How to remove ads on Android in applications

04/12/2021

Android

13 min

1 115

Hello, fellow computer geeks!

Are you annoyed by intrusive advertisements on your Android device?

Take a look at the list of best ad blockers for Android that I have shared in this article to get rid of annoying ads on your phone.

No one likes to see irrelevant and annoying advertisements while browsing the web, watching videos or playing games.

There are so many websites and apps that force users to see ads, which deprives them of the content and ruins the user experience.

Luckily, there is a way to block ads on Android.

You can use a good ad blocker for Android to block unwanted ads in apps and web browsers.

This article lists the 13 best ad blockers for Android to help you choose the best one to block ads from web pages or apps.

Before moving on to the list of ad blockers, let's first understand what an ad blocker is and how to choose the best ad blocker for your Android phones.

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Types of advertising in Android applications

There are various types of advertisements that pop up in mobile apps. Namely:

Banners. This is one of the most popular types of advertising. This type of advertising pops up the same way as on a website in a browser: at the bottom or top of the screen, as well as on the side. Each user can collapse the banner;
Advertising in video format. There are also two types here: in the first case, you can skip the advertising video by clicking on the cross, and the second will close on its own at the end. Also, in the second type, you cannot close the commercial yourself;
Advertising for which you can receive a reward for viewing. In this type, after watching the advertisement, the user can get various rewards in the application. For example, equipment for the hero, a bonus in the game, a hint, game currency, and so on. As a rule, to receive a reward you must watch the entire video;
Playable ads. This is a type of advertising in which the user can play a demo version of a certain game while performing full-fledged actions;
Native advertising. As a rule, native advertising appears in the form of a special block, video or text that is inserted into the design of an application or game.

Firefox Focus

Firefox Focus can also be called one of the newest Android browsers. It's probably the best browser app for Firefox right now. It is safety oriented. Basically each session is in privacy mode. Some features include a one-click history deletion process, a pretty decent ad block that blocks most types of web trackers. It's definitely not for those who need their browser to remember their login information. However, this is great for everyone else too. Also completely free with no in-app purchases.

Why block ads on Android

Without a doubt, there is no urgent need to block ads on a mobile device, but it is worth doing for the following reasons:

All advertising is considered a separate processor, which also takes up a certain space in RAM. In addition, advertisements contribute to the fact that the battery in the phone begins to discharge much faster;
Advertising in applications may contain malicious files and unwanted software that may cause the mobile device to malfunction;
Ads consume a certain amount of Internet traffic, since in order to display ads you need to send a special request to the advertisers' server. Thus, when using applications in which an advertisement appears, it is worth understanding that a certain amount of traffic will also be spent on it.

Lightning Browser

Lightning Browser is back on this list as one of the best Android browsers. It features a user-friendly interface combined with a simple design. Moreover, it comes with various features such as ad block, theming, and more. It also boasts compatibility with Orbot as a Tor proxy. The support is a bit inconsistent, but it works. The free version is functional. However, you'll have to pay for the pro version to get unlimited tabs and ad blocking. It is also open source.

How to disable advertising in Android games using applications

AdBlock Plus

This program is one of the best for getting rid of pop-up advertisements. However, you cannot download this tool from Google Play, since it is not there. In this regard, the program must be installed independently.

Also, to use this application you must have special Root rights on your phone.

Tool download link:

You need to use the program as follows:

First you need to install the program file on your mobile device, and then open it and provide access;
To turn off unnecessary advertising, you must enable the “Filtering” function;
If a user wants to remove absolutely all advertising from a mobile device, then he must check the box next to the “Acceptable updates” item.

Adguard

This tool also helps you get rid of annoying ads in apps and games on Android mobile devices. In addition, the program saves traffic, protects the user’s personal data and completely controls advertising.

In order to use this application, you simply need to install it on your mobile device. However, as in the first application, this cannot be done through the Play Market. You must install it through the official website of the program.

During installation, you must follow the instructions of the program.

Link to download the tool.

Adfree

By downloading this application to your phone, you can completely get rid of any advertising. This tool can also only be installed through a browser using a link, since it is not available in the Play Market. After installation, you must restart all applications on your mobile device that may contain advertisements.

After this, the advertising will disappear even in the phone’s browser. You can return the advertisement by clicking the Revert button.

In order to use this application, you must also obtain special Root rights, since without them access to the application will be blocked.

Link where you can install the application.

AirPush

This app can completely scan your mobile device for suspicious apps that are showing too many advertisements. The application has special settings that do this automatically after installation.

You can download the program from the link:

Ecosia Browser

Ecosia is an eco-friendly mobile web browser. It includes all the usual things like bookmarks, multiple tabs, private browsing and downloads. It is taken from the open source Chromium project. So it looks and feels like Chrome. Browser donates up to 80% of its profits to plant trees. It's not a browser feature, but it's definitely nice. Suitable for those who don't need to surf the web often but still need something that works well. Again, good for the planet. Also free.

Replacing hosts

You can also remove ads on phones with the Android operating system by replacing hosts.

