Technology

How to block ads on Android: Stop pop-up ads on your phone

Published

1 month ago

May 27, 2024

Samsung Galaxy A55 5G front angle web page

We all know that ads can be annoying, but you don’t have to put up with them if you don’t want to. Here’s how to block ads on Android.

Most people know how easy it is to install an ad blocker for your desktop or laptop, but not so many know that you can also block ads on your Android phone or tablet.

In fact, it’s often even easier, because ad blocking is built right into some mobile web browsers, so you don’t need to install anything extra.

Here’s a guide on how to stop pop-up ads on Android, including specific steps for Samsung Galaxy phone users. Keep in mind that ads are a source of revenue for websites like Tech Advisor, so you can continue to provide free content.

How to stop pop-up ads on Android

Pop-up ads can be particularly annoying as they often appear out of nowhere and block your view. Here are some effective ways to stop them from bothering you on your Android device:

Use Google Chrome’s built-in feature

Google’s Chrome is the default web browser on many Android phones, so this is how most Android users browse the web. The good news is that you don’t have to leave Chrome to block ads. Chrome even has built-in tools to block some, but not all, ads.

To activate them:

Open Chrome, tap the three dots at the top right, then click Settings.
From there, scroll down to “Site Settings,” then look for “Pop-ups & Redirects.”
Tap it and then check to see if the slider is gray and if the text says “blocking pop-ups and ads” to prevent sites from showing pop-ups and redirects (recommended).”

The pop-up blocker blocks almost all pop-up ads when you browse the web, while the ad setting blocks all ads on specific sites. This means that sites with reliable ads will not be affected, but you will remove the worst of the worst.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Use a different browser

If you’d like to ditch Chrome, you may be able to block even more ads while browsing the web by using a different browser.

First, several Android web browsers have built-in ad blocking. For example, you can download the popular Opera browser for free from Google Play. They all have more aggressive ad blocking options than Chrome, although you’ll have to give up syncing your browsing history with Chrome on the desktop.

The Samsung Internet browser is also worth considering: it does not block ads by default, but allows you to install adblock extensions, just like a desktop browser.

Use a special browser for blocking ads

You may also consider using a browser specifically designed to block ads.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Popular options include Brave Browser, Adblock Browser, Vivaldi, DuckDuckGo Private Browser, Kiwi Browser, or Firefox with uBlock Origin extension.

These browsers offer robust ad blocking features to keep intrusive ads at bay.

Use a third-party ad blocking app

All of the above solutions target your web browser, but it is possible to block ads elsewhere in Android. However, Google doesn’t allow system-wide ad blockers, so you won’t find one in the Play Store.

However, that doesn’t mean you can’t trust them. AdGuard and AdLock both come from reputable cybersecurity companies, so you can trust them even if they aren’t from the Play Store.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

To install them, though, you’ll need to follow our tips on sideloading Android apps and decide if you’re really willing to pay a subscription to get rid of apps once the free trials end.

Use a VPN app

Alternatively, you can download one of our recommended VPN services, as some also offer ad blocking. Here you will find a guide to using a VPN.

Adjust the Google settings

Finally, Google offers options to manage personalized ads through your Google account settings.

You can opt out of personalized ads or reset your advertising ID to limit ad tracking. Go to “Settings” > “Google” > “Ads” to access these settings.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

How to stop pop-up ads on Samsung phone

Samsung’s Galaxy phones run the Android operating system. However, the One UI skin allows them to have slightly different settings and options compared to other Android devices.

Here’s how Samsung users can specifically tackle pop-up ads:

Use the Samsung Internet browser

Samsung devices come pre-installed with the Samsung Internet browser. As mentioned, it doesn’t block ads by default, but you can install ad block extensions just like a desktop browser.

This browser also offers a built-in feature that you can activate in the settings:

Open the Samsung Internet app and tap the three-dot menu icon.
Select ‘Settings’ and go to ‘Sites & Downloads’.
Enable the ‘Block pop-ups’ option.

Similar to Google Chrome, Samsung’s Internet browser pop-up blocker stops most pop-up ads while browsing the web.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Install ad blocking extensions

The Samsung Internet Browser also supports ad blocking extensions such as AdBlock Plus and AdGuard.

Install one of these from the Galaxy Store, open Samsung Internet, tap the three-dot menu icon, go to ‘Extensions’ and enable the ad blocking feature.

Use Samsung Knox

Samsung Knox is a security feature available on many Samsung devices. It includes a feature called Secure Folder, which allows you to run apps in a secure environment.

You can install an ad blocking app in Secure Folder to specifically block ads in certain apps or browsers.

Why block ads?

Blocking ads is about more than just avoiding annoyance.

Ads are downloaded by your phone when you browse the web, so every time you see one it will slow down your browsing experience slightly and possibly increase your data bill. If you notice that your phone is slowing down significantly, your phone’s memory may be full.

If you’ve already done everything you can to free up space on your Android, there’s no need to factory reset your phone as a last resort. Learning how to clear the cache on Android can free up space and possibly improve performance.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

However, there are also a few caveats.

First of all, remember that as annoying as ads are, most sites on the Internet need them to survive – including Tech Advisor. So we would actually prefer if you didn’t block ads, but we also understand why you want that.

Second, the free solutions all focus on blocking ads while you browse the web, and not on the rest of your device. Many apps include ads to cover costs, and while we’ve added a way to block them, the solutions aren’t free.

If you’re tired of ads in a specific app you use a lot, consider signing up for their premium or ad-free plan if they have one, as it might work out cheaper. YouTube Premium is the obvious choice and if you’re still in school you can get a student discount.

Chris Merriman / Foundry

Finally, if you see ads outside of apps on your phone, or the same suspicious ads appear over and over again, there’s a risk you have a virus. Then you might want to download one of the best antivirus apps for Android and learn how to scan for viruses on Android.

I probably don’t need to talk about whether it’s worth having an antivirus on Android, but you might want to know if you need one on your iPhone.