Is uBlock Origin available for Safari?

Full uBlock Origin is not available for current Safari. uBlock Origin Lite is available from the App Store for Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Its developer is Raymond Hill.

Is uBlock Origin Lite free on iPhone and Mac?

Yes. Raymond Hill’s official App Store listing is free. Check both the complete name, uBlock Origin Lite, and the developer before installing a similarly named app.

Does it block ads inside the YouTube app?

No. The Safari extension does not filter the native YouTube app, games, or other apps. For websites, open them in Safari; results depend on the website, filter lists, and permissions.

Why does Lite switch back to Basic mode?

The default filtering mode can revert to Basic when broad website access is missing. Check Lite’s website permissions in Safari. Optimal and Complete need access to read and change webpage content.

How do I turn it off for one website?

Open the website in Safari, open the uBlock Origin Lite panel, and move its filtering slider fully left to No filtering. Reload the page. Restore the previous mode when you want filtering again.

uBlock Origin for Safari, iPhone & iPad: Install Lite

Safari users can install uBlock Origin Lite, the free extension by Raymond Hill. This guide covers installation, the permissions that affect filtering, and how to check your setup.

Which version to install

Full uBlock Origin does not support current Safari. The official Lite project links to the Safari App Store version. Lite is a separate extension with different capabilities; see our Lite guide and comparison.

The App Store listing currently requires macOS 13.5+, iOS 18.5+, or iPadOS 18.5+. Keep Safari and your operating system updated. On a Mac, Firefox with full uBlock Origin is another option. Using Chrome on a Mac? Follow the Chrome guide.

Install on Mac

Open the uBlock Origin Lite App Store listing. Confirm the developer is Raymond Hill, then click Get and complete installation.
Open Safari and choose Safari → Settings → Extensions. Select the checkbox beside uBlock Origin Lite.
Select the extension and use Edit Websites to review its access. Allow access where you want its full filtering modes, then reload an open webpage.

Apple’s Safari extension instructions also cover toolbar access and the separate Allow in Private Browsing setting.

Install on iPhone or iPad

Install uBlock Origin Lite by Raymond Hill from the App Store.
Open Settings → Apps → Safari → Extensions → uBlock Origin Lite and turn on Allow Extension. If you use Safari profiles, enable it for each profile you want filtered.
Review website access in the extension’s settings. Open a Safari webpage, then use the Page Menu on iPhone or the Extensions button on iPad to open Lite. Reload after changing its settings.

Apple provides illustrated instructions for iPhone and iPad. Installing the app is only the first step; Safari must also have the extension enabled.

Choose website permissions and a filtering mode

Lite’s Basic mode blocks matching network requests. Optimal and Complete also need permission to read and change website content so they can hide elements and run filtering scripts. The developer explains this in the Safari permissions answer.

For filtering across your browsing, allow website access broadly and start with Optimal. If you prefer to grant access individually, expect stronger filtering only on permitted sites. Complete adds more cosmetic filtering; our filtering modes comparison explains the tradeoffs.

Check that it works

Open a familiar website directly in Safari. Open Lite’s panel, confirm filtering is enabled for that site, and reload. Check both unwanted content and ordinary functions such as menus and video playback. A single page without ads cannot prove every filter is working.

To compare, move the site’s filtering slider fully left to No filtering, reload, then restore your previous mode and reload again. This follows the developer’s per-site controls.

Coverage stops at Safari. Installing Lite does not filter native apps or other browsers. Test a video website in a Safari tab, rather than using its native app as the test.

When blocking is not working

Nothing changes: check that the extension is enabled, the current site is filtered, and Safari’s Content Blockers setting permits blocking. On Mac, look in Safari Settings → Websites. On iPhone or iPad, look under Settings → Apps → Safari → Content Blockers, if shown.
The mode returns to Basic: check website access. Without broad access, the default cannot remain Optimal or Complete.
Private tabs differ: review the extension’s Private Browsing permission separately.
After an update: wait a few seconds before reloading. Safari needs time to convert updated filtering rules, as the release notes explain.
A website breaks: disable filtering for that site and reload to compare. Report reproducible website problems using the chat icon in Lite’s panel.

The developer’s troubleshooting guide includes screenshots and a workaround for Safari’s missing Content Blockers setting. Check it before reinstalling or changing unrelated settings.

Sources

Checked September 22, 2026: App Store identity and requirements, Apple’s Mac instructions, iPhone and iPad instructions, and the uBlock Origin Lite documentation.