You can do this as follows:

First, you need to go to the winhelp2002 website and select the advising menu, after which you need to click on the “Go” button;
Now you need to install the “hosts.zip” file. A ZIP archive will be installed, from which you need to extract a file called “HOSTS”;
After this, you will need to rename the “HOSTS” file to “hosts”;
Now the user must install an application called “Root Browser” from Google Play on their phone;
The renamed file must be copied to the smartphone’s memory card;
After this, you need to go to the installed application and copy this file from the memory card. Next, you will need to move the file to a folder called “/system/etc”. A notification will appear asking for permission to replace the file, the user must agree;
At the end, the mobile device must be restarted, after which all advertising will disappear.

Lynket (formerly Chromer)

Lynket used to be a popular Chromer browser. The rebranding took place at the beginning of 2022. Essentially, it's the same browser. It allows you to open web links from almost any app in Chrome custom tabs, even if the app doesn't natively support Chrome custom tabs. In addition, the application tears off head pages, like Flynx or the older Brave browser. Chrome Custom Tabs and Web Heads are enough to make it one of the most unique Android browsers. It's best for multitaskers, frequent surfers, and people who just like Chrome's custom tabs.

If advertising is from Google

Unfortunately, it is impossible to completely remove unwanted advertising from Google. However, you can configure the system so that it becomes noticeably smaller. This is done as follows:

First, you need to launch the Google application on your phone;
Next, you need to click on the user’s avatar, which is located at the top of the screen, and go to the settings menu;
First you need to open the “General” section, where you can turn off all pop-up ads;
After this, you need to turn off the “Recommendations” function. Thanks to this, advertising will be hidden in the browser;
You can completely remove advertising in the “Notifications” section, in which you need to turn off the corresponding function.

If such a need arises, the user can turn this function back on.

Follow the link to watch a video on how to remove ads on your phone:

Firefox Browser

Firefox has undergone changes in 2022. The update, called Quantum, promised to add stability, speed and a new user interface. The results took a while to come into effect, but overall it was a very positive update. The browser also supports cross-platform synchronization of bookmarks and tabs, excellent privacy controls, add-ons, and more. It's a great replacement for something like Google Chrome, which works on multiple platforms. And everything is completely free, as usual.

Useful tips

You can also remove ads on mobile devices using the following tools:

GitHub;
DNS66;
NetGuard.

Also, before using these programs, you must install Root rights to your phone.

Vyacheslav

For several years he worked in mobile phone stores of two large operators. I understand tariffs well and see all the pitfalls. I love gadgets, especially Android ones.

Ask a Question

Question to the expert

What should I do if an advertisement appears in full screen?

In this case, you should first install an antivirus on your phone in order to check for malicious files. If they are found, they need to be removed. You also need to check the permissions in your phone settings; there should be no third-party programs there.

Is it possible to remove ads on YouTube?

Yes, you can do this by either purchasing a subscription or installing the Xposed Framework app.

4.8/5 — (31 votes)

Browsers with built-in “Ad-block”

What to do if you don’t want to understand the intricacies of setting up programs at all? Luckily, many developers integrate built-in ad blockers into their browsers. Even Chrome has similar functionality, but Google Chrome removes only the most annoying ads, which, in general, is not particularly noticeable. Really powerful blockers are built into CM Browser-Ad Blocker, Free Adblocker Browser, and Brave Browser. All of them are available for download on Google Play, so you can decide for yourself which ad blocker is best for your Android device.

Microsoft Edge

There may be crowds of dissatisfied people, but that's okay. Microsoft Edge is a legitimately decent web browser for mobile devices. It has a lightweight yet effective synchronization feature with the desktop version. The app also works well with Windows 10 and Microsoft Launcher. Some other features include Hub feature, QR code reader, voice search, and private browsing mode. This won't suit everyone. However, those closely tied to the Microsoft ecosystem probably won't find a better browser that works with their other services. Microsoft is eventually moving Edge to Chromium, so it could become even more advanced over time.

Naked Browser

Naked Browser may seem simple, but it's no joke. It eschews many modern features in favor of speed and simplicity. Of course, this means that some sacrifices had to be made. However, the developers made these sacrifices with a remarkable lack of remorse. The browser handles the basics like shortcuts, bookmarks, and history. Due to their slimmed-down nature, sites tend to load quite quickly. Those looking for something luxurious will be disappointed here. The developer is also a bit uncooperative with user feedback. However, it is one of the best Android browsers.

Samsung Internet Browser

We feel a little awkward adding an OEM browser to the list of best Android browsers. However, Samsung Internet Browser is surprisingly good. It includes gestures, plugins, quick menu and some Material Design elements. Some of the plugins even allow you to block ads. There are also features for things like Amazon shopping, online shopping in general, and 360-degree video support. This is probably the browser that many Samsung phone owners have seen before setting Chrome as their default. The application is marked as beta. However, it is more stable than some non-beta browsers, even on this list. No, Samsung didn't pay to leave this here.

Surfy Browser

Surfy Browser has a hipster name and a small following. That said, it's a surprisingly decent browser. It includes the usual niceties like bookmarks, history, multiple search engines and the like. And yet another layer of powerful custom features like ad block, theming, and amazingly cool toolbar customizations. The app's claim to fame is its text-to-speech feature, which reads website pages when needed. It's not a bad way to go.