Microsoft is testing built-in Adblock Plus integration in its mobile Edge browser available for both iOS and Android devices, reports The Verge.
With built-in Adblock Plus functionality, Edge browser users on iOS will not need to download a separate ad blocking app, which may attract more users to Microsoft's browser. Adblock Plus can be enabled in Microsoft Edge's settings, with no add-on app required.
Google has built ad blocking into Chrome for Android devices, but it is somewhat limited and not available on iOS devices. As noted by The Verge, Adblock Plus is a more aggressive ad blocking option.
iOS Safari users can, of course, install one of several ad block apps available in the iOS App Store, but there is no native ad blocking functionality in Safari.
Adblock Plus is available in a beta capacity on both Android and iOS devices at the current time, with Microsoft planning to roll the feature out to all Edge for iOS and Android users in the near future.
Microsoft has made its Edge browser available across a range of devices, including iPhones, iPads, and Android devices in addition to Windows computers. The Edge browser includes syncing of favorites, passwords, and reading lists, along with a "Continue on PC" option for transferring what you're reading from the mobile Edge browser to the desktop.
Top Rated Comments
I merely thought you might not know, now... I am the one who looks dumb. Haha, thanks for the good spirited post.
Most users don't stray from the bundled defaults, even on desktop, so there's little incentive to., and Apple's current mindset is far removed from the Think Different days, even if that was only a marketing slogan.
By allowing browser alternatives, Apple keeps clear of regulators, but that doesn't mean it makes it easy to stray from Safari, even for users who do wish to use something different. I doubt the EU would take any action, since the browser market is in a different, more competitive situation than when IE ruled.
As one of the most used tools, I like to have a level of customization that isn't found in the common defaults like Chrome and Safari; think Eudora and Firefox. On iOS, iCab is the one that comes closest to replicating such an experience, and is well worth the cost. But it can be infuriating when links invariably launch Safari unintentionally, because iOS doesn't give users the power to choose a default other than Safari, even if those users are a minority.
I'm not complaining too loudly, as I don't mind Safari. But if other browsers are going to get any traction at all, this functionality needs to be in place. Microsoft was forced to do so at one point in time. Wonder if the EU will complain to its courts about Apple about this.