5 Best Android Ad Blockers in 2022 (UPDATED)

There used to be a time when ad blockers were freely available in the Google Play Store, but that time is now long gone as Google has cracked down pretty hard on them. So it’s now virtually impossible to find Android ad blockers for any browser, let alone an ad blocker that works across the Android platform. Even if you do find one or two ad blockers, chances are they’ll quickly be taken down as well. Now Google has a reason for being this way.

Google makes most of its revenue through ads, and even their Android ecosystem is sustained by ads because it’s essentially free for manufacturers to use. YouTube, Gmail, the Google Play Store, even most of the apps you download, are essentially made possible thanks to ads. Blocking the main stream of revenue on their own platform is counter-intuitive, so it’s quite understandable why Google wants no ad blockers on their official platform.

However, as Android is a platform of possibilities, you can potentially get one of the best Android ad blockers from third-party app stores. A fair warning though, downloading apps from third-party sources can be a little bit risky, so if you are adamant about not seeing any kind of ads and are willing to take a small phrase, this article is for you.

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Best Ad Blockers for Android

I tested some of the best Android ad blockers out there but these 5 ad blockers are the best of the lot.

While some of the ads are easily blocked by the apps, some still make through for some reason. Overall, we recommend that you try out different apps and choose the one that works best for you. A fair warning though, none of the apps are perfect at blocking ads and may or may become obsolete once Google gets the wind of them.

If your problem is pop-up ads, we recommend you see our guide on How to Stop Pop-Up Ads on an Android Phone.

1. AdGuard – Free

This app is definitely one of the best ad blocker available on the market right now. It requires no root and it can help you maintain and protect your privacy, while also managing your apps on your Android device. It can also shield you from any tracking or phishing attempts, while also helping you load pages faster and save bandwidth.

This app has no special requirements, therefore it works flawlessly on most Android devices.

2. AdAway – Free

This is an open-source ad blocker that uses the hosts file. It gives you the possibility of adding your own sources of host files and even whitelist sites and adding exceptions if you want to see ads from a certain website. However, this one is no longer available on Google Play, so you will have to download it from their website.

Requirements:

• Root
• Android 2.1 or above
• R/W access on your system

3. AdBlock Plus For Samsung Internet – Free

As the name suggests, this is only a plugin for Samsung Internet. It can help you block the ads, while also giving you total control – if you want to see some ads, but not all of them. It also shields you from attacks and malware coming from the sites you’re browsing. However, if you are looking for a browser, we suggest you check out our article “How to Stop Pop-Up Ads on an Android Phone“.

Requirements:

• Samsung Internet
• Internet Connection
• Android 5.0 and up

You can download it by clicking the button below or by scanning this QR code:

4. Block This! – Free

This is another open-source app that can help you get rid of pesky ads. It is DNS and VPN-based, so it protects your privacy as well. Additionally, it doesn’t only block ads from the websites you visit, but also from the apps you use on your Android device.

The app has no special requirements so it will work on most Android devices. It is no longer in the Play Store, but you can download it from their website or the QR code below.

5. ExpressVPN: Fast & Private VPN

This is a premium app that will give the user complete control over their privacy. And mind you, this is one of the best Android ad blockers out there! Users can enjoy safe, unrestricted access to the world of amazing content and apps with greater speed and unlimited bandwidth.

The app is one of the leading in the industry. You can be assured that when you surf the web, your data is protected and your online activity will remain private!

Requirements:

• Android 8 and higher

Suggested reads:

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• Facebook wants to access WhatsApp encrypted messages for targeted ads, WhatsApp refuses

FAQs

Ad Blocker for Android – Enjoy the Free Internet

These are a few good Android Ad blockers that will surely work well for your devices. Of course, there is always a chance of Google making the moves to shut them down with future Android updates but these apps have survived 8 versions of it. We’ll try to update this list often to make sure it stays up to date, but please feel free to let us know in the comments if any of these apps are no longer available, or if you have another favorite Android ad blocker!

If you have any questions about the ad blockers or how to use them, feel free to comment below!