Unable to turn on Web Protection and Ad blocking on iOS device

After updating your iOS device to iOS 18 or above, you cannot turn on web protection, ad blocking, and other protection features in the Malwarebytes app. Web Protection and Ad Blocking are Malwarebytes for iOS features that protect your Safari browsing experience by blocking malicious sites, ads, and trackers. Active web content restrictions, such as parental controls, on your iOS device can prevent you from turning on the Web Protection and Ad Blocking features.

How this issue affects you

After updating your device to iOS 18 or above, or requiring Malwarebytes to use Face ID to open, you can't enable Web Protection, Ad Blocking, and Safari Protection while following the steps in Manage settings in Malwarebytes for iOS. When you go to settings, "Malwarebytes" does not appear as an option when enabling the required system extensions.

What caused this issue

iOS 18 includes a new feature that allows you to hide or lock an app by having the app require Face ID to open. If the Malwarebytes app is hidden or locked, the app's extension permissions are also hidden in your device's settings. Since the permissions are hidden, you are unable to allow them to turn on Web Protection, Ad Blocking, and Safari Protection.

Additionally, Screen Time or Content & Privacy Restrictions can cause Malwarebytes features to be locked. If you have parental web controls, or other web content restrictions, turned on in your phone, you won't be able to toggle on Web Protection and Ad Blocking in iOS extension settings:

How to resolve this issue

To enable protection features, try the following troubleshooting options:

Turn off the Face ID requirement for the Malwarebytes app:

1. On your iOS device, press and hold the Malwarebytes app.
2. In the pop-up, tap Don't require Face ID.
3. Open the app and turn on the protection features. For more detailed instructions, see Manage settings in Malwarebytes for iOS.

Turn off Web Content restrictions:

To toggle on Web Protection and Ad Blocking extension settings, you need to turn off web content restrictions on your iOS device. See Apple's article Use parental controls to manage your child's iPhone or iPad under the Prevent inappropriate web content section for more information.

1. Go to Settings on your device.
2. Scroll down and tap Screen Time.
3. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions.
4. Tap App Store, Media, Web & Games.
5. Tap Web Content and set it to Unrestricted.

Turn on protection features:

1. Go to Settings on your device.
2. Scroll down and tap Apps.
3. Scroll down and tap Safari.
4. Tap Extensions.
5. Toggle on Malwarebytes - Web Protection and Malwarebytes - Ad Blocking.