Ad-block is an essential experience for many people. Bad advertising can ruin experiences left and right, especially while browsing the web, playing games, and watching video content. Of course, there’s a necessary evil aspect to the whole thing, but people still use ad blockers anyway. There are several ways to get ad-block on your Android device in at least some capacity. It almost exclusively requires root access or installing third-party apps.
There are no system-wide ad blockers in the Google Play Store. You can read here to find out why. Thus, most of the apps on the list require a third-party download and installation. We didn’t have any problems doing so, but you may be a bit apprehensive. Also, more and more sites and services allow for payment in lieu of advertisements. We recommend that instead of ad-blocking because it lets the creators of the content you enjoy continue doing so while also earning a living. Just a thought.
The best ad blocker apps for Android
- AdAway
- Adblock Plus
- AdGuard
- Blokada
- Browsers with ad-block
- Change your DNS
- DNS66
The ethics of ad-blocking
The ethics of ad-blocking are a bit of a catch-22. For the uninitiated, a catch-22 is a situation that has contradictory rules. Ads help creators like us here at Android Authority pay the bills, keep the lights on, and make sure we have roofs over our heads. I may be a bit biased because I do this work for a living, but there are actual, real benefits to advertising. It keeps my work free for you, the reader, while also still giving me enough money to pay my bills.
A lot of people want to know if ad-blocking takes money away from independent creators. The answer to that question is yes. Android Authority is an independent website, and our budget would certainly improve if ad-block did not exist. However, we do acknowledge that ads can also eat up your data, increase CPU usage, and other negative things.
However, there is a lot that folks don’t understand about ads. For example, most websites don’t choose which ads go on their site. The site chooses the space where the ad goes, and a third-party ad servicer puts the ads there. That’s how a generally reputable site can wind up with malicious advertising.
It’s because things like that can go wrong that we have this list. We would certainly appreciate it if you viewed some more ads here at Android Authority, but we understand if you don’t want to. Here’s how to block them.
AdAway (root only)
Price: Free
Credit: Joe Hindy / Android Authority
AdAway is a simple ad blocker app. It uses a modified hosts file to send all ad requests to 12.0.0.1. In other words, the request goes nowhere and you see no ads. The app supports modified or custom host files or you can download a basic one from the app itself. Host files are stored in a read-only part of the Android system. That means root is required for this one. You can donate if you want to, but the whole app works for free. The only two downsides are that you must download them from F-Droid, not the Play Store, and that you need root access. Root users can always just change the host files themselves without an app if they want to.
Get it on F-Droid
See also: The best security apps for Android that aren’t antivirus apps