Develop Bugs

[Q] ad blockers

For those on the unrooted retail edition, do you use an ad blocker? If so which one?

tried adblock plus app, but it only works over wifi and prevented me from sending any mms messages. i'm mostly at the grin and bear it stage, but i sometimes will use firefox with the adblock plus extension installed within the app. it works pretty well but obviously only works in the browser and makes pages load a little slowly. desperately waiting for that root method to be found!

crowmallet said:
tried adblock plus app, but it only works over wifi and prevented me from sending any mms messages. i'm mostly at the grin and bear it stage, but i sometimes will use firefox with the adblock plus extension installed within the app. it works pretty well but obviously only works in the browser and makes pages load a little slowly. desperately waiting for that root method to be found!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No way to make adblock plus work over cellular networks? I do want root to eliminate all those ads.

I didn't mess around with it much after i couldn't send mms messages with it installed. their website says it will only work over wifi so i'd take their word for it. it may be possible with enough tinkering but the mms thing was a deal breaker to me. maybe there was more i could've done to get around all the issues but i'm too impatient

Need ROOT!
Used adaway for years, and currently without root and no ad blocking, some ads would be bearable,
But Jesus Christ! the amount of mobile ads now is completely out of control and obnoxious.

deathshead said:
Need ROOT!
Used adaway for years, and currently without root and no ad blocking, some ads would be bearable,
But Jesus Christ! the amount of mobile ads now is completely out of control and obnoxious.
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Yes what he said.

Give Adguard a try.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.adguard.android

I would buy the developer edition rightnow to get rid of these pop up ad. But I can't find it anywhere...

vwpiper said:
Give Adguard a try.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.adguard.android
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Amy other ad blockers that are not so battery draining?

Here is the Developer edition. Now available.
http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/cell-phones/SM-N910VMKEVZW?CID=AFL-hq-mul-0813-11000279

csstamatin said:
Here is the Developer edition. Now available.
http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/cell-phones/SM-N910VMKEVZW?CID=AFL-hq-mul-0813-11000279
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Click to collapse
Nice to know but I was not planning ot buy the DE and sell my retail edition just to gain root and block all ads.

ronaldheld said:
No way to make adblock plus work over cellular networks? I do want root to eliminate all those ads.
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Click to collapse
adblock plus. the apps official help guide mentions you can block ads on non root over WiFi, but you can also block it over cellular as well.
https://adblockplus.org/en/android-install
alternatively you can use Firefox and install an ad block extension.
if you want ads blocked in non web browsing apps, you'll have to rip out the Google ad sense out of each app individually.
for YouTube there's a hacked version of the YouTube app that plays with screen off, has ads removed, supports full hd, and has downloading built in. it's SOMEWHERE here in xda, but for the life of me I can't find the one that sideloads.
you can change the easier one to find's signature tho so it'll sideload tho

I've made a post in general for non root. A app called AdGuard will block ads on Wi-Fi & Cellular by using a VPN
- followup. I see this was already mentioned in a earlier post!

Which works best with fewer hassles adblock plus or adguard?

What is the best adblocker to use

Sent from my Pixel XL using XDA Free mobile app

If your rooted AdAway is by far the best add blocker out there.

Quickvic30 said:
If your rooted AdAway is by far the best add blocker out there.
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Click to collapse
I second that, love adaway cant live without it :good:

Just disable it if you can't get to an ad-directed website (browser shows an error) and you're good to go....Then re-enable it.
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

I love Ad Guard. The paid version is $10 for a year, but the VPN feature means no in app ads.

coolhandz said:
I love Ad Guard. The paid version is $10 for a year, but the VPN feature means no in app ads.
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Yep. I also use premium Adguard. It does the exact same as AdAway and allows me to stay unrooted.

AdAway is the top reason why I root my phone still.

+1 for AdAway.
Besides AFWall, the only reason for me to root my phone.

When I run adaway I get error can't don't load host
Sent from my Pixel XL using XDA Free mobile app

Adaway, without a doubt.
If you have a problem with Adaway on the Pixel XL make sure you have the latest version and go into settings and check the "System Less" button. Older versions without this option will fail to update. See below.

I originally used AdGuard because it blocked all ads in apps, and I wasn't able to root my s6 Edge+. Now that I'm on pixel I use AdAway, because of root. I'm actually thinking about going back to AdGuard though to block all the in app ads. When I installed AdAway I thought it would block YouTube ads, but on the Pixel XL it doesn't work for me.So I run a modded YouTube version.

Mr Patchy Patch said:
Yep. I also use premium Adguard. It does the exact same as AdAway and allows me to stay unrooted.
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Click to collapse
Yeah AdGuard premium is awesome for removing all ads, works really well. Far better than AdAway as you don't require root, had been the only reason I''ve needed root for a long long time.

