Apple today released the latest preview versions of its operating systems, and one of the most interesting changes arrived for Safari, Apple's default web browser. It now has a built-in content blocker called "Distraction Control."
Unlike traditional content blockers that remove ads, Apple's approach is more careful. As the name implies, the feature tries to eliminate various web annoyances, such as newsletter signups (that thing that dims the entire screen and begs for your email two and a half seconds after you load the website), cookie prompts, autoplaying videos, and other irritations.
Although you can use Distraction Control to block ads, they return once you refresh the page, clearly indicating that Apple is not trying to substitute third-party ad blockers. Safari will even warn you that Distraction Control cannot permanently remove ads.
In a nutshell, Apple is giving iOS, iPadOS, and macOS users a quick and easy tool to hide distracting elements when visiting websites. Another important aspect is that hiding certain parts of a website requires action from the end user, so the process is not automatic, and it won't sync across devices. You have to invoke the feature from the menu and manually select the element you want to remove.
If that sounds like too much work, Apple users can always get a third-party ad blocker that would automate the process.
Distraction Control is now available in the latest iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia developer betas. It is expected to arrive in the next public beta and land alongside the stable releases in the next month or two.
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