Mike's NBC-TV stories

Ad blocking apps

If you’re looking for the fastest and most private experience while using a smartphone or tablet, a growing number of apps can help.

They’re called ad blockers and here are three of the best to consider for your mobile devices.

The app called 1Blocker is for Safari – the browser installed on Apple devices. It comes with a 28,000 preinstalled blockers, though it’s simple to use – giving users control that as easy as a flip of a switch. 1Blocker also blocks other things that slow mobile browsing, too. The developers say the cuts page load time in half. The app is free and only for iOS.

Computer security company Symantec offers Norton Ad Blocker for iOS-based smartphones and tablets. It eliminates annoying and distracting junk that clutters your device. It also helps keep your online activity private. Symantec is a well-known and trusted company, too, with lots of security know how. The app is free for iOS.

For both iOS- and Android-based devices, there’s the Adblock Browser app. The developers of Adblock Browser claim the app can save up to 50 percent on data plans and improve battery life by 23 percent by keeping away annoying ads and protecting privacy. Users have complete control over what is blocked and what is allowed through the app’s easy controls. The app is free for iOS and Android.

Mike is a veteran journalist whose video "PC Mike" reports have been distributed weekly to all 215 NBC-TV stations since 1994, making him one of the most experienced tech reporters in the country. His tech stories and videos have appeared on MSNBC, CNBC, the Today Show, The New York Times, USA Today and in numerous national newspapers and magazines. In addition to the PC Mike tech blog, he also publishes the Roadtreking.com RV Travel Blog in which he travels North America in an RV reporting about interesting people and places.