But vpn is VPN...And all data can get controlled by adguard right? That's not a cool solution

DominatingSystem said:
But vpn is VPN...And all data can get controlled by adguard right? That's not a cool solution
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Click to collapse
AdGuard isn't using a remote VPN server, it's creating a local VPN server on your device to route traffic through. But yes any VPN can monitor your traffic if they're not acting legitimately. That's where research and analysis come in.
You can discuss concerns with adguard in their forum thread, I find them as trustworthy as any other developer on XDA.
At the end of the day any app you install could potentially be monitoring your traffic, it's all a matter of trust and are you a worthy target.

I like netguard. It's like adguard, but open source.
https://github.com/M66B/NetGuard

Yup adaway is best but sometimes I have to disable it when I'm on slickdeals

Nobody recommended BLOCKADA from XDALabs? It's a really good no-root adblocker.

CyberLykan said:
Nobody recommended BLOCKADA from XDALabs? It's a really good no-root adblocker.
Click to expand...
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Yes, I tried it for a while before I rooted. I was quite impressed.

Ad blocker for stock(no root) ?

Any recommendations which work well to block ads on op5t stock unrooted ROM ?

I use AdGuard and it works quite well. It's VPN based but so far I've had quite good luck with it. Works just as well as AdAway does on rooted phones.

Adguard should be sufficient.

+1 for Adguard best ad blocking app for unrooted devices.

I've been using block this! for a day now. Can't blame it.

Best

If you use the paid version of AdGuard, it blocks ads in web pages and 99% of the ads in applications.

Why without root?

Baldilocks said:
If you use the paid version of AdGuard, it blocks ads in web pages and 99% of the ads in applications.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It only works with the Yandex and Samsung browser though?

jd1001 said:
It only works with the Yandex and Samsung browser though?
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Click to collapse
I use it with Firefox on Android and it works fine. You just need to install a certificate in firefox for https filtering.

jd1001 said:
It only works with the Yandex and Samsung browser though?
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Click to collapse
try downloading the apk file from their website.

Ad guard is good but very expensive

AdGuard has two different apps:
-AdGuard for Android
-AdGuard Content Blocker
The content blocker is the one which works only with browsers. AdGuard for Android works system wide.
I personally use DNS66 because it drains the battery less.

I'm still using "block this" it works and is free.

keyzjh said:
AdGuard has two different apps:
-AdGuard for Android
-AdGuard Content Blocker
The content blocker is the one which works only with browsers. AdGuard for Android works system wide.
I personally use DNS66 because it drains the battery less.
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Click to collapse
DNS never worked for me strangely .. even after starting it, it doesn't block ads for me, any settings you need to change ?
Working for you on the 5t ?

rrohanjs said:
Any recommendations which work well to block ads on op5t stock unrooted ROM ?
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Click to collapse
VPN Hosts with your choice of Steven Black's hosts works well.

Ad guard drains quite a lot of the battery

Rosa Elefant said:
Adguard should be sufficient.
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Click to collapse
will go with this one

I use http://blokada.org/ - it's free and open source. Works fine on my OnePlus 5T.

rrohanjs said:
DNS never worked for me strangely .. even after starting it, it doesn't block ads for me, any settings you need to change ?
Working for you on the 5t ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is working well on my 5T. Ads in Chrome are blocked. Only Youtube ads on the app still comes up.
It works for me out of the box, but you can try adding more filters in the add filter section:
https://filterlists.com/

What will you use/do once AdHell is dead bc of the ELM key debacle

Once Adhell permanently stops working in June, what other apps are similar for adblocking AND disabling apps?

None that I am aware of

daleski75 said:
None that I am aware of
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I was afraid of...

Definitely Blokada Apk .... I've been using for a while .......

Xode said:
Definitely Blokada Apk .... I've been using for a while .......
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Click to collapse
Blokada does NOT have the ability to disable apps...

JoeFCaputo113 said:
Blokada does NOT have the ability to disable apps...
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Click to collapse
Yep, you're right but as an adblocking app i think it's the best and easiest to use...

what else can adhell do as I'm still new to the scene besides ad blocking?
Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk

Disconnect Pro. Got it for free a few years back when it was on sale and it's always been my fall back for ad blocking. It's more for tracker blocking but ads are blocked because of it. It's not nearly as customizable as Adhell3 but it works good enough for me.

Using Blokada add block and ADB app Disable commands...

Can you setup blokada to block ads on instagram, and if yes which one to enable from options
Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk

Doesn't blokada use your vpn service

Yeah most of these non-root ad blocking apps use VPN, most run a local VPN and do not actually connect to a remote server to block out ads.
Samsung disabling ad blocking, locking bootloaders for North American models, Google blocking call recording in Pie, so much for "open ecosystem" of Android. Might as well get an iPhone at this time and enjoy 4 years of timely updates and dual SIM functionality.

