Download ad blocker for android. Blocking ads on Android. The best ad blocker
It has been proven that when using an app with ads, 75% of the energy is spent on ads alone. And all this is because all free applications have a system robot with ads. When installing free applications on Android, many users are annoyed by ads.
Android is the most popular operating system for smartphones. If you are the owner of such a device, then you know how many banners, teasers, pop-ups and even videos you have to deal with.
- Advertising is the same operation that uses RAM, and therefore consumes battery power;
- The probability of catching malware and viruses is much higher;
- Automatic updating of ads consumes traffic, which is often limited.
With the advent of publicity, there were also programmers who developed a program for blocking ads on Android. By installing the blocker on your smartphone or tablet, you will remove it from applications, websites and games.
Naturally, it would be wrong to completely disable advertising, because your favorite sites and developers develop at its expense. Its presence allows us to play games for free and download the necessary applications. But sometimes the need arises. Therefore, consider ad blockers for Android.
AdAway app blocks ads in a few clicks
A simple application that blocks the path to the ad provider's server in a few clicks. Even a beginner can understand the principle of its work.
Main advantages:
- convenience and ease of use;
- updates are checked automatically;
- searches for unblocked ads;
- convenient and understandable description of the application;
- adapted to Russian.
The disadvantages include:
- inability to apply on Google Play;
- requires Root rights;
- Some of the ads are still there.
AdFree is one of the first blocker apps
The application checks and fixes the hosts file, which contains the addresses and IPs of ad servers, and the path to them is blocked. Then, in a special window, configure the utility and forget about its presence.
Advantages:
- perfectly blocks most of the ads;
- simple and intuitive interface;
- updated automatically;
- Russified.
Flaws:
- there is no exclusion setting, so sometimes it perceives some services as advertising and blocks access to them;
- not in Google Play;
- Requires Root rights to install.
Now windows will not pop up on the screen and there will be no need to click on unnecessary links.
AdBlock - removes ads on the tablet
Adblock is an analogue of a program for a computer. After installing it on a tablet or smartphone, it automatically blocks ads. Moreover, if you have root rights, all traffic is filtered, but if you do not have them, then configure the proxy server on the tablet.
Interestingly, it does not work on all devices.
AdBlock launched their web browser - AdBlock Browser
You can view websites in a browser without any ads. It allows you to optimally consume traffic and save battery power. You can download it for free.
NetGuard works without root rights
Another blocker. Its advantageous difference from others is that the application works without root rights. But it also performs its functions worse, it is impossible to turn off all advertising.
In fact, this is a simple firewall that allows you to deny access to applications. Its advantages include the possibility of free download in Google Play. To block ads in auto mode, you need to purchase an extended version of this program.
LuckyPatcher will save you from any pop-ups
This application will save you from ads and will be able to remove the permission check to use the game. And you yourself decide in which application to block it. The implementation of all functionality also requires root rights. The program allows you to create clones of applications.
The best ad blocker for Android
Oddly enough, the AdFree app, one of the first created, remains the best ad blocker today. AdAway for android is not much inferior. The principle of operation of these programs is actually the same. They differ only in the size of the database.
Owners of mobile devices with the presence of root rights will be able to try out their functionality. In their absence, you will have to be content with a simple NetGuard utility, which performs its role much worse.
The Android system is the most open mobile operating system based on Linux, openness, combined with an already familiar environment, causes a large flow of developers creating applications for the operating system. Developers are "people too", so they want to be rewarded for their work - saying plain language: many applications are created solely for the purpose of making a profit. There are not many applications created "for people", but in this article we will only talk about them.
The first thing that any user who has downloaded a free application or game faces is advertising! Sometimes she does not interfere or they give a reward for watching her, this good example but there are also bad ones. It is very unpleasant when, due to the abundance of advertising in applications, it is not possible to use its functionality normally, or advertising after each level in the game, and ubiquitous advertising on sites is completely terrifying. There are several of the most popular advertising formats, and we will protect ourselves from them.
