I found a hidden Safari setting that blocks ads for free

You can’t log onto the internet without running into at least a dozen ads — you’re probably looking at a few right now in this article. Sometimes the algorithms send you ads that actually pique your interest, but most of the time, you try to ignore the countless pop-ups and thumbnails grappling for your attention.

The bane of my existence is the inevitable chaos that comes with reading a recipe online. Not only do you have to scroll past a chef’s in-depth memoir of how the 1997 seaside air inspired her to finally share her grandmother’s pasta salad recipe, but you’re fighting an uphill battle against ads the entire time.

They’re easy enough to avoid on desktop browsers. A bigger computer screen means more real estate for the article you’re reading and fewer chances to share with the pesky pop-ups. But as soon as you try to browse on mobile, the bombardment is enough to make you give up and close whatever article or recipe you clicked on. Luckily, there’s a solution hiding right inside Safari that effectively gets rid of all these ads. Here’s how to find it.

How to hide ads on Safari

With Show Reader mode

There’s a feature within Safari on your iPhone or iPad that takes a cluttered webpage and removes all the noise and ads. Because it’s a minimalist Reader mode, it also makes text larger, simplifies the layout, and removes almost all the distractions taking away from the article at hand. Essentially, it’s a built-in page simplifier.

Safari’s interface is very straightforward, so where is this setting hiding? All you have to do is open up Safari on your iPhone, go to an article or other webpage littered with ads, and look at the navigation bar at the bottom. To the left of the URL, there is a rectangle icon with two bars below it — tap on it, and choose the blue Show Reader button at the bottom of the menu.

Immediately, whatever page you’re on will quiet down. Formatting may be slightly affected, but it usually includes improvements to the overall reading experience. The ads should vanish and leave only the important copy and photographs on the page.

Customize Reader on Safari

Like an online e-reader

Simply enabling the Reader mode will be enough for most users. But if you want to take it a step further, you can customize the overall appearance of the page. If you own an e-reader, like a Kindle or Kobo, the settings should be very familiar to you.

To customize the Reader page, look back to the URL box at the bottom of your screen. To the left of the URL, there will be a blue circle with a document icon inside — tap it. Inside, you’ll find options to change the background of the page from white to beige, gray, or black, as well as change the font style and size. To turn off Reader mode, tap the blue Hide Reader button at the bottom of this menu.

How to automatically Show Reader

For specific websites

Let’s say you rely on a specific recipe blogger’s website for your daily dinner ideas. Instead of going into this menu each time and enabling the Reader view, you can toggle on a quick setting to turn it on automatically for that website you’re on:

1. Open a page on a website you frequently use on Safari (mobile).
2. Tap the rectangle with the two lines below it in the URL bar.
3. Click the three-dot menu in the bottom right corner.
4. Scroll to website settings for the specific website you’re on.
5. Toggle on the Use Reader Automatically setting.

Now, every time you visit a page on this website, the Reader view will be automatically turned on. Happy (distraction-free) reading!