How to Block Advertisements System-Wide on Android (With or Without Root Access)

One of the coolest things about Android is that you can block advertisements system-wide. In fact, you can block ads even without root access.

Tired of annoying and intrusive ads while browsing the web or using a mobile app? Blocking ads system-wide might be a good idea. Best of all, it’s easier than you think.

Step 1) Download an open source app called DNS66, which isn’t available on the Google Play Store. You’ll need to download the APK file of the app and install it manually on your device. If you’ve never installed an APK, then you’ll need to go to Settings > Security > Unknown sources and enable installs from unknown sources. Once the download is complete, tap the file to install it on your phone.

Step 2) Open the app. You’ll see a start screen. From here, you can either enable or disable the “Resume on system start-up” button. This will ensure the app starts blocking ads immediately after you boot your device.

Step 3) Switch to the hosts tab, then enable the “Filter Hosts” option.

Step 4) Click on the Refresh button at the top to update your hosts file. You’ll choose a hosts file that contains a list of popular ad servers. These ad servers are responsible for hosting most of the ads you see across the internet. Hosts files come from different sources. The most popular one to use is Adaway, which has a comprehensive list of most popular ad servers. Tap that, and let the list download and update.

Step 5) Head back to the start tab and select the start button at the bottom. You’ll be asked to provide permission to setup a VPN connection on your device. Click OK to initiate that connection. A key-shaped icon will now appear on your status bar. The VPN connection is active, and all traffic is filtered by the service before it reaches your device.

Step 6) You can choose to enable or disable certain apps. So if you want to support a certain developer that offers non-intrusive apps, then DNS66 lets you do that. Enabling or disabling apps is as easily as toggling the sliders on or off.

That’s it! Your phone is now blocking ads across the system. Whether the ad network tries to deliver ads to your browser, your games, or your app, you won’t see it.

Ultimately, there are dozens of ad blockers available from the Google Play Store. Most of these ad blockers work okay. They work in a similar way to block ads. However, DNS66 uses a different approach by using DNS level filtering to filter ad traffic. That means it only filters ad traffic for a specific length of time after your device is connected to the internet. While conventional ad blockers may drain battery life, DNS66 does not.