Filtr, a new ad-blocking app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, uses a recently introduced Apple API to block ads inside native apps, not just Safari. This is the capability gap that browser-based blockers have never closed.
The technical hook here is Apple's new system-level content filtering framework, which gives apps like Filtr hooks deep enough to intercept ad requests before they render, across browsers and third-party apps alike. That scope is new. The implementation details, the specific API surface Filtr uses and its limitations, are what make the full TechCrunch piece worth reading.
The open question is enforcement: Apple controls the framework, and what it allows today it can restrict tomorrow. Filtr's viability is tied directly to Apple's policy decisions, not just its own engineering.
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