Tracker blocking

2 min read

Tern stops known trackers and ad servers from loading, in every Space. If a site doesn't work as it should, you can turn blocking off for that one site.

How blocking works

Before a page loads, Tern checks each request it makes against a list of known tracker and ad servers. Requests to those servers never leave your Mac. The list is built from EasyList and EasyPrivacy, and it comes with Tern, so blocking works the moment you open a page.

Tern blocks requests rather than hiding parts of a page. That keeps layouts as the site made them, while the tracking itself still doesn't happen.

Blocking is on in every Space from the start. The first time Tern runs, it takes a few seconds to get the blocklist ready.

The shield in the address bar

On any web page, a shield sits in the address bar. It's dark while trackers and ads are blocked on the site, and faded when blocking is off there.

  1. Click the shield.A small panel opens with a Block trackers and ads switch for the site you're on.
  2. Turn the switch off.The page reloads, and everything on the site loads, trackers included.
  3. Turn it back on when you're done.Click the shield again and turn the switch on. The page reloads with blocking.

Turning blocking off for a site also covers the addresses under it. Turning it off for example.com, say, lets shop.example.com load everything too.

TipIf a sign-in button, a video or a checkout does nothing, blocking is a likely cause. Turn it off for that site, try again, and see A page won't load if it still doesn't work.

Blocking in Settings

Open Tern › Settings and choose General. Under Privacy you'll find:

  • Block trackers and ads turns blocking on or off everywhere, in every Space.
  • The sites you allowed are listed under it. Click Block Again beside one to turn blocking back on there.

The shield's panel has a Privacy Settings… link that opens the same place.

On iPhone

Tern for iPhone blocks the same trackers and ad servers. To turn blocking off for a site, open the page's menu at the end of the address and choose Allow Trackers. Choose Block Trackers to turn it back on. The page reloads each time. The sites you allowed are listed in Settings, under Privacy.

The sites you allow are kept on each device. Allowing a site on your Mac doesn't change your iPhone.

Something missing or out of date? Write to hello@ternbrowser.com.