Adblock Plus beat Apple to the punch today with the release of its ad-blocking browser for Android and iOS.
A beta version of the Adblock Browser launched in May with the promise to patch security holes, block intrusive ads, and save battery life. At the same time, the company tested an iOS version via a closed, invite-only beta.
Now, full versions for both operating systems are available to download.
"We're definitely happy with what we've built here, but still quite eager to get more user feedback now," said Felix Dahlke, Adblock Plus's lead developer.
Adblock Plus previously developed an app for Android, but it was yanked from Google Play in 2013, alongside a number of other ad-blocking programs. The service only blocked ads over HTTP (unencrypted) connections, which is less relevant as the Web moves to HTTPS (encrypted) connections.
Adblock Browser is based on Firefox for Android. "Mozilla's openness is what made Adblock Plus possible in the first place. And since we have to bet on one platform, we decided to bet on Firefox," Dahlke said in May.
Download the Adblock Browser now from the Apple iTunes Store and Google Play store.
Today's release comes after Adblock recently secured a win in Germany, where a local court ruled that software meant to prevent ads from appearing on websites is perfectly legal.
The apps also hit devices just a day before Apple is expected to introduce an ad-blocking feature to the Safari mobile browser in iOS 9. When the next-gen mobile operating system launches later this month, users will be able to download an extension that blocks ads on most sites.