Skip to content
United VPN
EN Get the app

How to block ads on iPhone in 2026

Updated 6 min readTested on iPhone 11 Pro through iPhone 18 Pro

Written and tested by Bill Ailish

Short answer

To block ads in Safari, turn on a content blocker in Settings › Apps › Safari › Extensions; United VPN includes one for free. To block ads in other apps too, you need a DNS-level blocker, such as Block in All Apps in United VPN Premium.

Method 1: Block ads in Safari (free)

Safari supports content blockers: apps give Safari a list of rules, and Safari applies them on its own, without sharing your history. United VPN includes seven of them, built on EasyList and EasyPrivacy.

  1. 1Install United VPN from the App Store.
  2. 2Open the app, tap Block Ads and turn on the main switch. Add Extra Filters for cookie banners, social buttons and pop-ups if you want.
  3. 3Open Settings › Apps › Safari › Extensions and turn on the United VPN blockers: Block Ads, EasyPrivacy, AdBlock Warning, MiningProtection, Block Cookies, Antisocial Filter and Fanboy’s Annoyances. On iOS 17 and earlier it’s Settings › Safari › Extensions; on iOS 26.2 and later the app opens this screen for you.
  4. 4Reload the page you had open.
iPhone Settings, Safari Extensions: seven United VPN blockers — AdBlock Warning, Antisocial Filter, Block Ads, Block Cookies, EasyPrivacy, Fanboy’s Annoyances and MiningProtection
Settings › Apps › Safari › Extensions on an iPhone, with the seven United VPN blockers. Turn on the ones you want.

Method 2: Block ads in all apps (Premium)

Block in All Apps checks every DNS lookup on your iPhone against about 33,000 ad and 43,000 tracker domains. Blocked lookups are answered on the phone and never leave it, so it works in Safari, Chrome and other apps, with or without the VPN.

  1. 1Open United VPN and tap Block Ads.
  2. 2Turn on Block in All Apps. It’s part of Premium, with a 3-day free trial.
  3. 3Tap Allow if iOS asks to add a VPN configuration.
  4. 4Open an app or a website that shows ads. Blocked domains show up in Recently Blocked, where you can allow any of them in one tap.
Block Ads switch turned on in United VPN
The Block Ads screen in United VPN.

Which method should you use?

If you only browse in Safari, the free blocker is enough. If ads bother you in apps too, turn on Block in All Apps.

Safari blocker (free)Block in All Apps (Premium)
Blocks ads in SafariYesYes
Blocks ads in other apps and browsersNoYes
Hides cookie banners and pop-upsWith Extra FiltersNo
Removes YouTube video adsNoNo
Where filtering happensInside SafariOn your iPhone, at the DNS level
Uses the iPhone’s VPN slotNoYes, and it also runs inside United VPN
PriceFree$2.99 a week or $49.99 a year, 3-day free trial

FAQ

Can you block YouTube ads on iPhone?
Not reliably. YouTube serves ads from the same servers as videos, so DNS blockers can’t remove them. YouTube Premium is the only built-in way to turn them off.
Does blocking ads save mobile data?
Yes. Blocked ads aren’t downloaded at all, so pages use less data. How much depends on the site.
Does United VPN see the sites I visit?
No. Safari applies the blocker rules itself, and Block in All Apps filters lookups on your iPhone. Neither sends your browsing to us.

Related guides

VPN on iPhoneHow to set up a VPN on iPhone, step by stepComing soon
Parental controlsHow to block adult sites on a child’s iPhoneComing soon
Free toolsAd block test: see which ads get throughComing soon