I am going to create a bat file to disable all the unwanted apps and when I need to disable apps I will just run it and as I find more apps to disable I will just add it. I will also start using blockoda or DNS66 or DNSfilter.

I've been trying to find a good replacement app to disable packages/ services. That's my biggest concern. Before I got adhell 3 working, I was using Adguard premium, which is a great adblocking app, but uses more juice than Adhell and doesn't have the disable function. But, it does a better job at blocking app/ trackers.
Overall, it's kind of a give and take between the two, but I chose to go with Adhell because with my own testing, I constantly get an hour more SOT, and 2+ more hours of total use just from swapping those 2 apps alone. So, if anyone has any suggestions for a good FREE app, that can disable packages like Adhell, I'm all ears ??

VICosPhi said:
Yeah most of these non-root ad blocking apps use VPN, most run a local VPN and do not actually connect to a remote server to block out ads.
Samsung disabling ad blocking, locking bootloaders for North American models, Google blocking call recording in Pie, so much for "open ecosystem" of Android. Might as well get an iPhone at this time and enjoy 4 years of timely updates and dual SIM functionality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
exactly.
Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk

Not sure if this is what you all are looking for or not but I'm still using https://www.packagedisabler.com to disable items.

pi hole @home.
OpenVPN on cellular data or other wifi as tunnel using pi hole DNS server.
Works great, anywhere, any device. No ads.
Ad Away on rooted devices FTW.
And on those devices, Titanium Backup freeze or remove whatever you want. Gone!

jmahaffey said:
Not sure if this is what you all are looking for or not but I'm still using https://www.packagedisabler.com to disable items.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here. Package disabler is great, love it.
I use package disabler AND blokada, both work really well.

I use AdGuard and I have to say v3 is freaking amazing
No regrets
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S10e using XDA Labs

Using adguard. I got the lifetime license sometime back during a sale. It also uses local proxy if you do not want to use a VPN. Works fantastic, blocking ads in most apps.
I use package disabler to disable whatever stock apps I do not need.
After that I use YouTube Vanced for a pleasant ad free experience.

Question (root) AdAway not blocking ads...??

EDIT: I just checked in chrome and adblocking is working fine. Is there a way to fix this in Samsung browser without? Even with the Adguard extension and antitracking features, it still fails to block 90% of tracking stuff and ads based on a couple AdBlock tests I use. All of it works perfectly in chrome, without even the need for any other software like Adguard. I thought AdAway worked on a systemwide level so apps can't forcefully show ads because the connection is literally blocked...?
It blocks some ads, but fails to block way more. As soon as I use the Adguard extension for Samsung browser (I use Samsung browser, prefer it over chrome for a ton of reasons) then all the ads get blocked (but almost no tracking stuff, despite Samsung browser supposedly having antitracking built in).
I've tried adding a few of my favorite lists to AdAway from ublock origin and blokada, and again, they do block a few things but nowhere remotely near what they should be. Something is fundamentally not working.
What is going on? AdAway has generally worked for mw on other phones.

I'm unrooted and did use ad block fast and that let some ads through especially on xda then I used abp and that blocks everything even add on xda I'm using the Samsung browser as well

liggerz87 said:
I'm unrooted and did use ad block fast and that let some ads through especially on xda then I used abp and that blocks everything even add on xda I'm using the Samsung browser as well
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I realize there are VPN options and Samsung browser extensions, but I'm referring to AdAway, the root ad blocking solution, which is superior to all of those for a number of reasons.

True I knew you ment root version but thought I'd comment sorry it not much help

I have used adguard for years, it has givin me the best results above every other ad solution. Yes you pay for it, but for 30 clams it gets you 9 devices and it's lifetime....I purchased 3 plans and gave codes to family members and friends. A few of them said it changed their lives
AdGuard Family Plan: Lifetime Subscription | StackSocial
Get Rid of Annoying Ads & Protect Your Device from Malware with This Advanced Ad Blocking App
stacksocial.com

Gytole said:
I have used adguard for years, it has givin me the best results above every other ad solution. Yes you pay for it, but for 30 clams it gets you 9 devices and it's lifetime....I purchased 3 plans and gave codes to family members and friends. A few of them said it changed their lives
AdGuard Family Plan: Lifetime Subscription | StackSocial
Get Rid of Annoying Ads & Protect Your Device from Malware with This Advanced Ad Blocking App
stacksocial.com
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Click to collapse
Can we stay on topic? For the third time, my question is about a rooted device using the root-based as blocker called adaway.

finshan said:
Can we stay on topic? For the third time, my question is about a rooted device using the root-based as blocker called adaway.
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Click to collapse
You got it. Adaway uses an antiquated system as NEW ad's utilize some new crazy backends/whatnot that Adguard updates daily. Forgive me for trying to put my two cents in.
But it seems like your expectations are too high and you're disappointing yourself. To say it worked fine for Other phones, which I am not denying it didn't as I used to use adaway back in the day too, doesn't mean that it SHOULD work on newer phones. it has just become too much of a hassle to be consistent IMO.
BUT. I am out. Goodluck!

