We, at Android Police, don’t ask anyone to pay to use our website. That’s possible largely because of online advertising, and we encourage everyone not to block ads on our website.
While online advertisements indirectly fund free access to the internet, nobody wants to see a website or app bombarding them with ads. When I come across a website like that, I try never to revisit it because excessive ads spoil the experience.
However, sometimes the websites and apps are just too important to ignore. In such situations, Android’s built-in Private DNS toggle can come in handy, as it can help you block many ads on your phone.
This isn’t the only option. I recently tried an open source alternative called RethinkDNS and was blown away by how good it was, so much so that I ditched Android’s built-in ad-blocking tech for it. Here is why I made the switch.
What’s Android’s built-in ad-blocking tech
And why I moved on from it
Android doesn’t have a magic switch that blocks all ads across your phone with a single toggle. Instead, Android lets you set your own private DNS provider using the Private DNS setting.
Private DNS is a native Android setting, and you need to enter a private DNS hostname for it to work. Choosing the right DNS provider can be tricky, but NextDNS and AdGuard DNS are two of the most popular options.
Regardless of what you choose, it’s easy to set up. Type “Private DNS” into the search bar in Android Settings and tap it. Change the setting from Automatic to Private DNS provider hostname, enter the hostname, and tap Save.
Ad-blocking takes effect after you follow the steps above. But a major pain point is that everything happens in the background, and you don’t see what the DNS is blocking and what it is allowing.
You don’t have a dashboard, and you don’t have an on-device log to track every DNS request on your phone. On top of that, you have little control over blocking.
This can change after you switch to RethinkDNS, as was the case for me.
Why I prefer RethinkDNS to Android’s built-in Private DNS setting
RethinkDNS may feel complicated at first, but it’s not
Being an open source solution is an advantage, but that’s not the real reason I made the switch. In addition to keeping track of every DNS request, I love RethinkDNS’s custom blocklists.
These blocklists are designed for ads, adware, and trackers. There is also an Annoyance list that can improve the web experience by removing things like the cookie consent system and more.
I can select multiple predefined blocklists, so I’m not dependent on one particular DNS provider’s infrastructure. With customizable blocklists, you can create your own combination for comprehensive ad-blocking.
However, the default setup doesn’t allow this. You’ll need to select the Rethink DNS Plus profile to configure the blocklists.
I use RDNS Plus, but if you don’t want that level of customization and want ad-blocking to be as effective, I recommend the RDNS Privacy profile. It blocks 100,000+ adware, spyware, and trackers.
How to block ads using RethinkDNS
You can block ads using a few simple steps
You can install the RethinkDNS app on your phone from the Google Play Store. You don’t need to register with an account to get started — open the app and follow the steps to block ads.
Here are the steps to follow to block ads using RethinkDNS:
- Open the RethinkDNS app.
- Tap the Configure option at the bottom.
- Select DNS.
- Tap Rethink DNS.
- Select the RDNS Privacy option from the list.
This is good enough to block ads, but if you want your own combination, select the RDNS Plus option instead of the privacy profile.
After configuring, the next step is to put what you selected into effect. For this, go back to the Home page and select Start at the bottom. Also, switch from the default DNS and Firewall mode to the DNS-only mode in the Start option to save battery.
That’s all you need to do.
RethinkDNS has limitations too
Blocking every ad on the internet is not realistically possible. RethinkDNS doesn’t promise anything like that, either. So, I won’t count it as a limitation.
It can block most of the ads, and that’s what I aim for. However, if you use a separate VPN service, you have to choose between the two.
That’s because RethinkDNS uses Android’s VPN API, and Android allows only one active VPN service at a time. Although RethinkDNS isn’t a traditional VPN service, it occupies the single VPN slot.
I don’t use a VPN, so this isn’t a deal-breaker for me.
