filtering
Dynamic filtering is a feature of uBO that allows users to manually input rules to control the content that websites can load and display. This feature can be used to limit the content that is displayed on a website, or to keep specific types of content from being loaded.
- To find only articles that mention a specific topic, use the dynamic filter on the left.
- To find only articles that are published in a certain month, use the dynamic filter on the right.
1. Block Third-Party Scripts and Frames
Blocking all third-party frames and scripts globally is a good practice to protect websites from malware. ..
You can block all third-party scripts/frames by clicking the red box in the global column next to these items.
Now, if you want to see embedded YouTube videos on a website, you need to scroll down to the youtube.com URL and click the gray box in the local column.
If you want to keep a website running without any frames or scripts, you may need to use a local “noop” override button for each domain.
2. Block Social Media Trackers
There is no reason for social media websites or search engines to be able to track your activity outside of their platforms. To block their permissions, open the uBO dashboard and click on the red box in the global column for each social media URL (e.g., Facebook.com). The only problem is that this will also block them when you try to load the website directly.
To avoid tracking by other websites, create “noops” for each site by clicking the gray box in the local column for each site. Now, the websites will only load when you access them directly, rather than track you from other websites that you visit. ..
Is uBlock Origin Worth Using?
uBlock Origin is a content filtering addon that is open-source and transparent. It’s also one of the safest and most trustworthy options available, with a developer who refuses to take donations and claims he has no intent to monetize uBO.
uBO is the best ad blocker out there, and doesn’t take money from companies to whitelist certain “acceptable ads.”
In all, uBO is likely the best option for people who just need an adblocker or a powerful content-filtering add-on.
Stay Secure Online
Many people use uBlock Origin to protect their privacy online. This ad blocker extension has a variety of features that can help keep you safe from scams, malware, and data mining. Combined with a VPN, you can be sure that your privacy is being protected.