How to Block Ads on Android

Block Ads on Android

Apps have soared in popularity and stats reveal that 3.8 trillion hours were spent using mobile apps during 2021. The surge in app usage has led to an increase in mobile ads and most Android apps rely on ads to generate sustainable revenue. 

What is the problem with Android ads? 

Many users find Android ads annoying and distracting. Intrusive ads can pop up regularly and spoil the experience on Android phones and tablets. 

Ads can also contain trackers which analyze your browsing behavior and collect your personal data without your knowledge. This data can then be sold to third-party companies for a profit.  Internet users are becoming more concerned about their digital privacy and a recent survey found that 73% of people are worried about being tracked online.

Suggested reading: If you want to find out more about online tracking, check out - What is web tracking & how can I browse safely?

How to block ads on your Android phone?

Concerns about digital privacy are one of the reasons why people are switching to iOS. Fortunately, there are steps Android users can take to block ads on Android and improve their browsing experience.

Adjusting your privacy settings on an Android phone can significantly enhance your online security and reduce unwanted tracking. This includes how to block ads on Google search.

Here are the best ways to block ads on Android.

How To Block Ads On Chrome Android

Google Chrome for Android includes a built-in filter that blocks certain intrusive ads and pop-ups that violate the Better Ads Standards. However, it is not a full Android ad blocker and won't remove most display ads, video ads, or trackers. If you want comprehensive ad blocking while browsing, you'll need a dedicated solution such as Ghostery running in Firefox for Android.

Follow the steps below to enable the Chrome ad blocker:

• Step 1: Open Google Chrome on your Android device. 
• Step 2: Click the three-dot menu in the top right corner and open Settings.
• Step 3: Go to Site settings.
• Step 4: Scroll down to the Content section. If it isn't enabled automatically, then tap on the Pop-ups and redirects to ensure blocking is enabled.
• Step 5: Go back to the Site settings page and select Intrusive ads.
• Step 6: Tap on the Intrusive ads toggle if it isn't enabled already.

TIP: You should also disable notifications from unknown websites in Chrome and check the list regularly to keep it up to date.

Block ads on your home screen

Some ads may appear as banners on the home screen of your phone or tablet. You can remove ads from your home screen by following the steps below.

• Step 1: Identify the name of any apps that are displaying ads on your home screen
• Step 2: Tap the app icon and open the app info menu.
• Step 3: Click on ‘Display over other apps’
• Step 4: Turn off the ‘Allow display over other apps’ toggle switch 

Block ads on YouTube app

You can block video ads on Android by using Firefox for sites like Facebook and YouTube, and downloading the Ghostery Tracker and Ad Blocker. Ghostery’s Ad Block extension has been proven to remove 99% of ads on the YouTube platform. This includes blocking video ads on Android. 

TIP: To block ads on your phone, use Firefox. Firefox is the only browser allowing extensions in the Android ecosystem, while the Ghostery Tracker and Ad Blocker is one of the very few extensions allowed on Android and available for Firefox.

Keep Firefox and the Ghostery extension up to date to maintain compatibility with the latest Android versions and benefit from improvements that protect against new advertising and tracking techniques.

Suggested reading: If you want to find out how to block YouTube ads using Ghostery, check out - Does Ghostery block ads on YouTube?

Block ads while browsing

An Android browser will have some ad-blocking capabilities, but they are not perfect. Besides removing intrusive ads, a dedicated Android ad blocker can make websites load faster by preventing advertising scripts from downloading. Blocking ads and trackers also reduces mobile data usage and can help lower battery consumption during everyday browsing. To block ads on Android, download an ad-blocking extension like Ghostery Tracker & Ad Blocker (available for Firefox) if you want to improve your digital privacy and protect your data on Android devices.

Ghostery blocks ads while you browse the web in Firefox on Android. It does not block ads inside other Android apps, as those apps use their own advertising systems outside the browser.

While browsing in Firefox on Android, Ghostery ad blocker for Android blocks intrusive pop-ups and other web ads to create a cleaner browsing experience on both Android phones and tablets. It's also considered one of the best ad blockers for Android thanks to its combination of ad blocking and privacy protection.

TIP: You can follow the same steps above to block ads on your Android tablet.

What is the best free ad blocker for Android? 

Ghostery is rated as one of the best free ad blockers for Android phones and tablets. In summary, Ghostery: 

• Blocks ads and pop-ups on websites and non-private search engines
• Blocks trackers on websites and non-private search engines
• Prevents private data from leaving your browser
• Prevents profiling

Please note: Google does not support an ad blocker for Android Google Chrome and Ghostery’s Tracker & Ad Blocker is currently available for Firefox on Android.

What is the best free pop-up blocker for Android? 

Ghostery not only blocks ads on Android, but also prevents tracking techniques and removes intrusive pop-ups including cookie consent pop-ups. 

Our latest feature Never Consent is a next-generation cookie blocker that automatically opts out from all cookie pop-ups and tracking. It also sends an important message to website owners telling them that you don’t want to be tracked online. 

Eliminate ads on your Android phone with Ghostery

For the best browsing experience, use a dedicated Android ad blocker instead of relying solely on Chrome's limited built-in ad filtering. Ghostery helps block ads, pop-ups, trackers, and cookie banners, giving you a faster, cleaner, and more private web experience while browsing on Android.

Download Ghostery for Firefox on Android to experience powerful ad blocking and privacy protection. If you have any questions, we're always happy to help.