Ad & Tracker Blocking

Stanwagon includes an evolving experimental feature designed to block intrusive ads and some trackers, making content more accessible and readable within the app. This is a best-effort implementation aimed at improving your experience when viewing articles and web content.

What to Expect

By default, the app employs a best-effort approach to blocking:

• Intrusive Ads - Reduces excessive advertising that disrupts reading
• Some Trackers - Blocks common tracking scripts
• Improved Usability - Makes sites with heavy ad loads more functional

It's important to note that some ads may still appear. This feature is designed to make certain sites with excessive ads and distractions behave better within the app.

Current Limitations

This feature is experimental and evolving. Please be aware that:

• Not a Complete Ad Blocker - Some ads are expected to appear
• Not a Reader Mode - Does not strip pages down to basic text formatting
• Not a Privacy Tool - While some trackers are blocked, this is not a comprehensive privacy solution
• Site Compatibility - Some sites may break or have undesirable effects with blocking enabled

Blocking Settings

Default Blocking (Recommended)

The standard blocking mode provides a balanced approach that blocks intrusive elements while maintaining site functionality for most websites.

Since most intrusive ads play videos, this also disables media playback. However this means any embedded videos from sites like twitter and YouTube will not play inline. You need to press and hold on them, and open them in your browser.

This is enabled by default.

Aggressive Blocking

You can enable Aggressive Blocking in settings, which forces only static content to load. This works well for most news articles that contain primarily static content.

Warning: Aggressive blocking can break site functionality, including:

• Interactive elements
• Video players
• Embeded content
• Dynamic content loading

Managing Blocking Settings

If you experience issues with sites breaking or other undesirable effects, you can:

• Disable blocking in the app settings
• Switch between blocking modes to find the right balance
• Use your browser as an alternative (see below)

When to Disable Blocking

Consider turning off this feature if:

• Sites you frequently visit are not functioning properly
• You have other more robust ad blocking solutions installed on your device
• You prefer to support content creators through ad revenue

Alternative Viewing Option

Regardless of your blocking settings, you can always load any article in your default browser using the menu in the top right corner of the article screen. This is useful when:

• A site is not working properly with blocking enabled
• You need full site functionality
• You prefer to use your browser's own privacy and blocking tools

An Evolving Feature

This feature is actively being developed and improved. As an experimental feature, you may experience:

• Changes in behavior as improvements are made
• Varying effectiveness across different websites
• Occasional updates to blocking rules and methods

Your Feedback Matters

Your feedback is highly appreciated and helps shape the future of this feature. Please let Stanwagon know about:

• Sites that break with blocking enabled
• Particularly intrusive ads that aren't being blocked
• Suggestions for improving the blocking experience
• General thoughts on the feature's effectiveness

Questions or Issues?

If you encounter problems or have questions about the ad and tracker blocking feature, please don't hesitate to reach out. Your input helps make Stanwagon better for everyone.