Samsung adds content and ad blocking support to its browser

BY Rajesh Pandey

Published 2 Feb 2016

image Samsung logo

Samsung has started rolling out an update for its Android browser that adds support for content and ad blocking capabilities to it. The coming is rolling out this new version of its browser to devices that are running Marshmallow, which means that it is only available for the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge for now.

The company also plans on rolling out an update for its Lollipop running devices in the coming months.

To make it clear, Samsung’s stock browser will not start blocking ads and other content by default. Instead, you will have to download an ad blocker plugin that will enable this functionality. This method is eerily similar to the content blocking functionality that Apple introduced in Safari with iOS 9.

Samsung browser ad blocking capabilities

An ad blocker can lead to a drastic reduction in loading times for some websites, though it does have a negative effect on the revenues of publishers. Many third-party browsers on Android already support ad blocking by default or via extensions and they have all gained popularity since the release of iOS 9 from Apple last year.

Some ad blockers for Samsung’s browser have already made their way to the Google Play Store. This includes Adblock Fast, which comes from the team behind the popular Adblock Plus, and Crystal, which was among the first content blockers available for iOS.

Do you use Samsung’s stock browser on your handset? If yes, do you plan on using a content blocker with it now?

[Via The Verge]