How to Block Pop-Up Ads on Android? – Say goodbye to annoying interruptions

Pop-up ads are the most intrusive kind, especially on Android phones. They usually appear on your device when you least expect them and often redirect to potentially dangerous sites. And most noticeably, they interrupt your browsing and gaming sessions. 

But before we get to that, we need to understand the types of pop-up ads on Android. I identified three types. 

  • Browser pop-ups: These are the classic ones. You can get them on your PC, phone, or anything with a web browser, really. They pop up as new tabs on Android browsers like Chrome and Edge. 
  • Appear on top: Android has a “display over other apps” feature that lets you allow certain apps to, you guessed it, display over other apps. While this can be useful for a lot of apps (e.g., Messenger chat heads), if the wrong app gets this permission, you could get pop-up ads anywhere on your phone.
  • In-app ads: While many apps use ads to unlock certain features (e.g., free gifts in games, HD wallpaper, etc.), some apps just show them randomly in the middle of an action without any warning. 

The good thing about Android is that each of these categories of pop-up ads can be blocked. 

How to block pop-up ads from Android browsers?

Browsers have made it very easy to block pop-up ads without the need for any third-party apps or extensions. Many of those features have been carried over to the Android versions. 

Block pop-up ads on Chrome on Android

You can block pop-ups on Chrome for Android using built-in settings. Here’s how to block pop-ups on Chrome using built-in settings:

  • Open Chrome, tap the three dots in the top right, and select Settings.
  • Go to Site Settings, then Pop-ups and redirects.
  • Make sure the toggle is off

Note that while blocking pop-ups and redirects can improve safety and your browsing experience, it can also affect important features of some websites. 

Block pop-up ads on Firefox on Android

Firefox on Android lacks the pop-up blocking feature. However, it supports third-party extensions. So here’s how you can install AdGuard on Firefox Android to block pop-up ads:

  • Open Firefox, and tap on the three dots in the bottom right corner.
  • Tap “Extensions” and go to “Extensions Manager”
  • There, you should find AdGuard AdBlocker
  • Click on the + button and it should start blocking ads and pop-ups

uBlock Origin is also a great option for blocking ads and pop-ups. The best part about these solutions is that they only block pop-ups that have ads in them. So, sites that utilize pop-ups for other features should work fine. 

Block pop-up ads on Samsung Internet

If you use the default Samsung browser, its actually a good choice. Especially when it comes to privacy and ad blocking. It supports extensions that are available on Samsung Apps and Google Play Store. But the browser itself allows easy access to the pop-up blocking feature.

  • Open Samsung Internet (it should show up as “Internet” in your app drawer) and tap on the hamburger menu (three lines).
  • Go to Settings and scroll down to tap on Privacy dashboard.
  • From there, enable “Block pop-ups”

Samsung Internet also lets you block pop-ups per website. So if you want to only block pop-ups from a specific website you frequent, you can also do that. 

Block pop-up ads on Microsoft Edge on Android

Blocking pop-up ads on Microsoft Edge is almost identical to Google Chrome as it is Chromium-based. However, there are slight differences in how to get to settings. So here’s the process. 

  • Open Edge and tap on the hamburger menu (three lines) at the right button.
  • Go to Settings and then “Privacy, security and services”
  • From there, go to “Site settings” and scroll down to the content section
  • Go to “Pop-ups and redirects” and make sure the toggle is off

Random Ads popping up when I’m using Android Phone?

If you’re facing this issue even when navigating through the system UI, chances are one of the rogue apps on your phone somehow got permission to “display over other apps.” We’re going to use a three-step process to get rid of that. 

Step One: Disable Display Over Other Apps

Go to your phone’s Settings > Apps and Notifications > Special App Access > Display over other apps. From there, you can see which apps are using this feature and disable any suspicious app that may be using this feature to show you ads. On Samsung phones, this option is called “Appear on top.”

Step Two: Delete Any Suspicious Apps

Let’s face it, if an app shows you pop-up ads even when you’re not actively using that app, it is not worth having on your phone. So, do an audit of your installed apps and uninstall anything that looks suspicious. 

While your app drawer is a good place to start the audit, you may have to look into Settings > Apps or App Manager or Apps and Notifications to see the hidden apps. I use a third-party app mainly for batch uninstalls, but it also helps find hidden apps very easily. It’s called UnApp, you can find it on Google Play Store.

Step Three: (Optional) Check Device Admin Apps

Sometimes, adware apps can trick you into giving them admin access, which makes it hard to make any changes to them. It also prevents uninstalls. 

Go to The Settings app > Security > More security settings > Device admin apps. There, you’ll find a list of apps that require administrative privileges. You can easily disable the ones you think should have that access. 

Tired of in-game ads?

You’re browsing through Facebook or Reddit, and you see an ad for a game that looks fun. So you download it. While fun, the game keeps showing you unexpected ads of other games in the middle of your session. And then you find yourself downloading a bunch of different games all of which keep showing you ads. Wouldn’t it be better to get rid of those ads?

Well, you’re out of luck because not a single ad blocker on Google Play Store can block them. But you still have options. Here’s two.

Total Adblock

From Total Security, the company that brought you the award-winning antivirus TotalAV, you get Total Adblock. While not available on Google Play Store, you can download and sideload the apk from their official website and start blocking ads. 

Total Adblock uses a local VPN profile to route all your network traffic through its filters to block the ads. As it intercepts all network traffic, it can also block ads from apps without actually modifying the app codes. 

AdGuard DNS

From Android 9 and onwards, you can use a custom DNS to block ads. A DNS makes sure each URL takes you to the right IP address of a website. In that process some DNS resolvers like AdGuard and NextDNS can also block ads for you. Here’s how you can do it with AdGuard. 

  1. Open the Settings app on your phone.
  2. Go to Connections > More connection settings > Private DNS
  3. Select “Private DNS provider hostname”
  4. Paste dns.adguard-dns.com
  5. Tap “Save” and you’re good to go

Wrapping Up

Pop-up ads can ruin your Android experience, but getting rid of them isn’t as complicated as it seems. You can tackle browser pop-ups through simple settings, manage app permissions to stop intrusive overlays, and even block in-game ads with tools like Total Adblock or AdGuard DNS. These solutions make a noticeable difference, giving you a smoother, ad-free experience without constant interruptions.

The key is finding the method that works best for your needs. With the right setup, you can regain control of your device and enjoy a cleaner, more secure Android experience. Say goodbye to the frustration of pop-up ads once and for all.