Five Ad-Blocking Life Hacks Every Android User Should Know.
Ads are everywhere on Android. For most of us, the choice comes down to either tolerating ads or paying for a premium service. While services like YouTube Premium can be beneficial , they aren’t suitable for all apps. Luckily, there are options: all you need are free apps or extensions readily available in the Play Store or other app stores, including one that can block virtually all ads on Android.
Use BlockAds to block all ads on Android using a local VPN.
If you need a single app that blocks everything, start with the aptly named ” BlockAds .” It’s a free, open-source app that can be installed directly from GitHub or through the F-Droid store. It’s not available in the Play Store, so the installation method will vary depending on your location and the time of installation. If Google’s new rules go into effect, you’ll need to wait 24 hours before you can install apps from third-party sources.
After installation, activate BlockAds by granting it permission to add a VPN profile. Once enabled, BlockAds activates its own VPN profile, which will remain active in the background. Although it uses a VPN profile, it is not a traditional VPN service like Proton VPN. Instead, it is a local VPN that filters traffic on your device itself. It uses DNS filtering to automatically block traffic to ad servers and trackers, silently disabling them in the background. All your normal activity continues, but annoying ads in any app disappear, without the need to root your device. This method has one drawback: Android only allows one VPN profile to be enabled at a time, so if BlockAds takes the place of a VPN, you won’t be able to use a real VPN to protect your internet traffic or spoof your location.
Use private DNS to set up ad blocking across all apps.
If you don’t want to use a VPN profile or third-party app, DNS filtering is another option . This method blocks known advertiser domains, effectively blocking most ads you encounter online. Android has a built-in option to change the DNS server to any you like, but there are also services that use DNS filtering to remove ads and trackers while browsing, such asAdGuard’s free DNS filtering . All you need to do is change the DNS address. Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Private DNS and select “Private DNS provider hostname,” then enter the hostname. In this case, to use the free service, enter ” dns.adguard-dns.co ” and tap “Save.”
It’s important to note that DNS filtering may interfere with some websites or apps with full-screen ads. In this case, a more flexible option like NextDNS may be helpful. After creating a NextDNS account, you receive a personalized DNS host URL where you can configure filters and whitelist websites. You can also enable or disable protection as needed. After signing up for NextDNS, go to the “Setup” section to find your URL. However, NextDNS isn’t completely free. You get up to 300,000 free queries per month, while the unlimited Pro plan costs $1.99 per month or $19.99 per year.
Get desktop-level ad blocking with Firefox and uBlock Origin.
Following the changes in Google’s new Manifest V3 , finding a fully functional ad blocker that updates in real time is becoming increasingly difficult, even on desktop computers. On Mac and Windows, Firefox is perhaps the biggest proponent of ad blockers, fully supporting the uBlock Origin extension.
The situation is similar on Android. Firefox is the best way to run the full version of the uBlock Origin extension, with its dynamic blocking and support for custom filters. To use it, install the Firefox app on Android, tap the “Menu” button, and go to “Extensions.” From there, find and install uBlock Origin. Once installed, ads from websites will automatically disappear. The default settings are sufficient for most users. However, if you want to customize them, you can go to the uBlock Origin extension settings page and add additional filters.
Watch YouTube ad-free (with premium features) with NewPipe and DuckDuckGo.
These days, the most reliable way to block YouTube ads is to pay for a Premium subscription, as Google makes it significantly more difficult to block ads for free. However, there are plenty of workarounds . The best way is to bypass Google’s system entirely by using NewPipe , an alternative YouTube client hosted on the open-source F-Droid app store (similar to the BlockAds app we mentioned above). The app plays YouTube videos without ads and also provides access to features like background playback and video downloads for offline viewing (usually only available to YouTube Premium subscribers). You can search and play videos, subscribe to channels, and create your own YouTube feed in NewPipe.
If you don’t want to install apps from third-party app stores, try using the DuckDuckGo browser . It has a built-in YouTube ad blocker that uses the powerful filters from the uBlock Origin extension mentioned above. Simply load a YouTube video in the browser, and everything should work. If you still see ads, make sure this feature is enabled under Menu > Ad Blocking > Block Ads on YouTube .
Block trackers and ads without any configuration with Brave.
If you simply want ad-free browsing and without the need to install and update third-party extensions, try the Brave browser . It’s one of the best privacy-focused browsers, and the Android app is quite easy to use. It blocks trackers and ads by default. There are no switches to enable, and no extensions. The default ad blocking also works for YouTube videos.