Mods: I am aware this is a grey area here, touching on non-open source and VPNs. I’m sorry. But options are very limited on iOS.

These three apps (app packages?) are emerging as leaders in iOS privacy. All three are attempting to accomplish the same goal: system wide ad blocking in iOS.

AdGuard Pro is a DNS app. One time fee of $3. Because it’s providing DNS services to the device, it works like a Pi Hole. You can add filter lists, and there’s also a log. You can scroll the log and block whatever you don’t like. Oh look! There’s Google! Tap, add to Block List. Problem with AdGuard Pro is it takes up a VPN slot.

In iOS there are two VPN slots. One is a “VPN Configuration” slot and one is a “Personal VPN” slot. AdGuard uses the Config slot. So if you want a VPN, it has to use the Personal slot. But OpenVPN and WireGuard VPNs can’t use that slot. Only IKEv2 type VPNs can. Bummer. Some exist that can be used there.

However, AdGuard recently announced their own VPN, which will somehow be compatible. Probably because it will use IKEV2, but I haven’t looked into it.

Lockdown is FOSS and also uses a VPN slot. It’s supposed to be a firewall whose data doesn’t leave the device. It’ll let you use their block lists and add any domain you want. But how do you know what domains you need to add? You can’t see all the domains visited. Anyway, they also have a VPN, so somehow they work together. They are “openly operated”, which is a new open standard they invented. Seems pretty good, but no one ever seems to talk about them.

Then there’s Guardian. Not open source. Their thing is focusing on bad actor apps. They block a lot of stuff - I guess - but the user has no visibility.

These are three distinct approaches to privacy in iOS. DNS (AdGuard), on device firewall (Lockdown), and off device server level firewall (Guardian).

If you don’t need or want a lot of control, you can use DNS Cloak. But all you can do is add lists. Who knows whether the results are good or not?

I love DuckDuckGo’s idea of a smarter ad blocking. I’d like to use their regularly updated list in something like AdGuard, so I can let the list do most of the work, but then I can tweak as necessary. That would be ideal.

App makers would say that only a few people want the control I want. It would overwhelm most users. Fine - let me turn it on, and let it be off by default. Give the masses their “set it and forget it”, but let me go into God Mode.

Which approach appeals to you the most? What do app makers need to do for iOS?

So I just got my Guardian 4 sensor and I need to get a new phone because of it. So I know that the Iphone 16 is compatible, but has anybody tested the Iphone 16e yet (much cheaper in my country then the normal 16)? And as I have read android phone aren't really recommended.