Filtr ad blocker uses Apple URL filters to block ads in iPhone and Mac apps
8 reported
A new privacy tool called Filtr, created by developer Kaylee Serena Calderolla, blocks ads across iPhone, iPad, and Mac apps using a feature in iOS 26 and macOS 26 known as URL filters. Filtr is an additional paid feature bundled into Calderolla’s existing Safari ad blocker Wipr. The tool works at the network level rather than just in the browser, preventing ads and their tracking code from loading. Calderolla stated that Filtr does not collect personal data and does not need access to personal information to function. The URL filter feature relies on a blocklist stored on the user’s device and updated automatically through Wipr, with occasional server checks routed through Apple’s servers as a proxy. Filtr does not block ads served from the same domain as the app, such as those in Facebook, Google, and Reddit apps. The tool costs $5 per year or $25 for a lifetime payment, in addition to the $5 cost of Wipr.
What’s reported
Filtr is created by Kaylee Serena Calderolla, developer of the Safari ad blocker Wipr.
It uses Apple’s URL filters feature in iOS 26 and macOS 26 to block ads at the network level.
Filtr blocks ads in iPhone, iPad, and Mac apps, not just in browsers.
Calderolla stated that Filtr does not collect personal data and does not need personal information to work.
The blocklist is stored on the user’s device and updated automatically via Wipr; server checks are routed through Apple’s servers as a proxy.
Filtr does not block ads from the same domain as the app, such as Facebook, Google, and Reddit apps.
Filtr costs $5 per year or $25 for a lifetime payment, plus the $5 cost of Wipr.
Calderolla described implementing the URL filters feature as a “nightmare” due to sparse Apple documentation.
Key figures
Kaylee Serena Calderolla, developer of Filtr and Wipr
Sources: TechCrunch
