Pop-ups can be ads, notices, offers or alerts that open in your current browser window, in a new window or in another tab. Some pop-ups are third-party ads that use phishing tactics – such as warnings or prizes – to trick you into believing they’re from Apple or another trusted company, so you’ll share personal or financial information. Or they might claim to offer free downloads, software updates or plug-ins, to try to trick you into installing unwanted software.
Unless you’re confident of an ad’s legitimacy, you should avoid interacting with pop-ups or web pages that seem to take over your screen. Here are additional tips that can help you manage pop-ups and other unwanted interruptions.
Check and update your software
Disable Pop Up Blocker Mac
Always make sure that you install the latest software updates for all of your Apple products. Many software releases have important security updates and may include improvements that help control pop-ups.
The safest place to download apps for your Mac is the App Store. If you need third-party software for your Mac, and it isn’t available in the App Store, get it directly from the developer or another reliable source, rather than through an ad or link.
But pop-up windows are disabled by default in Safari for the Mac. If you’re a Safari user on the Mac and you need access to pop-up windows for whatever reason, there are several options available to enable pop-ups for websites viewed in Safari. UBlock, the fastest, most powerful ad blocker for Safari is here. UBlock blocks all annoying pop-ups and ads while you browse on your Mac. It’s simple, easy-to-install, and best of all- completely free. Download uBlock ad blocker for Mac and browse faster today.
Safari Pop Up Blocker Settings
Check Safari settings and security preferences
Make sure that Safari security settings are turned on, particularly Block Pop-ups – for pop-up windows – and the Fraudulent Website Warning.
On your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, go to Settings > Safari and turn on Block Pop-ups and Fraudulent Website Warning.
On your Mac, you can find these options in Safari > Preferences. The Websites tab includes options to block some or all pop-up windows, and you can turn on fraudulent site warnings in the Security tab.
Pop-ups and ads in Safari
If you see an annoying pop-up ad in Safari, you can go to the Search field and enter a new URL or search term to browse to a new site. If you can’t see the Search field on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, tap the top of the screen to make it appear.
Some pop-ups and ads have fake buttons that resemble the close button, so use caution if you try to close a pop-up or ad. If you're unsure, avoid interacting with the pop-up or ad and close the Safari window or tab.
On your Mac, you can also update your settings to prevent windows from opening again after you close Safari, or just press and hold the Shift key when you open Safari.
If you might have installed adware or other unwanted software on your Mac
If you see pop-ups on your Mac that just won’t go away, you might have inadvertently downloaded and installed adware (advertising-supported software) or other unwanted software. Certain third-party download sites might include programs that you don’t want with the software that you install.
Pop Up Blockers For Safari
If you think that you might have malware or adware on your Mac, update to the latest version of macOS. If your Mac is already running the latest version, restart it. macOS includes a built-in tool that removes known malware when you restart your Mac.
Check your Applications folder to see if you have any apps that you didn’t expect and uninstall them. You can also check the Extensions tab in Safari preferences to check whether you installed any unnecessary extensions that you'd prefer to turn off. If you continue to see advertising or other unwanted programs on your Mac, contact Apple.
Learn more
- How to safely open software on your Mac
- How to recognise and avoid phishing and other scams
Pop Up Blocker Safari Mac Download Google Chrome
Safari User Guide
You can prevent webpages from displaying pop-up windows.
- In the Safari app on your Mac, choose Safari > Preferences, then click Websites.
- Click Pop-up Windows.
- Block pop-up windows for:
- A website in the list: Select the website in the right column, then choose the option you want.
- All websites that aren’t currently customized: Click the “When visiting other websites” pop-up menu in the bottom-right corner of the pane, then choose the option you want.You can see all websites you’ve customized under Configured Websites. If you don’t see Configured Websites, either you haven’t customized a website yet, or you’ve cleared the list. To configure a website, see Change Websites preferences.
- All websites: Make sure no websites are listed under Configured Websites (to clear the list quickly, select the websites, then click Remove). Click the “When visiting other websites” pop-up menu, then choose the option you want.
If you choose Block and Notify for pop-up windows on a website, click the icon in the Smart Search field to display the pop-up windows.
Note: Blocking pop-ups might also block some content you want to see.
Disable Pop Up Blockers Safari
See alsoChange Websites preferences in Safari on MacHide ads when reading articles in Safari on MacUse Private Browsing in Safari on Mac