I use ad blockers and open source privacy focused software whenever I can but occasionally I have to use computers that don’t belong to me or an older phone where my usual applications aren’t installed and seeing all the advertisements just feels dirty and dystopian.
I think the worst ads are the text to speech ones that say “Download this app today”. The unblinking energenic people saying you can make a living at home are probably a close second.
Does anyone have recommendations on how to block ads on Android without rooting? I’ve tried AdAway but it doesn’t seem to be terribly effective. I’m pretty tied into Chrome and would prefer not to change browsers but I understand I might have to.
Change your dsn to dns.adguard.com
Edit: Firefox on Android has unlocked origin as well nowadays
Or if you can afford it, subscribe to a private DNS provider, they offer more control.
Not what you wish to hear, but for web browsing, use Firefox. The Android version still supports plugin like uBlock Origin and Privacy Badger. Ad blockers are effectively dead in Chrome with the advent of manifest v3.
Firefox accounts work very much like your Google account in chrome, so it was relatively straightforward to migrate. Just install firefox on your desktop, get your Mozilla account set up, and use the desktop tools to migrate from chrome to firefox. Then once it’s good on your desktop, install firefox on your android devices and sign in to your Mozilla account, everything should sync.
Passwords I’d recommend not using any browser solution and instead use something like bitwarden.
Breaking the Google chains are tedious but doable!
If you really feel lazy, I’d still go with Firefox password manager over chrome.
Firefox with uBlock origin, setting your DNS to “DNS.adguard.com”, and using ReVanced with MicroG for YouTube has worked best for me on a non-rooted phone.
Try adguard. Its a system wide blocker(blocks ads in most apps too) and needs no root. Its paid. For free you can use blockada version 5. Get it on fdroid. Or just use adguard dns.
You’re pretty much gonna have to switch browsers. There are other options, but they don’t work as well as uBlock Origin. The best alternative to that is a VPN that blocks ads, like Proton. But they aren’t as good at blocking. They will, however, remove most ads, and from other apps as well.
When not rooted I have two main free solutions.
You can use nextdns on your home network. They have around 200,000k free requests. For 2 people it seems to work out to around 20 days of ad blocks. This particularly helps with the ads on the TV as well.
Otherwise you have the options to use Firefox with extensions or Brave without (I know it’s not popular around here). You can also use ReVanced for youtube blocks.
For most usage that free combination suffices for me.