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Ask Slashdot: Gaining Control of My Mobile Browser?

Posted by Soulskill on from the lagging-utility dept.

An anonymous reader writes: I run Firefox with NoScript and FlashBlock at home. Browsing is easy, and I only have to enable scripts on a few sites. If they have 20+ scripts, I just surf somewhere else. Fast forward to the mobile experience. I had an Android device, but now I have an iPhone. In addition to the popup problem, and the fake "X" on ads, the iPhone browsers (Safari, Chrome, Opera) will start to show a site, then they will lock up for 10-30 seconds before finally becoming responsive. If I switch back to another app and then return to the browser, Safari and Chrome have a little delay, but Opera delays 20+ seconds before becoming responsive again.

Firefox is not available on the iPhone, so I can't simply run NoScript. Chrome does not appear to have a NoScript equivalent for mobile. What solutions are you using to make mobile browsing work?

4 of 223 comments (clear)

  1. What device are you using? by mveloso · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Your iPhone can't lock up for 10-30 seconds, as that would activate the watchdog and kill the app. What's really happening?

  2. Re:Ditch iPhone by TheGratefulNet · · Score: 3, Interesting

    perhaps a proxy (outside the phone) would help? yes, its another box and its not going to work for cell data; you'd have to wifi thru that proxy box and that would connect to cellular or some other net connection.

    I would like to know how apple people deal with the 'locked browser' stuff and if anyone has figured out a way to get the same level of adblocking as, say, a rooted android with the right apps installed.

    (almost funny to think about it: but a cheap old used android that is rooted could be the REAL cellular-to-wifi gateway, it can proxy and block ads and then your phone would only run wifi, at least for browsing. yes, you'd carry 2 phones but you'd USE the iphone and the other android phone would just be in your pocket, hidden).

    the 'raw internet' is unusable (for me) unless there are good blockers, so if there is really no good way to do this natively on an iphone, I guess any hopes I had of someday buying an iphone will have disappeared. I refuse to be FORCED into the raw internet. its not worth using if that's the case.

    --

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    "It is now safe to switch off your computer."
  3. Re:You're not supposed to ask that by Em+Adespoton · · Score: 5, Interesting

    On iOS you've got a few alternatives.
    1) Set up a VPN, and run that VPN through privoxy to strip the junk.
    2) Jailbreak and install Adblocker 2, Firewall iP, PrivaCy and if you want, Tor.

  4. Re:You're not supposed to ask that by Parafilmus · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Serious question: But how do I totally block Google?

    Using Apple devices is a pretty good solution for that. Another option is Cyanogenmod.

    It's an open-source Android fork with better privacy: http://cyanogenmod.org/

    Installing it is usually simple, but can be difficult or impossible on certain phones. If you're after a turnkey solution, your best bet is the OnePlus One, which ships with Cyanogen preinstalled. List price is $299, but they're going for about $400 on amazon right now, due to limited availability.