Skip to main content

How to block pop ups using a Firefox browser addon

firefox sync now available testing release 29 beta
Pop-ups and ads are a fact of life, especially if you spend a significant amount of time on the Internet. However, there are good ads (banners on the sides of web pages that don’t play audio or get in your face) and bad ads, which pop right up, pop up again after you close them, and/or play audio or video. Then there are the ads that autoplay and try to hide so that the audio runs while making it difficult for you to track down the source and press the pause/stop button. (How about that..one just started playing and I can’t find it..arggghhh!)

You don’t have to live this way though. There’s one particular ad blocking browser plugin we love, and it works quietly in the background without you having to manipulate it. For now, we’ll cover our favorite ad blocker for Firefox, and we’ll do the same for other browsers down the line.

How to block pop up ads with a Firefox browser add on extension

First, open Firefox. Then, click the orange button labeled Firefox in the upper left hand corner of the browser window, then click Add-ons. From there, click on the search box in the upper right hand corner of the screen, type in “simple ad” (without the quotes) and hit Enter. Then, scroll down to the bottom and click the small, blue link in the middle-bottom section of the page that will allow you to see all the results of your search.

From there, scroll down until you see the “Simple Adblock” extension, hover your mouse over it, and click the Add to Firefox button on the right hand side of the screen. Doing so may generate a pop-up warning from Firefox stating that the browser prevented you from installing Simple Adblock. Click “Allow” on the bottom left corner of the pop up. This will generate another pop up in the middle of the screen with a countdown timer. Once the timer expires, click the Install button on the bottom left corner of the new window.

After clicking Install, a new pop up will appear in the upper left hand corner of the screen, prompting you to restart Firefox in order to complete the Simple Adblock installation. Click Restart Now.

Once Firefox restarts, which should only take a few seconds, Simple Adblock will now be running constantly, symbolized by a red, universal stop sign in the top right hand corner of your Firefox browser window at all times. Occasionally, you may run into situations where you want to watch a video by Simple Adblock is preventing you from doing so. All you need to do is click on the red Simple Adblock icon in the upper right corner, and click Turn off Simple Adblock. When turned off, the Simple Adblock icon will turn grey. Repeat this procedure to turn it on again, and the icon will once again turn red.

Note that Simple Adblock won’t catch and stymie every pop up ad, but it does snag and drop most of them. Enjoy.

Image credit: http://hdwallpaperszon.com

Editors' Recommendations

Konrad Krawczyk
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Konrad covers desktops, laptops, tablets, sports tech and subjects in between for Digital Trends. Prior to joining DT, he…
Trying to buy a GPU in 2023 almost makes me miss the shortage
Two AMD Radeon RX 7000 graphics cards on a pink surface.

The days of the GPU shortage are long over, but somehow, buying a GPU is harder than ever -- and that sentiment has very little to do with stock levels. It's just that there are no obvious candidates when shopping anymore.

In a generation where no single GPU stands out as the single best graphics card, it's hard to jump on board with the latest from AMD and Nvidia. I don't want to see another GPU shortage, but the state of the graphics card market is far from where it should be.
This generation is all over the place

Read more
HP printers are heavily discounted in Best Buy’s flash sale
The HP - OfficeJet Pro 8034e Wireless All-In-One Inkjet Printer on a desk with a smartphone.

There’s good news in store if you’re looking to land a new printer at a discount this weekend. Best Buy is having a 48-hour flash sale on HP printers, with several that can compete with the best printers seeing some good prices. HP is almost always one of the best laptop brands, and it’s one of the same when it comes to printers. So if you’re looking for a new home or office printer, read onward on how to save on an HP printer at Best Buy.
HP DeskJet 2755e — $60, was $85

The HP DeskJet 2755e is a good entry-level printer. It’s got you covered if your printing needs are pretty basic, or if you don’t need to print in mass. This is a color InkJet printer, which makes it good for almost all uses. It can also make copies and scan in color, and it has mobile and wireless printing functionality. You can get set up quickly and easily with the HP Smart app that guides you through the setup process, and you can also use this app to print, scan and copy documents from your phone.

Read more
This tiny ThinkPad can’t quite keep up with the MacBook Air M2
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 3 rear view showing lid and logo.

While the laptop industry continues to move toward 14-inch laptops and larger, the 13-inch laptop remains an important category. One of the best is the Apple MacBook Air M2, with an extremely thin and well-built chassis, great performance, and incredibly long battery life.

Lenovo has recently introduced the third generation of its ThinkPad X1 Nano, one of the lightest laptops we've tested and a good performer as well. It's stiff competition, but which of these two diminutive laptops stands apart?
Specs and configurations

Read more