Reasons to dislike ads
I think you noticed that advertising sometimes "guesses" what we want, or it's worth thinking about something, discussing it with friends - as it immediately appears in advertising. Do you know how it happens? We are being watched :) Every action you take, whether it's a character you enter or a page you open, is all stored in your "advertising identifier", and according to those who show us ads, the data is used only to select more suitable ads.
Even sound and geographic location are recorded for selection advertisements! You can simply go to a digital equipment store, how this information will get into your identifier and the system will decide that you are now interested in purchasing equipment. Audio may be recorded to improve results!!!
If you are worried about your personal data, do not want all this surveillance and you are simply fed up with ads in games and applications - we strongly recommend using blockers from the list above.
Oh, advertising, advertising, how we got tired of it. On the street, in newspapers, on TV and, of course, on the Internet. If on a computer or any other device with a large display it is still appropriate, although confusing, then here advertising banner on the half-screen of a smartphone or tablet is difficult to endure. And then there are banners in games - a nightmare, and nothing more. How to deal with them mobile devices? Our review of ad blockers for gadgets based on Android OS will tell you about this.
So, let's look at the "problem" of advertising from the inside. Development and content of the site, creation and support of this or that application - all this is work that should be paid. Not all developers can make paid versions of programs, and not all users are ready to buy them. A similar situation will be with sites, not all users agree to visit their favorite site for a paid subscription. There is only one thing left - to place ads (whether it is impressions of ads or clicks on it - it does not matter here). And for every action, there is a reaction. In our case, ad blockers.
We have selected the three most popular, working and relevant applications. AdAway is an ad blocker by blocking access to advertising addresses. AdFree works in a similar way, and Adblock Plus. They differ in authors, interface and functions, but the principle of their work is the same.
It should be noted that we in no way encourage the use of such programs, because without the money received for advertising, the normal life of most (if not all) sites is impossible. Nevertheless, in some cases, such applications can help out, and it will not hurt to talk about them at least from a technical point of view.
Blocking ads is easy: AdAway
Acquaintance
The application is simplified to a minimum, but is designed for both novice users and experts. Loading "amendments" and the modification itself hosts file as simple as possible. The program also has interesting functions, they are hidden in the depths and will come in handy if necessary.
The main advantages of the AdAway application:
- Ease of use.
- Automatic check for updates.
- Search for unblocked ads.
- A detailed description of the essence of the application, help, and so on.
- Russian localization.
Flaws:
- You need Root rights and S-ON (for HTC devices).
Beginning of work
When you first start the AdAway application, it will ask for superuser rights. This is necessary to access and modify the system partition, namely, editing the hosts file. If your gadget does not have Root rights, then the application will not work.
The program interface is as simple as possible, all items are signed and explained in as much detail as possible. AdAway is fully Russified.
Click on the "Download files and apply ad blocking" button. Thus, we load advertising addresses - hosts, and then they are integrated into the system.
The app will then prompt you to restart your device. You need to give consent to this command because "Java in Android has its own internal DNS cache. The operating system will use the updated hosts file immediately, but we must reboot the device to recreate the DNS cache in Java."
This is how it is explained in background information programs. Clear and understandable, and I do not need to explain anything.
After the reboot, the application will begin to function in full force. Ad blocking occurs, both in the browser and in applications. How well this works, we will tell further.
If we need to restore the display of ads, we press the "Disable ad blocking" button, after which the original structure of the hosts file is restored. By the way, when uninstalling the utility, you should use this function.
Settings
AdAway is practically not replete with settings. Of the features that deserve to be listed, we can note the automatic check for updates to advertising addresses. The database can be updated only when connected to WiFi networks, so as not to waste precious megabytes of mobile traffic.
We can then adjust the host list sources, which is handy. In addition to standard sources, you can add your own to block all ads for sure. And you can also unblock this or that resource, if suddenly unwanted advertising has ceased to come from there.
By the way, we can specify “our” path to the hosts file, which is very convenient, then the original will remain untouched.
