Samsung phones and OneUI are known for their advanced features and sleek design. But Samsung is notorious for sneaking ads into their UI. Some of these ads are region-based. On the other hand, many third-party apps also show pop-up ads.
Ads on Samsung phones can be very disruptive. They can drain your battery and make your device bloaty. Now, Samsung offers a bunch of different ways to block these ads. And there are also a lot of third-party solution. We will be covering all of this and more.
How to Block All Ads on Samsung Phones? (The Easy Way)
This is the easy three-step way to block ads on Samsung Phones.
- Download and Install Total Adblock
- Give it all the necessary permissions
- Turn on ad-blocking
We’ll get into more details, and other methods. But this is a simple and straightforward way to deal with ads on your Samsung phone. Get an 80% discount on Total Adblock.
What kind of ads are there on Samsung Phones
But before we get to all the other solutions, lets talk a bit about some possible types of ads, pop-ups, and annoyances you may be encountering on Samsung.
- Bloatware: While OneUI has gotten much better over the years, Samsung phones still come with an insane amount of bloatwares. There’s Samsung apps, Google apps, Microsoft apps, and based on your region you will also get pre-installed shopping apps and games. These are bloatwares, and they can often lead to further ads.
- Push notification: Push notifications are an easy way for both system and third-party apps to communicate with you. Sadly, this makes it easy for companies to send marketing and promotional messages, and some Samsung apps do it, too.
- Samsung Internet: Samsung Internet, just like any other web browser, can get pop-up ads. If you default to Samsung’s web browser, you may get annoyed by those ads, too.
- Appear on top: Android’s “Display over other apps” is “Appear on top” on Samsung phones. It allows apps to appear on top of other apps and UI. Some third-party apps misuse this feature to show ads.
- Personalised Ads: Samsung’s ads are often targeted specifically toward you. They do that through system-level tracking. Often traditional ad blockers can struggle with these trackers.
Delete unnecessary preinstalled apps from your Samsung phone
Samsung phones come with preinstalled apps, also known as bloatware. These apps take up space, run in the background, and even send you ads or notifications you don’t want. While some of these apps are useful, many are never used. You can free up space and improve your phone’s performance by deleting or disabling these unwanted preinstalled apps. More importantly, you can
How to identify these apps?
Go through your list of apps and identify the ones you don’t use. Samsung phones come with duplicate apps for things like email, calendar, and web browsing. For example if you use Google Calendar you probably don’t need Samsung’s Calender app. If you use Google Docs, you can remove the Microsoft 360 app.
Here are some examples of preinstalled apps you might want to remove:
- Samsung Email
- Samsung Internet
- Bixby services (if you don’t use Bixby)
- Microsoft apps (if you are more into the Google Workspace)
- Samsung Notes (if you use an alternative note-taking app)
- Samsung’s calendar app (if you rely on Google Calendar)
- Preinstalled games or trial apps that you never opened
How to delete or disable apps on your Samsung Phone
- Open the Settings app from the app drawer or tap the gear icon in your notification panel.
- Scroll down and select “Apps” to see all installed apps.
- Find the app you want to remove and tap on it.
- You’ll see an “Uninstall” button if the app allows it. For system apps, you may only have the option to “Disable”.
- Follow the prompts to remove or disable the app.
Please note that some system apps cannot be uninstalled or disabled, as they are essential for your phone to work properly. Disabling some other system apps might also cause your phone to malfunction, so always be sure to keep track of what you’re disabling.
Change notification settings to get rid of ads on Samsung phones
One of the simplest ways to get rid of ads and promotional messages on your Samsung phone is to turn off notifications. Many Samsung apps and third-party apps have built-in promotional or marketing notifications, which can clog up your notification shade and ruin your day. The good news is that Samsung phones give you granular control over notifications, so you can turn off promotional notifications and keep the important ones.
Samsung apps that send promotional notifications
Several pre-installed Samsung apps send promotional or marketing notifications. These are:
- Samsung Push Service: Marketing updates and service-related alerts.
- Samsung Free: News, articles and other content you may not be interested in.
- Galaxy Store: App updates, discounts and recommended apps.
- Samsung Pay: Reminders and promotions for using payment services.
- Samsung Members: Offers, events or device tips you may not need.
Third-party apps and notification categories
Many third-party apps also have separate notification categories for promotional messages, updates or ads. For example:
- Shopping Apps (e.g. Amazon, eBay): Send marketing notifications about sales and new deals.