Gytole said:
You got it. Adaway uses an antiquated system as NEW ad's utilize some new crazy backends/whatnot that Adguard updates daily. Forgive me for trying to put my two cents in.
But it seems like your expectations are too high and you're disappointing yourself. To say it worked fine for Other phones, which I am not denying it didn't as I used to use adaway back in the day too, doesn't mean that it SHOULD work on newer phones. it has just become too much of a hassle to be consistent IMO.
BUT. I am out. Goodluck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not the issue. There is not a better adblocker than root-based adblockers, and there is not a better root-based adblocker than AdAway.
It works fine in chrome, and in Samsung browser beta, and in all apps system-wide with none of the issues of non-root VPN-based adblockers.
My issue is how to fix it not working on Samsung browser.
I should have been more clear about that in the OP. There is nothing broken in AdAway—the issue is in Samsung browser specifically (and only the stable channel build, as this issue isn't even present on th beta builds), and so I'm seeking info and solutions regarding this.

Just use NextDNS at router level instead of fiddling with this garbage.

And never use my mobile phone with cellular data or outside of my home? Speaking of garbage....

finshan said:
And never use my mobile phone with cellular data or outside of my home? Speaking of garbage....
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There's no perfect solution.
NextDNS at home. Works great. As for mobile data, you could always switch to another browser, preferably Brave Browser.

jericho246 said:
There's no perfect solution.
NextDNS at home. Works great. As for mobile data, you could always switch to another browser, preferably Brave Browser.
Click to expand...
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Stop derailing the thread. I'm not asking about alternatives.
This is a thread seeking info about Samsung browser bypassing adblocking from AdAway.

finshan said:
Stop derailing the thread. I'm not asking about alternatives.
This is a thread seeking info about Samsung browser bypassing adblocking from AdAway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
More appropriately, you should be asking AdAway related questions in the correct thread for AdAway.
[APP][ROOT/NONROOT][OFFICIAL] AdAway v6.1.0
AdAway AdAway is an open source ad blocker for Android using the hosts file. Google Play Store notice According the Google Play Developer Policy, especially the "Device and Network Abuse" section, ad blocker like AdAway violates the "Apps that...
forum.xda-developers.com

finshan said:
And never use my mobile phone with cellular data or outside of my home? Speaking of garbage....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually NextDNS works *everywhere* if implemented correctly.
Adblocking in AdAway, Adfree, et-al is easily bypassed especially in apps.
The irony in (garbage) is the Samsung browser... ;-)

cpufrost said:
Actually NextDNS works *everywhere* if implemented correctly.
Adblocking in AdAway, Adfree, et-al is easily bypassed especially in apps.
The irony in (garbage) is the Samsung browser... ;-)
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Click to collapse
You said it before I did.

I'm not sure what could be causing such a problem aside from the Samsung Browser ignoring the normal hosts file location, thus leading to the ads not being rerouted/blocked.
Only other thing that I can think of that might cause this issue is not having the systemless hosts module installed in Magisk, however, AdAway wouldn't work on Chrome either if this was the case...

The samsung browser might have a data saver or dns over https setting (or maybe a load pages faster type option) . If so those features bypass hosts file. Really this is better served in the adaway thread suggested to you earlier, your issue is not device specific (adaway works fine on my p6p and firefox browser) . I say post there (or even better on samsung browser's forum if such exists).

Gytole said:
I have used adguard for years, it has givin me the best results above every other ad solution. Yes you pay for it, but for 30 clams it gets you 9 devices and it's lifetime....I purchased 3 plans and gave codes to family members and friends. A few of them said it changed their lives
AdGuard Family Plan: Lifetime Subscription | StackSocial
Get Rid of Annoying Ads & Protect Your Device from Malware with This Advanced Ad Blocking App
stacksocial.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I concur, AdGuard is by far the best ads & trackers blocker these days, so yes, off topic , I would suggest giving it a try.

nacos said:
I concur, AdGuard is by far the best ads & trackers blocker these days, so yes, off topic , I would suggest giving it a try.
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That person doesn't want help

Install the certificate....it helps a lot, also yeah ..add a **** ton more lists. How many do you have blocked?
I'm at 72k+ blocked on my list and I still have some that get through