Adblock Plus for Android is the only effective ad blocking app available for tablets and smartphones. Used by over 50 million users, Adblock Plus is the most popular browser extension across various platforms. One of the best things about the app is that it doesn’t automatically block every ad, but you can choose a filter to block certain types of ads while allowing other “acceptable ads.” Aside from ads, you can also block social media buttons and tracking.
The Good
Not only does the app block annoying ads in browsers and videos, it also blocks ads from certain apps. Configuring and setting up the app is easy and we’ve had success in blocking all sorts of ads with the app.
The Bad
While the app works flawlessly on rooted phones, non-rooted users might have some problems configuring the app. If your phone is not rooted, then the app will only be able to block ads over WiFi and not over cellular connection. Also, you’ll need to manually configure your proxy, but don’t worry we’ll show you how you can set it up even on a non rooted phone later in this post.
The Bottom Line
Even though the app isn’t perfect for non rooted phones, it is still an excellent ad blocking app for Android devices that does a great job at not only blocking browser ads, but also at blocking annoying ads on videos and in apps. Adblock Plus is a must have app for users who are frustrated with annoying ads on their devices.
How To Install the App
The app was previously available in the Google Play Store, but Google removed it due to its terms and policies. Fortunately, the app is available on Adblock’s official website.
Step 1
Go to this link and download the Adblock Plus apk file on your PC by pressing the Green Download button.
Step 2
Connect your Android phone to your PC using a micro USB cable and click on Open folder to view files in the AutoPlay popup.
Step 3
Transfer the apk file that you downloaded earlier to your phone’s root directory.
Step 4
Go to the Settings app, tap on Security and make sure that the Unknown sources option is enabled.
Step 5
Open any file manager on your phone and go to the directory where you transferred the apk file and tap on it.
Step 6
Tap on the Install button to start the installation process.
Configuring The App
If you have root access on your phone, then you’re good to go. If not, you’ll need to follow the steps below to configure your WiFi proxy.
Step 1
Open your Settings app and go to Wireless and networks.
Step 2
Long press on the network that you want to connect. Tap on Modify network.
Step 3
Enable Show advanced options, tap on the dropdown menu below Proxy settings and select the Manual option.
Step 4
Type localhost below Proxy hostname and type the number displayed in the Adblock Plus notification icon below Proxy port. Usually, this number is 2020.
Step 5
Tap on the Save button. The proxy is now configured and you can use the Adblock Plus app.
How To Use The App
Once the proxy has been configured, you can change the filter subscription on your phone. By default, Easylist is enabled and this is one of the most popular filter lists for blocking ads. This will block ads from most of the English websites. However, it might not be able to block ads on certain websites in other languages, such as French. In order to change the list, tap on Filter subscription and select your desired list.
You can also disable the Acceptable ads option if you don’t want to see any advertisements. Acceptable ads are selected by Adblock Plus on a strict criteria and if the ad doesn’t meet the criteria, it will be blocked. Some of the requirements are ads without animations, text-only ads and ads not placed at a place where the user would have difficulty in accessing the original content on the website.
You can also hide the notification Adblock Plus icon by enabling the Hide icon option.
If you love using the app, you can also enable it on boot by going to Advanced settings and enabling the Start at boot option.
Once you have configured the app, enable the Adblock Plus app by turning Filtering to On.
Press the Back button on your phone to exit the app. Now, you can open your browser and launch any website that has annoying ads. You won’t find a single ad on any website any more. Also, you won’t find any ads inside apps when Adblock Plus is enabled. Here is a screenshot of an article on Goal.com with and without Adblock Plus enabled.
Without Adblock Plus enabled
With Adblock Plus enabled
Conclusion
We have thoroughly tested the Adblock Plus app and it has worked flawlessly, blocking ads on every website we visited. The Adblock Plus extension has worked incredibly on various PC browsers and now Android users can also avoid frustrating and annoying ads on their phones and tablets. If you’re rooted, then you don’t need to worry about anything and the app should start working right after installation. For non rooted phones, you can follow the steps mentioned above to configure your proxy. Feel free to let us know your opinion on Adblock Plus to block ads on Android, or ask any questions that you have related to the app.
