The three ways to block ads on Android, and what each one costs you
You can block ads on Android in three ways: use a browser with built-in ad blocking, install an ad-blocking app that filters traffic across all your apps, or use a DNS-level blocker that works system-wide. Each approach trades off between how much it blocks, how much battery it uses, and how much it slows your phone down. None of them is perfect, and none of them is free — you pay either in money, in battery life, in speed, or in the data you hand over to make it work.
The easiest route for most people is a browser with built-in ad blocking, because it requires no setup beyond choosing which browser to use. The most thorough route is a DNS blocker, because it catches ads in apps as well as in the browser. The middle ground is an app-level blocker, which works across your whole phone but requires more resources and more trust.
Key Takeaways
- Browsers like Firefox and Brave have built-in ad blocking and block ads only in the browser, not in other apps.
- App-level blockers like AdGuard and Blokada filter ads across your entire phone but drain battery faster and may slow your device.
- DNS blockers like Nextdns and Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 for Families work system-wide but require you to change your network settings and trust the DNS provider with your browsing history.
- Free ad blockers often make money by selling data about your browsing, so paid options or open-source blockers are worth considering if privacy matters to you.
- Ad blockers can break some websites and apps, so you may need to whitelist certain sites or turn blocking off temporarily.
Browser-based ad blocking: the simplest option
Firefox and Brave both block ads by default in Android. Firefox lets you toggle ad blocking on and off in Settings under Privacy, and Brave blocks ads automatically without a toggle — you just use it. Both are free. Neither requires you to install anything else or change your phone's settings.
The trade-off is that browser-based blocking only works inside the browser. Ads in apps, in email, and in other places on your phone will still appear. If you spend most of your time in a browser and rarely use apps, this is the easiest choice. If you use apps heavily — social media, games, news apps — you will see ads there regardless.
Browser-based blockers are also the fastest option, because they do not need to monitor all your phone's traffic. They use almost no extra battery and do not slow down your device noticeably.
App-level blockers: blocking ads across your whole phone
AdGuard and Blokada are the two most common app-level blockers for Android. Both work by creating a local VPN connection on your phone — they do not actually connect to a VPN server, but they use the VPN system to intercept and filter traffic before it reaches your apps. This means they can block ads in apps, in browsers, in email, and almost everywhere else on your phone.
AdGuard has a free version with basic blocking and a paid version (around $2 to $3 per month) with more features. Blokada is open-source and free. Both require you to install the app and grant it permission to create a local VPN connection. On Android 10 and later, you will see a persistent notification that a VPN is active — this is normal and does not mean your traffic is going through an external server.
The cost of app-level blocking is battery life and speed. Because the blocker has to examine every packet of data your phone sends and receives, it uses more power than browser-based blocking. On some phones, you may notice your battery drains 10 to 20 percent faster. Some websites and apps may also load more slowly, or may break entirely if the blocker accidentally filters something it should not have.
If you use AdGuard or Blokada, you are also trusting that app with visibility into your network traffic. Even if the app does not log it, it sees it. AdGuard is a commercial company; Blokada is open-source, which means the code is public and anyone can audit it, but you still have to trust that the version you downloaded matches the public code.
DNS-level blockers: the most thorough but most intrusive
Nextdns, Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 for Families, and Quad9 are DNS blockers. They work by intercepting the moment your phone asks "what is the IP address for ads.example.com?" and answering "I do not know" before the ad network ever gets a chance to respond. This blocks ads at the source, before they are even downloaded.
DNS blockers are the most thorough because they work everywhere on your phone — in apps, in browsers, in email, in games. They also use almost no battery, because they do not have to examine every packet of data the way app-level blockers do. They are also fast, because DNS queries are straightforward and quick.
The catch is that you have to change your phone's network settings to use a different DNS server. On Android, you do this by going to Settings, then Network & Internet, then Advanced, then Private DNS, and entering the DNS server address. This is a one-time setup, but it means your phone will send every DNS query — every time it looks up a domain name — to that DNS provider instead of to your internet service provider. That DNS provider can see which websites and apps you use, even if they do not log it. Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 for Families is free and blocks malware and adult content in addition to ads. Nextdns has a free tier with limited queries per month and a paid tier for around $2 per month.
When ad blockers break things
Ad blockers sometimes block things that are not ads. A website might use the same server for ads and for images, so blocking the ad server breaks the images. An app might refuse to run if it detects an ad blocker. A login page might not work because the blocker is filtering something it should not.
If something breaks, you have a few options. In a browser, you can whitelist the site by turning off ad blocking just for that domain. In AdGuard or Blokada, you can add the app or domain to a whitelist. With a DNS blocker, you can switch to a different DNS server temporarily or turn off DNS blocking entirely. Most of the time, whitelisting one or two sites or apps is enough to make everything work.
Comparing the three approaches
| Method | Blocks ads in browser | Blocks ads in apps | Battery impact | Cost | Setup difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browser (Firefox, Brave) | Yes | No | None | Free | Very straightforward |
| App blocker (AdGuard, Blokada) | Yes | Yes | Moderate (10–20%) | Free or $2–3/month | straightforward |
| DNS blocker (Nextdns, 1.1.1.1) | Yes | Yes | None | Free or $2/month | Moderate |
Which approach to choose based on what you do
If you use your phone mostly for browsing and do not care much about ads in apps, use Firefox or Brave. It is the simplest, uses no extra battery, and requires no setup beyond downloading the browser.
If you use apps heavily and want to block ads everywhere, use Blokada if you want free and open-source, or AdGuard if you want more features and do not mind paying. Both work well, but both will drain your battery a bit faster.
If you want the best balance of blocking power and battery life, and you do not mind changing your DNS settings, use Nextdns or Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 for Families. DNS blocking is thorough and fast, but it requires more setup and it means your DNS provider sees your browsing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will an ad blocker slow down my phone?
Browser-based blockers and DNS blockers have almost no impact on speed. App-level blockers like AdGuard and Blokada may slow down some websites and apps slightly, because they have to examine every packet of data. The slowdown is usually not noticeable, but on older phones it can be.
Can I use more than one ad blocker at the same time?
You can use a browser blocker and a DNS blocker together without problems. Do not use two app-level blockers at the same time — they will conflict with each other and may not work at all. If you are using Blokada or AdGuard, do not also change your DNS settings, because both will try to filter the same traffic and cause problems.
Will an ad blocker break my banking app or other find apps?
Most banking apps work fine with ad blockers. If a banking app does not work, add it to your blocker's whitelist. Some apps are designed to detect ad blockers and refuse to run, but this is rare. If an app refuses to run, you may need to turn off the blocker temporarily or uninstall it.
Do free ad blockers sell my data?
Some do, and some do not. Blokada is open-source and does not sell data. AdGuard's free version does not sell data, but the company makes money from the paid version. Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 for Families is free and Cloudflare says they do not log your queries, but you are trusting their word. If privacy is important to you, use an open-source blocker like Blokada or read the privacy policy of any blocker you are considering.
What is the difference between an ad blocker and a VPN?
A VPN encrypts your traffic and routes it through a server in another location, hiding your IP address from websites. An ad blocker filters traffic to remove ads. App-level blockers like AdGuard use the VPN system on Android to filter traffic, but they do not actually send your data through a VPN server — it stays on your phone. Do not confuse the two.