Favicons blocked with no-large-media: * true despite no-large-media: behind-the-scene false?

[tomasz1986]

This happens with "Block media elements" set to "larger than 0 KB".

no-large-media: * true
no-large-media: behind-the-scene false
behind-the-scene * * noop
behind-the-scene * 1p-script noop
behind-the-scene * 3p noop
behind-the-scene * 3p-frame noop
behind-the-scene * 3p-script noop
behind-the-scene * image noop
behind-the-scene * inline-script noop

The goal is to block all images displayed on the actual site, yet I'd like to still allow uBlock to download and show favicons in the browser tab bar.

I've tested the same configuration with multiple websites in Chromium, Brave, and Firefox. There is no difference. With the media elements blocking set to "0 KB", favicons for all sites are blocked as well. The no-large-media: behind-the-scene false rule doesn't seem to have any effect on them.

Is this the expected behaviour?

[uBlock-user]

Favicons are images, so naturally they will also get blocked. As to whether they're pulled from behind-the-scene type network connection can only be found via the logger, which is something you will have to do it yourself.

The goal is to block all images displayed on the actual site, yet I'd like to still allow uBlock to download and show favicons in the browser tab bar.

||*$image,domain=example.com
@@/favicon$image,domain=example.com

Use those filters.

[tomasz1986]

You need to find another extension that hides all images by default and then lazyloads them as you scroll or do any action.

Unfortunately, I don't think any such extension exists. At least not among open source projects. I've only managed to find some very outdated ones, or extensions that simply utilise the browser built-in functionality to block or unblock all images on a per-site basis. uBlock seems the only extension that offers the on demand image load functionality.

[garry-ut99]

uBlock-user : What he wants is a click-to-load feature for images with favicons as exceptions.

I do perfectly know what he wants, I only replied to your idea, I wasn't suggesting it as a solution for his issue, actually it was you who was suggesting it to him, not me.

tomasz1986: That's true, I can't really block all images with no option to quickly load them on an per-image basis.

True what: that you agree on his whole reply to me, or that you agree only with a part that his method is insufficient as a solution to your issue. If the former: then read above - nowhere I said you should follow his method. If the latter, then fine.

---

tomasz1986: Unfortunately, I don't think any such extension exists.

I've found something, three extensions, you can test them, though I don't guarante they will satisfy you 100%, (unfortunately it has turned out that none of them meet OP requirements):

SPOILER

• you can test them, though I don't guarante it will satisfy you 100%,
• extensions are available on both Firefox and Chromium,
• except hiding all images, they have also feature to unhide (and hide) single images on demand
• 1 and 2 don't hide favicons in browser tabs, the 3rd does however

1) Image hider :

• https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/image-hider/fdjghmbmljbhojdgegmhhbkhgoacgdcb

Some info:

• very easy to unhide/hide a single image on demand: just hover a mouse cursor over image
  however I see also its drawback: it might lead to accidentaly unhiding unwanted images when moving mouse cursor over the page
• it doesn't block images, only hides them, hence no bandwidth saving
• sometimes images might appear (blink) for a while (fraction of second) before they are hidden

2) Blur image and video :

• https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/blur-the-image-and-video/aikjogmpaoaookmacnkbenekcnkjlkmi
• https://addons.mozilla.org/pl/firefox/addon/blur-image-and-video

Some info:

• Alt+K - to blur/unblur howered image on demand, require two hands, unlike uBlock point and click,
  but if you have mouse with many buttons you can assign the hot-key to a mouse button
• I'am not sure whether the blurred images will be distracting for you or not,
  you can incerase blur from 50% to 100% to reduce blurred colors.
• it doesn't block images, only blurs them, hence no bandwidth saving

3) Tunable image block :

• https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/tunable-image-block/agpjllgcceliiblmebkbiccaaldfedbc
• https://addons.mozilla.org/pl/firefox/addon/tunable-image-block

Some info:

• Use Ctrl + mouse move over image for load the image, it might not work perfectly.
• unfortunatelly it has turned out that this extension hide favicons

[tomasz1986]

tomasz1986: That's true, I can't really block all images with no option to quickly load them on an per-image basis.

True what: that you agree on his whole reply to me, or that you agree only with a part that his method is insufficient as a solution to your issue. If the former: then read above - nowhere I said you should follow his method. If the latter, then fine.

"True" was about the fact that I would like "a click-to-load feature for images with favicons as exceptions" 😉. The whole method of using static filters to block images except for favicons isn't suitable for me, as that one doesn't allow to load each of them on demand.

tomasz1986: Unfortunately, I don't think any such extension exists.

I've found something, two extensions:

Thank you for the recommendations! The first extension is not for me, as my main reason to block images is to save bandwidth, but I've tested the second one. It does seem to work as advertised, however it also does block favicons here. It displays them if already cached, but if a completely new website is opened, the favicon is missing for it. I'm doing my testing in Chromium.

[garry-ut99]

as my main reason to block images is to save bandwidth,

Ok, I see, now I know, as you didn't mention about it before.

but I've tested the second one., however it also does block favicons here.

Yes, I confirm, unfortunately it does block them.

It seems there are dozens of extensions to block images, but unfortunately it's difficult to find one which contains all the requested features, I don't know if such a one even exists, as I didn't test them all.

[tomasz1986]

It's all right. I don't need to block images all the time, but there are situations, where I have to use as little data as possible, so I will probably use uBlock to block them only then and just suffer the missing favicons 🤪.

[stephenhawk8054]

With the media elements blocking set to "0 KB", favicons for all sites are blocked as well.

Yes, favicons are images that have size larger than 0KB, so of course they would be blocked. Using 0KB means blocking all images, including favicons.

no-large-media: behind-the-scene false

behind-the-scene means behind the scene network requests, it's for connections that cannot be associate with any tabs. If you mean the favicons of the website you are opening, those are not behind-the-scene connections.

[tomasz1986]

no-large-media: behind-the-scene false

behind-the-scene means behind the scene network requests, it's for connections that cannot be associate with any tabs. If you mean the favicons of the website you are opening, those are not behind-the-scene connections.

Understood. I guess the old comment from gorhill/uBlock#625 (comment) is no longer true then, as the current behaviour seems to be the same in Firefox as in the Chromium browsers.

[garry-ut99]

tomasz1986: comment from gorhill/uBlock#625 (comment)

Also here some related information: gorhill/uBlock#1732

tomasz1986: The goal is to block all images displayed on the actual site, yet I'd like to still allow uBlock to download and show favicons in the browser tab bar.

Similiar request already declined in the past, your request can be considered a duplicate of:

• [Feature Request] checkbox to allow favicons for all sites gorhill/uBlock#3510