- Social Media Apps (e.g. Facebook, Instagram): Push unnecessary updates like suggested friends or pages.
- Games and Free Apps: Bombard users with ads for in-app purchases or other games.
The good thing about Samsung phones is you can manage notifications at a granular level. You can turn off promotional notifications without missing out on important alerts like order updates or account security alerts.
How to turn off notification ads and promotions on Samsung Phone
Here’s how to adjust your notification settings on a Samsung phone:
- Go to the Settings app from the app drawer.
- Scroll down and tap on Notifications.
- Tap See All to view all apps on your phone.
- Choose the app that sends promotional notifications.
- Now, you can choose to disable the notification by toggling off
- Or, tap on the app to manage notification categories and disable only promotions, offers, or marketing categories.
Block Pop-Up Ads on Samsung Internet
Are you staying with Samsung Internet as your default browser? Honestly, it’s not a bad choice. It’s a good browser with good privacy features and built-in adblocking. Plus it has extensions available in the Samsung Galaxy Store and Google Play Store. One of the best features is the ability to block pop-ups. Here’s how to do it:
- Open the Samsung Internet app (it’s listed as “Internet” in your app drawer).
- Tap the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines) at the bottom right.
- Go to Settings and scroll down to Privacy Dashboard.
- Turn on Block pop-ups.
You can also block pop-ups on a per-site basis. If there’s a site where you want to block pop-ups, you can customise your settings for that site only, which gives you more control.
Disable appear on top to block ads on Samsung phone
Go to your phone’s Settings and navigate to Apps. There, click on the three dots on the top right and go to “Special access”. Tap on “appear on top” and you can see which apps are using this feature. Disable any suspicious app using this feature to show you ads.
Can’t uninstall, disable, or change settings of an adware on Samsung phone?
Sometimes apps prevent you from uninstalling them. You will also face difficulties disable certain features like “appear on top”. This usually happens because of admin access. These apps trick you into giving them admin level permissions to make changes to your device, while preventing you from making changes to them.
To stop apps from taking advantage of admin access, here’s what you do:
- Go to the Settings app
- Scroll down and tap on “security and privacy”
- Go to “more security settings”
- There you will find “device admin apps”
- Disable any suspicious app that you think should not belong there
Prevent Samsung phone from showing you personalised ads
Previously, there was an easy-to-locate “personalised ads” option in Samsung phone settings. However, they have changed the name and made it more subtle. But here’s how to prevent Samsung from using your tracking data to serve you personalised ads and content:
- Go to the Settings app
- Tap on “Samsung account” (you may also see your Samsung account name)
- Go to “Security and privacy”
- Tap on “Customization Service” and turn it off
- Disable “get news and special offers” and “improve personalised advertising.”
This method should block Samsung from using your data to show you targeted ad and content. However, Google has its own personalised ad profile that needs to be reset. Here’s how to do that:
- Go to the Settings app
- Scroll down and tap on “security and privacy”
- Turn off “android personalisation service”
- Go to more privacy settings > ads
- Go to “ad privacy” and disable “ad topics,” “app-suggested ads,” and “ad measurement”
- Then “Delete advertising ID”
These steps should help you prevent Samsung and Google from tracking you for targeted ads and content.
Wrapping Up
Your Samsung phone is a productivity machine that should work for you, not vice versa. By taking control of the settings and tools you have, you can make your device a cleaner, distraction-free experience. Whether you’re managing privacy settings, exploring ad blockers, or customising how your phone interacts with apps, the options are endless.
Ultimately, being proactive is key. Review your phone’s settings regularly, explore third-party solutions when needed and don’t be afraid to try out the tools you have. The more intentional you are with how your device works, the more it will work for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do ad blockers work on Samsung phones?
Yes, ad blockers like Total Adblock or AdGuard work well on Samsung phones. These apps can block ads across browsers, apps, and sometimes even within games.
Why can’t I uninstall some apps on my Samsung phone?
Some preinstalled apps, also known as system apps or bloatware, cannot be uninstalled because they are integral to the phone’s functionality. However, you can disable them to stop them from running in the background or sending notifications.
How do I prevent ads from appearing in push notifications of my Samsung phone?
Go to Settings > Notifications and manage individual app settings. Disable notifications for promotional or marketing categories while keeping essential alerts enabled.
Related articles: