[capableweb]

I just assumed that Google has brackets of 10 - 100 - 1000 - 10000 and so on, which led me to the "but below 100,000,000+ users" part. Not sure why they are hiding the true count (maybe they don't have exact numbers themselves), but if there truly is that many users, not sure why they wouldn't show it.

> and that's ignoring the >50% of Chrome users on mobile which requires non-extension based blocking.

That might be true for Chrome users on Android, but Chrome users on iOS (which aren't as many as Android users although), there isn't a choice of any extension nor non-extension based blocking. Firefox on iOS doesn't even allow extensions, and only Safari seems to have ad-blocking. At least last time I checked, might have changed lately.

[devmor]

You are in fact wrong. iOS users use DNS-based blocking through VPN apps.

[capableweb]

You're saying that a significant portion of Chrome + iOS users are A) constantly connected to a VPN and B) that VPN has DNS-based ad-blocking?

I'm not doubting you that some are, but to say that a significant portion of them are, would need some sort of evidence/source to back you up.

[zamadatix]

> You're saying that a significant portion of Chrome + iOS users are A) constantly connected to a VPN and B) that VPN has DNS-based ad-blocking?

No, they simply said this statement:

> but Chrome users on iOS (which aren't as many as Android users although), there isn't a choice of any extension nor non-extension based blocking.

Is factually wrong as there is a choice; namely ad blocking VPN based apps.

Also these apps probably work differently than you're thinking. The "VPN" isn't a VPN in a traditional sense where your traffic goes to a remote server somewhere on the internet. Using VPN transport is just the method of convincing iOS/non-rooted Android to send the traffic to the app, which itself acts as the VPN server. Of course traditional true VPNs with ad filtering are also a thing but less common and more catered towards those already interested in true VPN service in the first place.

All that said iOS is hard to provide numbers showing usage scale being one way or the other as Apple doesn't publish them like other stores. If I had to guess iOS users would probably be the user group with the lowest ad blocking penetration though I wouldn't go as far as to say it's not worth noting. All of these smaller alternatives probably add up to more than the largest "normal" ad blocking method in the long run and ignoring them on an individual basis can significantly skew your overall result.

[capableweb]

Ah, ok. Yeah, if we focus on the specific statement of "there isn't a choice for ad-blocking on iOS", then I was wrong, that's true.

I thought the comment was made in the larger context of which I made my initial comment about, namely the "Keep in mind that a substantial portion of users now use ad blockers" statement, but I understand now that devmor in classic HN tradition chose to specifically answer to one part of my comment while ignoring the rest, and not making it clear what they exactly responded to.

[devmor]

My reply was entirely unambiguous, as you only made a single claim in the comment I replied to, which was that Chrome users on iOS do not have the ability to block ads.

But, in classic HN tradition, you choose to put me at fault for your inability to understand how you represented your own train of thought.