Advertisements are everywhere – in every website you visit and in every installed application. But can you get rid of them? That is where ad blockers come in. Let’s take a look at the top 5 ad blocker apps that are currently available for Android.
Five Best Android Ad Blocker Apps
AdAway
AdAway is one of the best ad blocker apps for Android at the moment. It is an open source free application and works system-wide, however, it requires root permission to work. It works using a hosts file, which can even be customized as per the user’s requirements. Any rooted device with Android 2.1+ can run the app.
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Blocking system-wide ads is against Google’s policy, hence you need to download the APK file separately and install it.
NetGuard
NetGuard works using VPN, hence it doesn’t require root. You can even deny certain applications from accessing the internet if you want. One disadvantage is that since it uses a VPN service, and Android doesn’t allow multiple VPN services to run simultaneously, you can’t use any other VPN service while running NetGuard. It also requires Android 5.1 or above. You can download it from the Play Store.
AdGuard
AdGuard doesn’t require root access to work. It too provides system wide ad blocking, and on top of that, it features an app manager and other filtering options, which are unavailable in other ad blocker apps. However, the app is not free. There is a 14 day trial period but after that, you need to purchase a license. Similar to AdAway, you need to download and install the APK file separately.
Block This
Block This is another free and open source Android ad blocker apps. It blocks ads in a unique way – using DNS blocking. It is an extremely efficient method which not only blocks ads but also reduces data consumption. It also leaves a minimal footprint, hence it consumes much less battery power compared to other ad blockers. It also has been removed from the Play Store, so you need to download and install it separately from their website.
uBlock (for Firefox)
Last but not the least, we have uBlock. It’s a bit different from the others on the list since it is specific to the Firefox web browser. Firefox, similar to its Desktop version, allows you to use its extensions in the Android app. This means, you can use uBlock to block any ads while browsing in Firefox. uBlock is definitely one of the best browser ad blocker apps out there, with minimal CPU usage making it ideal for smartphones and tablets. You can install it from the add-ons menu in your Firefox browser.
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If you only require a ad blocker apps in your browser, then the clear winner is uBlock. Some people only trust applications downloaded from the Play Store only; in that case, you can use NetGuard. AdAway works great for rooted phones, while Block This is excellent if you don’t have root. If you require other features like app management, filtering etc. you can purchase a license for AdGuard and see if it satisfies your requirements.