We also have access to the DNS query log. This will allow you to block ads in those applications where "standard means" could not do it. That is, using this tool, it will be possible to analyze application requests for advertising and, if necessary, block them.
Using the "Adware Scanner" you can find applications that use the Airpush notification system, which may display ads. Alas, this can only be fixed by deleting the applications themselves.
This concludes our review of all the features of the application called AdAway.
Testing
For good example the program, we took several sites where there are various kinds of advertising. So, it is blocked, but not everywhere, despite the fact that the list of advertising hosts has been updated to the latest (at the time of writing this review).
I will note one point regarding not only this application, but also the rest. In browser Google Chrome google ads will be displayed in traffic compression mode. And since in this mode all advertising comes in a compressed form (perhaps through an encrypted channel, there is no exact data) and is unpacked on the device itself, no specialized application can block it.
Conclusions on AdAway
AdAway is quite a typical ad blocker. It is easy to use, can automatically update the ad address database, filter DNS queries, scan apps for Airpush notifications, and has a few more features.
NetGuard is a good firewall for Android that allows you to block access to the Internet for each installed program. Not so long ago, a fresh feature appeared in - ad blocking by filtering traffic without. How to activate ad blocking in this firewall - read our short article-instructions.
To begin with, it is worth noting that the ad blocking feature in NetGuard is available in the application version from the official project page on GitHub. The variation on Google Play does not have such capabilities, since ad blockers no longer allow ad blockers to enter the catalog. On the Treshbox, the name indicates those versions of NetGuard that contain ad blocking.
Instructions for activating ad blocking in NetGuard
So. The app has been downloaded and installed. Open NetGuard and go to the settings without activating the firewall.
Looking for an item "Traffic filter" and activate it with the toggle switch. The program will warn you about the possible battery drain, but it is insignificant.
After that, we look for the item in the menu "Download hosts file" and click on it. NetGuard will automatically download the hosts file with most of the addresses from which ads are usually downloaded. Downloading traffic from them will be blocked. Alternative hosts files can be found on GitHub, downloaded from there, and imported into the application.
Next, return to the main menu of the application and activate it with the toggle switch in the upper left corner. The program will start working when the key icon (VPN) appears in the top bar, and the indicator next to the toggle switch takes the form of a NetGuard icon, not an hourglass. After activation, it is advisable to wait 5–10 minutes - during this time all DNS addresses will be updated.
Later we check the operation of the blocker. We open a test page on the official NetGuard website. If the test outputs “Ad Blocking Works”, then this means that the blocking is working.
Left - before blocking, right - after
To see this clearly, go to some popular site with a lot of advertising, for example - zaycev.net.
See also our video instruction on activating ad blocking in NetGuard:
Probably, it is not necessary to say that advertising in Android applets or in browsers when accessing the Internet inexpressibly irritates all users without exception. But own funds system to get rid of this scourge does not work. So what to do? Blocking ads on "Android" systems can be done either using special programs, or in manual mode by changing one of the key system files.
Where do ads come from in Android apps?
Probably, every owner of an Android device thought about where so much garbage in the form of advertising comes from in programs. The answer to this question must be sought in the Google Play service itself, from which, in most cases, mobile applications are downloaded and installed.
The situation is such that absolutely all free applications that are presented in the service have built-in ads. All!!! The only exceptions are paid programs. They don't have that garbage. But after all, not everyone wants (or can) pay a certain amount just to get rid of constantly pop-up messages and banners. But there is a way out. You need to use some kind of ad blocking application on Android, which can remove it from both installed applications and from the browser when the user surfs the Internet.
Types of advertising and ways to eliminate it
But before proceeding to consider how, for example, ad blocking is done in Chrome on Android or its elimination in installed applets, it is worth looking at what main types of it can be found.
Many experts, having analyzed all possible situations, tend to divide advertising into several main types:
- static or dynamic (pop-up) banners on top, bottom or full screen with a picture or video;
- built-in advertising directly in the program interface;
- advertising that appears after 2-3 days of using the application;
- "Useful" advertising, after viewing which the user receives some points, bonuses, coins, etc.
