While many websites depend on revenue coming from ad banner impressions and clicks, it’s a fact that some of these ads can be very annoying and, in a few cases, even malicious. Some ads are created by rogue pop-up pages, while others automatically start playing video or audio clips. Many more are guilty of taking up too much of your phone’s resources with overused animations.
What if you wanted to block ads on Android? Thankfully, you can do that in several ways. Let’s walk you through the process.
QUICK ANSWER
You can block ads on your Android phone by opening Chrome and tapping the three-dot menu button. Go to Settings > Site settings > Intrusive ads and toggle on Intrusive ads. You can also go back to the Site settings and tap on Pop-up and redirects. Toggle on the Pop-ups and redirects option.
JUMP TO KEY SECTIONS
Block pop-up pages and ads in Chrome
Use another app or browser
How to block ads on Android by changing the DNS
Editor’s note: We’ve assembled these instructions using a Google Pixel 7 running Android 14. Remember that steps might differ depending on your device and its Android version.
Block pop-up pages and ads in Chrome
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
If you use Chrome as your default web browser on your Android phone, and most of you do, you should be aware that in 2018, Google announced that Chrome would block all ads on websites if they use full-page interstitials. Sites would also see ads blocked on Chrome if they unexpectedly play sounds or use a lot of flashing-style animation. However, some sites still use pop-ups to generate ads, but there’s a way to combat them in Chrome.
How to block ads, pop-ups, and redirects on Chrome:
Open up the Chrome browser.
Tap on the three-dot menu in the top right corner.
Tap on Settings.
Scroll down to the Site Settings selection, and tap on it.
Select Intrusive ads.
Make sure Intrusive ads is toggled off.
Go back to the Site settings.
Select Pop-ups and redirects.
Make sure Pop-ups and redirects is toggled off.
Using third-party apps and browsers
Because we’re so used to Chrome, our first thought might be to use an extension. Some of the best ones include AdBlock and Adblock Plus (no relation), and they should do away with more annoying ads more effectively than using Chrome alone. The trick here is that extensions aren’t available on Chrome for mobile. It’s also tough to find alternatives that support this in a seamless manner.
There is, however, one browser we can halfway recommend that actually supports Chrome extensions. It’s Kiwi Browser.
How to use Chrome extensions on Kiwi Browser:
Download and install Kiwi Browser from the Google Play Store. Launch it.
Search for your ad-blocker. In this case, we will use AdBlock. Go into its page.
Tap on the Add to Chrome button.
Hit OK.
The extension will install and you will see a welcome page. You can now tap on the three-dot menu button and tap on Extensions to manage it.
You can also get an actual ad blocker for Android. You can find the best ones in our list of the best ad-blocker apps.
Another method is to use another web browser with integrated ad-blocking features. You’ll find that most of the privacy-focused browsers have ad-blocking features. Just go to the Google Play Store and download options like Brave, Opera, and there’s even an Adblock stand-alone web browser.
Chrome ad-blockers are extensions, which are not available on Chrome for mobile. These are also unavailable on other Chromium-based browsers, save for very few exceptions from developers that have found workarounds. The best one is Kiwi Browser.
How to block ads on Android by changing the DNS
This one’s a little more technical, but it is definitely one of the best methods for blocking ads on Android. It’s also likely the one that will work most of the time. Let’s show you how it’s done.
How to use an adblock DNS:
Launch the Settings app.
Go into Network & internet.
Tap on Private DNS.
Select Private DNS provider hostname.
You’ll need to enter a DNS provider hostname. A popular one is dns.adguard.com. Enter it.
Hit Save.
FAQs
Certain apps allow you to modify some ad settings. For example, you can go into the Facebook app’s settings and adjust your preferences to a certain extent. Many apps won’t allow it, though. You’ll have to check if the apps you use allow it.
Some manufacturers push ads directly into their smartphones’ UI. We have guides to remove these from Samsungand Xiaomidevices. These manufacturers are especially known for doing this.
You might think ads are insignificant, and nothing could be furthest from the truth. A study from the University of Southern California claims ads can increase data usage by up to 79%! Additionally, they may use up to 16% more battery power and 22% more memory.
While it doesn’t always work, blocking ads on some games is possible using an ad-blocking app or the DNS method.
Disable website pop-ups and notifications on Android
To stop website ads and pop-ups, open Android settings, tap Apps, then choose the browser you want to customize permissions for. Tap Permissions, then select Notifications. Toggle off to block notification permissions for the Android browser.
Disable website pop-ups and notifications on Android
To stop website ads and pop-ups, open Android settings, tap Apps, then choose the browser you want to customize permissions for. Tap Permissions, then select Notifications. Toggle off to block notification permissions for the Android browser.
The best ad blockers for Android are Total Adblock, NordVPN Threat Protection, Surfshark CleanWeb, and AdLock. Total Adblock has an Android app that can help stop ads on any browser and app. NordVPN Threat Protection blocks ads and trackers, scans for malware, and is part of the NordVPN product.
The most effective way to avoid pop-up ads on an Android is to install a top-rated ad blocker app. There are also privacy extensions that can help optimize your web experience, but plug-ins will only block browser pop-ups, not in-app pop-up ads.
Pop-up ads have nothing to do with the phone itself. They are caused by third-party apps installed on your phone. Ads are a way for app developers to make money, and the more ads that are displayed, the more money the developer makes. This is why some of them are so persistent.
Some websites load malicious advertisem*nts into their pages, causing your device to potentially become infected. In some cases, a website visitor does not even have to click on an ad in order to be infiltrated (learn more). Adblock Browser helps prevent this by blocking potentially harmful ads.
Upgrading your extension to Premium also prevents our payment page from appearing when we update the extension. AdBlock Premium does not provide better ad blocking. Ad blocking has always been free and we intend to keep it that way.
Total Adblock is the most effective free ad blocker for making your online browsing experience free from any interruptions. Its free tier has all the essential features for eliminating online ads, trackers, and other nuisances.
Many mobile browsers and OS providers limit ad blocking functionality in a variety of ways, some going so far as to exclude it entirely; the mobile Chrome browser, for instance, doesn't allow for ad blocking extensions at all (trust us, we wish we could block ads in Chrome on our own mobile devices)!
Pop-up ads have nothing to do with the phone itself. They are caused by third-party apps installed on your phone. Ads are a way for app developers to make money, and the more ads that are displayed, the more money the developer makes. This is why some of them are so persistent.
Introduction: My name is Jeremiah Abshire, I am a outstanding, kind, clever, hilarious, curious, hilarious, outstanding person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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