This post used to recommend a now-defunct Android app called “Ad Block” that turned your phone into its own proxy server. The app is gone, the Play Store link is dead, and the proxy-based approach has been superseded several times over. Mobile ad blocking is genuinely easier now than it was a decade ago — here’s what actually works today.
The four approaches, and which one fits you
Every working option boils down to one of these four:
- A browser that blocks ads natively. Easiest. Install the browser, you’re done.
- A regular browser plus a content-blocker extension. Familiar if you do this on desktop.
- A DNS-based blocker that works system-wide — every app, not just browsers.
- Network-level blocking (Pi-hole on your home router). Best in your living room, irrelevant on cellular.
Most people end up with a combination — a content-blocking browser for everyday use, plus a DNS blocker for everything else.
On Android
Browsers with built-in blocking. The simplest path:
- Brave — Chromium-based, blocks ads and trackers by default, no setup. The most “it just works” option for someone who’s never thought about this before.
- Vivaldi — also Chromium-based, blocking is on by default with a more granular control panel.
- Cromite (formerly Bromite) — a privacy-hardened Chromium fork with built-in adblocking. Niche, but well-regarded by people who care about this stuff.
- Mull — a Firefox-based browser with privacy patches and uBlock Origin pre-configured. F-Droid only, not Play Store.
Firefox for Android with extensions. Firefox is the only major mobile browser on Android that supports a real desktop-style extension system, and that’s a big deal. You can install:
- uBlock Origin — the gold-standard content blocker. Free, open-source, no “acceptable ads” program. This is the one I’d recommend.
- AdBlock Plus — works fine but ships with an “acceptable ads” allowlist enabled by default; you can disable it in settings if you want. The original AdBlock that this post used to recommend by name.
- Ghostery — focused more on tracker blocking than ad blocking, with a nicer UI for seeing what each page is trying to load.
Open Firefox for Android, tap the menu, choose “Add-ons,” and install the one you want.
System-wide DNS blocking. The trick that works for every app on your phone — not just browsers — is to point your DNS at a service that returns NXDOMAIN for known ad/tracker hosts. No root required, no proxy, no app permissions to worry about:
- NextDNS — a configurable DNS service with a generous free tier. You enable it once via Android’s Private DNS setting (Settings → Network & internet → Private DNS) and pick which blocklists to apply.
- AdGuard DNS — similar idea, also free for personal use.
- AdGuard for Android (the standalone app, not the DNS service) does this plus content filtering. Note: not in Play Store because Google’s policies forbid system-wide ad blockers; install via the AdGuard website.
DNS-based blocking is the closest spiritual successor to the proxy trick from this post’s original incarnation — same idea (intercept network requests before they fetch ads), better implementation (kernel-level, supports HTTPS, no app to babysit).
On iOS
iOS is more constrained, because Apple’s WebKit policy means every browser on iOS is just a Safari skin with branding. Firefox on iOS doesn’t run Gecko; Chrome doesn’t run Blink. Real desktop-style extensions don’t exist there. So the techniques are different:
- Safari content blockers. Apple has a first-party API for this. Install 1Blocker, AdGuard for Safari, or Wipr from the App Store, then enable it in Settings → Safari → Extensions. These work in Safari only.
- Brave on iOS — still WebKit under the hood, but Brave’s built-in shields work because they’re applied via Apple’s content-blocker API, same plumbing as the standalone blockers.
- System-wide DNS blocking works exactly like on Android: Settings → General → VPN & Device Management → DNS, or install the NextDNS/AdGuard configuration profile. Same NXDOMAIN trick, blocks across all apps.
Firefox for iOS does not support uBlock Origin or any other extension in the desktop sense. If you came here looking for that specifically, the answer is “not possible on iOS — use a Safari content blocker plus a DNS blocker.”
What I’d actually do
If I were setting up a phone from scratch and wanted no ads with minimum fuss:
- Android: Install Brave for casual browsing, Firefox + uBlock Origin for anything where you want fine control, and configure NextDNS or AdGuard DNS as Private DNS for system-wide coverage of in-app ads.
- iOS: Install AdGuard for Safari (or Wipr if you want something simpler), and add the NextDNS configuration profile.
The setup is reversible and free, and you’ll save a meaningful chunk of mobile data along the way. 🎉
Two notes worth knowing. Some sites detect ad blockers and refuse to load — that’s between you and the publisher, but most blockers have a one-tap “disable on this site” button for the rare cases where you decide it’s worth it. And remember that if you’re paying for a service (a subscription, a one-time purchase), you’re often the customer and not the product; the case for blocking ads on those sites is weaker, and many will let you disable ads in settings if you ask.