As for the methods of its elimination, in most cases, when installing additional applets, you must have superuser rights, otherwise you will not be able to achieve at least some significant result. But! It will not work - does not mean that it is impossible in principle. Blocking ads on "Android" without root-rights can also be done. We will dwell on this separately.
Incidentally, one of the most simple methods to prevent the appearance of ads in applications is downloading and installing them not from the Google Play service, but downloading their full counterparts in the form of APK files with subsequent installation from other sources. But the resources must be verified, otherwise no one will give a guarantee that you will not catch a virus somewhere. Programs on such sites in most cases are already free of ads, even in situations where the application requires constant access to the Internet to work correctly.
Ad blocker on Android: the most popular apps
On the Internet, you can now find quite a lot of software applets aimed at ridding the user of annoying banners and messages. Not all of them are equal. But in most cases, there are a few of the most powerful, popular and interesting applications:
- AdAway.
- Lucky Patcher.
- adfree.
- ad block.
- adguard.
- Adblock Browser, etc.
This list is interesting because the first three applications in without fail require root rights, the second three can work without them. Let's look at a few utilities. In principle, they all work on similar principles.
AdAway is the easiest app to use
Blocking ads on Android using this program is based on the automatic change of the hosts file.
After installing and launching the application, you need to use only two buttons. First you should tap on the file download button, and then on the button to disable ads. True, as it is already clear, the emergence of such programs is completely unprofitable for Google, so it is pointless to look for it in the Market. You will have to download from other sources and install manually.
AdBlock is a program for Android. Free ad blocker
As is probably clear from the name, this applet is a mobile version of a computer add-on for browsers, adapted to Android systems.
This utility, like Adblock Browser, which is a regular browser with a built-in blocker, is designed to be used as an add-on (extension) to all available browsers in the system. True, she has one drawback. If the system provides for the provision of root rights, the application will filter absolutely all traffic, and to block without them, you will additionally need to configure the proxy server settings. And please note that this application may not work on all devices and not all versions of the Android operating system.
Lucky Patcher - one-stop solution
Many experts believe that this application is the best program for blocking ads on Android. And it's not even about how it works.
The program itself is in some way a slightly modified analogue of the AdAway applet in terms of interface. However, its possibilities are much wider. In fact, the application is a whole complex-patcher for all occasions.
When programs are launched, it performs a full system scan, and distributes the results in the application category into several types, highlighting them in different colors:
- yellow - the application has been fixed and no further action is required;
- green - Google license verification required;
- blue - the presence of advertising.
Programs that cannot be patched are included in a separate section. By clicking on the desired application, the user receives an additional menu in which an action option is selected (removing ads, installing a patch, etc.).
AdFree is another simple tool
This program almost completely repeats the AdAway applet presented above.
It not only uses the same principle of changing the hosts file, but also the procedure for troubleshooting in the form of using the file download buttons and disabling ads.
Using manual mode
Blocking ads on Android in this case involves downloading the modified hosts file from the Internet on your own or creating it on a computer using any text editor (for example, Notepad). It looks like the image below.
The original system file, in order to avoid trouble, you first need to rename (or make it backup), after which the new hosts object is placed in the etc directory, which can be located either in the system root or in the System directory, using a file manager like Root Explorer for this. After that, it remains only to reboot the device and rejoice.
What to use?
As for the choice of the preferred method for getting rid of ads, it is difficult to advise something specific, since each program is focused on a certain type of task. However, if you have superuser rights, it is better to install LuckyPatcher (the application can be useful for other purposes as well). But in the best case, in order to remove ads from both installed programs and from the browser, the best solution would be to install two applets, one of which will block the appearance of unwanted banners in applications, and the second will eliminate ads when surfing the Internet. For example, in addition to LuckyPatcher, you can install AdBlock. However, here the choice is up to the owner of the mobile device. As for downloading or manually creating the hosts file, this option can be used if suddenly (which is unlikely) nothing else helps.
