uBlock for Firefox mobile now available

Martin Brinkmann
Mar 14, 2015
Google Android
|
18

The browser extension uBlock so far has only been available for desktop devices. The extension was released for Chromium-based browsers first and then later on for Firefox as well.

Today, a version for Firefox on Android has been released that users of the browser can install to get the same blocking functionality as on the desktop.

First thing that needs to be done is to download and install the add-on for the mobile version of Firefox. You can do so right on the project website on its releases page. There you find at the bottom of the most recent release download options for all supported browsers.

The uBlock version for Firefox listed on that page works both for the desktop and mobile version of Firefox.

When you tap on the Firefox add-on you need to allow the installation of the add-on from Github in the mobile version of the web browser. It may take a couple of seconds or even more than that before the installation prompt appears afterwards.

ublock firefox android

Once installed, it works just like the desktop version for the most part. You will notice that advertisement won't show up in Firefox for Android anymore after the installation since it is blocked by uBlock by default.

A tap on the main menu icon in Firefox displays a new uBlock entry highlighting the number of elements blocked on the page.

You can tap on that to be taken to the uBlock menu that you may know from desktop browsers. It loads on a new page which is not ideal as it means that the browser switches to that page to display it away from the page you are on.

There you can enable or disable the extension with a tap on the "power on" icon. The second option that you have is to view the log for a specific page which lists all page elements that were loaded or blocked.

All the options that ship with uBlock are provided in the mobile version as well. You can subscribe to other lists the add-on ships with, add your own custom rules or enable the advanced mode. In fact, advanced mode was the only option I found to enable blocked elements on a page again.

If you have used uBlock before you may know that it enables a detailed list of all domains the page connects to with options to block or allow connections individually.

It is a bid fiddly right now to unblock certain page elements so that they are displayed. Other elements, like the updating of subscriptions share that as you need to pay attention to buttons appearing in the interface. There, you will find an update now button appear at the top of the page whenever you make changes to your subscriptions.

Considering that this is a first version it works quite well though. Android users who use Firefox and want to use a script blocker may want to give this a try. If you do, consider whitelisting the one ad that is displayed here on this site when viewed in a mobile browser.

Summary
uBlock for Firefox mobile now available
Article Name
uBlock for Firefox mobile now available
Description
The popular uBlock browser extension has been released for the mobile version of Firefox for Android.
Author
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Comments

  1. Bobby Phoenix said on March 15, 2015 at 6:59 pm
    Reply

    Can someone post a link to UBlock from the Add-Ons page? I tried looking for it, and all I find is U Adblock. Or is that it?

    1. XenoSilvano said on March 15, 2015 at 10:29 pm
      Reply

      I was doing the exact same thing.

      I posted a direct link to the .xpi in a comment above, access the link through Firefox Android, you will then receive an add-on installation prompt, allow that and you are done.

      if you have a QR code scanner [ http://i.imgur.com/kBzQkGJ.png ]

    2. MH said on March 15, 2015 at 7:18 pm
      Reply
  2. Omar G. said on March 15, 2015 at 5:57 pm
    Reply

    I have been using Bluhell Firewall. I’ll give this a try.

  3. Lookmann said on March 15, 2015 at 5:31 pm
    Reply

    I’m trying this in opera, but not too happy because there is no disabling/ white-listing options.

    I wonder if there is a way to address these issues.

  4. Ray said on March 15, 2015 at 11:39 am
    Reply

    I am pretty sure that the lords at Google will not be happy and pretty soon we will hear that ublock cannot be installed on Android because it is violating “terms and conditions” of the Android ecosystem (aka you do not block ads on Android)

    1. Other Ray said on March 15, 2015 at 4:29 pm
      Reply

      Well, you can only install uBlock on Android from their GitHub repo anyway.

      It’s not in the Play Store.

  5. chris said on March 15, 2015 at 11:23 am
    Reply

    have ABE, works fine.

    uBlock was created because chrome is a memory hog, it doesn’t do much for firefox anyway.

    1. gorhill said on March 15, 2015 at 1:39 pm
      Reply

      > uBlock was created because chrome is a memory hog

      No, uBlock was created because ABP is a memory hog:

      https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=988266

      ABE is essentially ABP, with minor UI changes, i.e. it is also a memory hog.

      1. cooldude83 said on April 8, 2015 at 10:59 am
        Reply

        What is the difference between ABE ABP and the good old AB?

      2. Doc said on March 16, 2015 at 1:42 am
        Reply

        ABE also doesn’t have ABP’s “sponsored” locked whitelist.

  6. XenoSilvano said on March 15, 2015 at 4:56 am
    Reply

    That took a while to figure-out, the xpi file works for Firefox Android as well *nose bleed*

    [ https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/releases/download/0.9.1.0/uBlock.firefox.xpi ] or [ tinyurl.com/mfbsld8 ]

  7. Thiago said on March 15, 2015 at 4:45 am
    Reply

    If your site is dying because of ad blockers and you mention this problem to your readers, is stupid to continue talking about this software. You are spreading this information and supporting the development of this software…

    1. Nebulus said on March 15, 2015 at 11:57 pm
      Reply

      And you think that if he doesn’t talk about it the ad blockers will magically disappear? What Martin is doing here is journalism at its finest: talking about a subject even if that doesn’t help him at all. This is an example of how things should be done that is best followed by everyone!

    2. XenoSilvano said on March 15, 2015 at 12:08 pm
      Reply

      Highly selfless thing to do in my opinion, the knowledge is not being underminded for the sake of financial gain, the knowledge comes before everything else.

      There are reasons for everything.

  8. XenoSilvano said on March 15, 2015 at 4:31 am
    Reply

    I think the Firefox Android version of the uBlock add-on must have been taken down, I cannot get access to it what-so-ever.

    Aside from the point…

    I am experiencing the weirdest glitch with the Android version of Firefox, all I get it a blank page whenever I boot-up the browser, it is only when I switch into a ‘new guest session’ and then exit out of it that the pages begin to present themselves with data. Even after disabling all of the add-ons that I had integrated into the browser (ruling-out the possibility of an add-on being the culprit) the issue still persists.

  9. Ray said on March 15, 2015 at 2:15 am
    Reply

    Nice. The uBlock team works fast. Love their steady stream of releases. Way faster than the ABP team.

    Just tested uBlock on my Android tablet and it works well. Like MOYcano, I do not notice any lag compared to BluHell Firewall.

  10. MOYcano said on March 14, 2015 at 8:30 pm
    Reply

    I installed it on my Moto G (2013) and it seems to be just as light as BluHell Firewall. I’ll give it a try for a week to see which one I keep. So far I went to 3 heavy pages and not a single add was displayed. Thank you for the tip.

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