While it is relatively easy to install ad-blockers on desktop devices, the same cannot be said for mobile devices.
On desktop, all you have to do is install an extension in your preferred browser and you are all set; at least when it comes to ads on websites. You could also pick a browser with a built-in ad-blocker, which make things even easier.
Most browsers on mobile do not support extensions. They could, and some do, but the majority does not. Some browsers come with built-in content blockers, Brave does for instance. Firefox supports extensions, including uBlock Origin on mobile.
Related content:
But what if you want to block ads in mobile ads? Browsers or extensions don’t help you in that case.
DNS-based solutions come to the rescue
One of the options that you have is to change the DNS provider on the mobile device. Some come with ad-blocking by default, and that takes care of most ads on the device, including in apps.
Here is a short list of providers that support this:
Let’s pick Mullvad from the list for this guide. The content blocking DNS server is adblock.dns.mullvad.net. You can also use other DNS servers, which block additional types of content that you may want to block.
Here is the overview:
- adblock.dns.mullvad.net (Ads, Trackers)
- base.dns.mullvad.net (Ads, Trackers, Malware)
- extended.dns.mullvad.net (Ads, Trackers, Malware, Social Media)
- family.dns.mullvad.net (Ads, Trackers, Malware, Adult, Gambling)
- all.dns.mullvad.net (Ads, Tracking, Malware, Adult, Gambling, Social Media)
Do the following to set one of these up on your Android device:
- Open the Settings on the Android device.
- Switch to Connections > More connection settings.
- Activate Private DNS on the page that opens.
- Select “Private DNS provider hostname”.
- Type the DNS server name, e.g., adblock.dns.mullvad.net.
- Tap on the Save button.
You may need to close open apps before the changes take effect in them. Ads should be reduced or even completely eliminated now in apps that you use.
Note that some options, like the ability to “get something” in games by watching an ad, won’t work anymore once you make the change. Regular ads in games, shown while you play the game, should be gone though.
You can undo the change at any time by switching back to Automatic or by changing the provider hostname to another one.
Do you use custom DNS solutions on your devices? Feel free to leave a comment down below.
I use AdGuard for Android, and it’s pretty damn awesome. Essential, I’d say.
@Martin
I see nothing like that in my android settings. I take your article is aimed at those that buy a new phone everytime a new model comes out? As Android changes the settings layout with every version It’s very helpful to state which version a story is about.
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I don’t use any system wide adblocking tools on my MotoG6/Android 9 and I never see ads. If someone is seeing ads on thier phone, perhaps they should remove the apps that are displaying them.
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But, I am aware of how prepaid phones work. We buy them for the kids and pull the sim cards out before first turning them on. They make great, cheap, toys for playing games on. We use them on wifi only with a disposable google account and install an app locker to keep the kids from accidentaly opening any of the ‘undesirable’ apps we can’t disable.
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But once you install that sim card they turn into fulltime advertising devices often with full screen ads popping up that you are forced to interact with. It may be useful if you would aquire that type of phone, “Tracfone” is what we use, and see how these adblockers work on them.
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People who use them as phones do so usually because that’s all they can afford and they would benefit the most from such information. We know someone that uses one of the “free gov phones” and it’s the same way, an advertisment system that happens to allow phone calls and texting.
The problem is that manufacturers may change the structure of Settings and even remove some. I think that the Private DNS feature was introduced in Android 9, which should cover your device. You may use the search in the Settings to check if the option is located elsewhere.
I couldn’t find it initially either on Android 13, but by typing “DNS” in the search field, the correct setting which was set to “Automatic” is revealed. The rest was a piece of cake and I set it to the same Mullvad option as the one in your screenshot Martin.
Great! Let me know about your experience with it in a while.
Very interesting.
After reading TelV’s reply I also searched settings for DNS. I followed it and now I find “Private DNS” below VPN. It did not show there when I looked yesterday.
AdGuard, Brave Browser with shields on, NewPipe and few other free/open source apps. I also disabled all Google apps, including Play Store and its underlying framework.
After finding the DNS field on my phone, I did a little research. We use cloudflare on our PC’s. They provide additional family options to block malware and adult sites. I know this article is about ad blocking but it is a good security option, especially for your kids devices.
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I updated my own DNS list to include the addresses to use on Android.
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Cloudflare DNS without Filtering
Android: one.one.one.one
Primary DNS: 1.1.1.1
Secondary DNS: 1.0.0.1
IPv6: 2606:4700:4700::1111
IPv6: 2606:4700:4700::1001
Malware Blocking Only
Android: security.cloudflare-dns.com
Primary DNS: 1.1.1.2
Secondary DNS: 1.0.0.2
IPv6: 2606:4700:4700::1112
IPv6: 2606:4700:4700::1002
Malware and Adult Content
Android: family.cloudflare-dns.com
Primary DNS: 1.1.1.3
Secondary DNS: 1.0.0.3
IPv6: 2606:4700:4700::1113
IPv6: 2606:4700:4700::1003
I’m using Mullvad DNS on cell phone & desktop. Getting faster browsing and more protection. Great tip Martin!