whatisgithub

What is hush?

oblador/hush — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-05-18

★ 3,637JavaScriptAudience · generalComplexity · 2/5LicenseSetup · easy

In one sentence

A free Safari extension for iPhone, iPad, and Mac that blocks annoying cookie consent popups and tracking notices, with no data collection.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      Blocks cookie popups
      Blocks tracking notices
    Tech stack
      Swift UI
      Safari content blocker
    Use cases
      Cleaner browsing
      Privacy
    Audience
      Safari users
      Privacy conscious

Code map

Detail Auto

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filefunction / class

What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Install the app to stop cookie consent banners from appearing while browsing in Safari.

USE CASE 2

Build the app from source to inspect or contribute to the blocklist rules.

USE CASE 3

Use it as a lightweight, privacy-respecting alternative to heavier ad and tracker blockers.

What is it built with?

Swift UIDenoXcode

How does it compare?

oblador/hushantfu/vscode-file-nesting-configgeuis/helium-css
Stars3,6373,6383,635
LanguageJavaScriptJavaScriptJavaScript
Setup difficultyeasyeasyeasy
Complexity2/51/52/5
Audiencegeneraldeveloperdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

Building from source requires Deno and Xcode, using the app just requires downloading it from the App Store.

Free to use, modify, and distribute, even commercially, as long as you include the original copyright and license notice.

So what is it?

Hush is a free, open-source Safari extension for iPhone, iPad, and Mac that blocks cookie consent popups and privacy-invasive tracking notices. Those banners that appear on websites asking you to accept or reject cookies are what Hush is designed to remove. The app is available on the App Store and requires iOS 14 or macOS 11 or later. The extension works by hosting a list of rules that Safari uses natively to block specific scripts and page elements before they load. Because the blocking happens at the browser level through Safari's built-in content blocker API, it is fast and lightweight, adding less than half a megabyte to your device. The app itself does not interact with the websites you visit, so it does not click any consent buttons on your behalf. It simply prevents the banners from appearing in the first place. Hush collects no data about your browsing. It has no access to your browser history, passwords, or activity. No crash reports are sent anywhere, and nothing leaves your device. The app does not block ads intentionally, and the FAQ is plain about why: the author considers cookie notices universally unwanted but believes ads can be financially important for website owners. Some websites use obfuscation techniques to resist blocking, or tie their cookie notice code so closely to core site functionality that removing it would break the page. In those cases Hush may not work, and the project accepts reports through GitHub issues or a linked form. The source code is published under the MIT license. Building from source requires Deno and Xcode. A blocklist unit test suite and UI test suite are both included and can be run via a Makefile.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Explain how Hush blocks cookie popups without interacting with the website.
Prompt 2
Walk me through building Hush from source using Deno and Xcode.
Prompt 3
Help me understand why Hush does not block ads on purpose.

Frequently asked questions

What is hush?

A free Safari extension for iPhone, iPad, and Mac that blocks annoying cookie consent popups and tracking notices, with no data collection.

What language is hush written in?

Mainly JavaScript. The stack also includes Swift UI, Deno, Xcode.

What license does hush use?

Free to use, modify, and distribute, even commercially, as long as you include the original copyright and license notice.

How hard is hush to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is hush for?

Mainly general.

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