How to Stop Ads on Your Phone (A Step by Step Guide)

To stop or reduce ads on your phone, you can take the following steps depending on your device type (Android or iPhone):

📱 ANDROID-SPECIFIC

1. Disable or remove ad-heavy apps:

   • Uninstall sketchy or free apps that push pop-up ads. You can identify them by checking which app opened last when an ad appears.

2. Restrict background data or notifications:

   • Go to Settings > Apps > [App name] > Notifications or Data Usage, and disable anything suspicious.

3. Use Private DNS (Android 9+):

   • Go to Settings > Network & internet > Private DNS

   • Enter: dns.adguard.com or dns.family.adguard.com (for family-safe)

   • This blocks many ads system-wide.

🍎 iPHONE-SPECIFIC

1. Safari ad blocking:

   • Go to Settings > Safari > Extensions, and install an ad blocker like 1Blocker, AdGuard, or Wipr.

2. Limit ad tracking:

   • Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking and turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track.

🔧 GENERAL STEPS FOR BOTH ANDROID & iPHONE

1. Use a browser with ad blocking:

   • Download Brave, Firefox with uBlock Origin, or DuckDuckGo browser, which block most ads automatically.

2. Install a trusted ad blocker:

   • Apps like AdGuard or 1Blocker (iOS) can block ads system-wide, including in apps and browsers. Some require a paid version for full features.

3. Limit personalized ads:

   • Go to your phone’s Settings > Privacy > Ads (Android) or Settings > Privacy & Security > Apple Advertising (iPhone), and turn off ad personalization.