How to Stop Advertisement Pop-Ups
Advertisements are everywhere, from your favorite website to sports video games – seriously. While some ads blend into the background and don’t interfere with your usability, others pop-up right in your face. If you want to know how to stop advertisement pop-ups, there are simple steps that you can take today to fix these annoying ads.
We’re going to cover three easy solutions to pop-ups that go well beyond the traditional
antivirus software installation.
3 Quick Steps to Stop Advertisement Pop-Ups
1. Set Your Browser to Block Advertisement Pop-ups
Your browser can be your first line of defense against pop-ups. When combined with the other solutions listed, you’ll be able to block 99% of the ads that pop-up on your screen. There are a lot of browser options to choose from, but we’re going to cover the top three browsers:
Chrome is what I’m using when writing this article, and it’s the world’s most popular browser. The browser makes it simple to block pop-ups with just a few, fast clicks:
- Open up your browser
- Navigate to the settings tab (top right three dots)
- Find “Site Settings” under the Privacy and security section
- Click on “Pop-ups and redirects”
- At the top of the page, slide the tab to Blocked
Keep in mind that while the browser’s pop-up blocking is superb, it still allows sites to display certain content in pop-up form.
Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Edge has dethroned Firefox, which is a discussion in itself. The Edge browser allows for an easy means of blocking pop-ups:
- Open up Edge
- Navigate to Settings and more > Settings > Site Permissions
- Navigate to Pop-ups and redirects
- Make sure to toggle “Block” on
Safari
Safari is the world’s second most popular browser. It’s feature-rich and allows for easy pop-up ad blocking. Follow these steps to block these ads:
- Navigate to Safari > Preferences
- Click the Websites tab
- Click Pop-up Windows
Choose to block a specific website or all website pop-ups. Keep in mind that these instructions are for use on a Mac and not a smartphone or tablet.
2. Download Extensions or Add-ons
Browsers can help block most of the adverts that are popping up, but let’s see how to stop advertisement pop-ups using plugins or extensions. Ads are a good thing because they generate revenue for many of the sites that you visit.
But when there are videos automatically blaring or pop-ups multiple times, it significantly degrades user experience.
One method to gain further control over these ads is to install an extension or plugin that is designed specifically for ads. Your browser may or may not allow these extra add-ons.
Chrome
Firefox
Safari
Edge
Try out different extensions, add-ons and plugins until you find one that works best for your browsing. Multiple options are available, but some are clunkier than others and will block far more than just a simple pop-up.
Keep in mind that you may lose access to some sites that actively monitor for the use of ad blockers. While you can debate whether or not ads are a good thing, a lot of the best sites in the world are only in operation because of ads.
If you opt to block all ads, be sure to whitelist the sites that you frequent the most to ensure that they receive the revenue that they deserve from ads.
3. Install an Anti-Adware Software
Adware goes well beyond the standard site pop-ups that show up when browsing. The adware is essentially a type of virus, but instead of doing something very malicious to your site, ads are shown.
The software will do one of two different things depending on how it was coded:
- Display ads
- Download advertisement material
Neither of these are great options for you, and while some forms of adware are not that bad, there are relentless ones that lead to pop-up after pop-up to the point where the computer can be unusable.
You download a program that led to your adware, and deleting it can be a major hassle in some cases.
One way to stop advertisement pop-ups is to install anti-adware software.
TotalAV is a good option here and will provide you with a robust set of features that can help keep your ads at-bay. The software is free, so that’s a major perk, but TotalAV also offers some of the world’s most robust features:
- Anti-malware
- Anti-ransomware
- Anti-adware
- Anti-spyware
- Real-time protection
With real-time protection, you’ll be protected from adware and can also use the software to remove adware that has already been installed. Optimizing your computer is also possible with the fast optimization option.
Why is this important?
It’s one thing to know how to stop advertisement pop-ups, but it’s completely different to stop the slowing down of your computer. A lot of adware will impact your system’s speed and can also take up memory and disc space.
By running this one simple tool, you’ll be able to keep your system adware-free and also be able to speed up your computer.
Pop-ups are some of the most intrusive forms of advertisement, but as long as people click on these ads, they will remain a major problem when browsing the web. Use the three solutions above to curb the installation of adware and block even safe pop-ups so that they don’t impact your Mac’s or PC’s usability.
