Adblock Browser comes to iOS, promises to strip ads, tracking cookies from Web

The iOS app, which is free and runs on any device with iOS 8.0 or later, is said to block both ads and tracking cookies. By default it only blocks intrusive ads, but it can be set to halt everything if necessary. People concerned about technical problems or supporting a webpage financially can choose to whitelist specific sites.

As a consequence of blocking ads, Eyeo claims that the app can stop malware, cut bandwidth use in half, and improve battery life by as much as 23 percent.

The developer is separately promising smoother scrolling than other browsers, and better keyboard and bookmarking functions.

Eyeo first attempted to enter the mobile world in 2013 with an Android app, but Google ultimately pulled it from the Play Store.

Apple is on the verge of releasing iOS 9, which will have native support for content-blocking extensions. The change has caused concern among many content publishers, who are already coping with the impact of desktop ad blockers on their revenue. A recent estimate suggested that publishers might collectively miss out on $21.8 billion in 2015, and $41.4 billion in 2016.