How to Block Ads on Your Phone and Browser in the UK

Ads on a phone are not just annoying: they slow pages down, eat mobile data, drain the battery and, in the worst cases, carry links to scams. The good news is you do not have to live with them. Between your browser, your phone settings and a few free tools, you can cut most ads out of your daily browsing.

There is no single switch that blocks every ad everywhere, so layer a few methods. Start with the browser, where most ads appear, then tighten up your phone settings to cut ad tracking, and finally deal with ads inside apps.

Block ads in your browser

Start with the browser you already use. Safari on iPhone has content blockers, which are small apps that filter out ads and trackers before a page loads. Open the App Store and search for a content blocker such as AdGuard or 1Blocker, install it, then go to Settings, then Safari, then Extensions, and turn the blocker on. The next time you open a web page in Safari, most ads should be gone.

Chrome on Android has no extensions on phones, but it has a built-in setting that blocks intrusive ads. Open Chrome, tap the three dots, then Settings, then Site settings, then Intrusive ads, and make sure it is turned on. Chrome also blocks pop-ups by default, and you can check that under Site settings, then Pop-ups and redirects. For stronger blocking on Android, switch to Firefox, which does support extensions on phones: install Firefox from the Play Store, open the menu, tap Add-ons, and add uBlock Origin, one of the most widely used free ad blockers.

Use private DNS on Android to block ads everywhere

Android has a feature called Private DNS, which can block ads across apps as well as in the browser. It works by routing your phone’s address lookups through a DNS service that filters out known ad servers. Open Settings, then Network and internet, then Private DNS, and choose Private DNS provider hostname. Enter the hostname of an ad-blocking DNS service, such as dns.adguard-dns.com, and tap Save. From then on, many ads in apps and browsers should stop appearing, because the phone can no longer reach the servers that serve them.

Cut ad tracking on iPhone and Android

Blocking the ad itself is one half of the job. The other half is stopping advertisers from tracking you across apps and websites, which is what makes ads follow you around after you look at one product.

On iPhone, open Settings, then Privacy and Security, then Tracking, and turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track. This stops apps asking to track you, and they cannot use your advertising identifier to build a profile. While you are there, go to Settings, then Privacy and Security, then Apple Advertising, and turn off Personalised Ads, which stops Apple showing you ads based on your activity.

On Android, open Settings, then Privacy, then Ads, and tap Delete advertising ID. This resets the identifier advertisers use to recognise your phone, so apps can no longer use it to target ads at you. The wording varies a little by brand, but the option is in the Privacy settings on most recent Android phones.

Deal with ads inside apps

Some of the most annoying ads appear inside free apps, often as full-screen videos or banners tapped by accident. Private DNS on Android helps here, and content blockers help on iPhone, but some apps still get through.

First, check whether the app has a paid version without ads. Many apps offer a one-off payment or a subscription that removes them, and for an app you use every day, that can be worth it. Second, turn off notifications from apps that use them to send you adverts. On iPhone, go to Settings, then Notifications, pick the app and turn off Allow Notifications. On Android, go to Settings, then Notifications, then App notifications, and do the same. Third, watch out for apps that show ads as notifications or on the lock screen. If an app you installed recently starts showing ads in strange places, uninstall it and find an alternative.

Block pop-ups and notification spam

Pop-up ads are rarer than they used to be, but they still appear on free streaming and download sites. Both Safari and Chrome block pop-ups by default, so if you are seeing a lot of them, check that the setting is still on. In Safari on iPhone, go to Settings, then Safari, and make sure Block Pop-ups is turned on. In Chrome on Android, go to Settings, then Site settings, then Pop-ups and redirects, and make sure it is set to blocked.

Notification spam is a different problem: some websites ask for permission to send notifications, then use it to send ads. If you get adverts as notifications, revoke the permission. In Chrome on Android, go to Settings, then Site settings, then Notifications, and turn off any site you do not recognise. In Safari on iPhone, go to Settings, then Safari, and check the notification settings for websites you have allowed.

What ad blocking cannot do

Ad blocking makes browsing faster and cleaner, but it has limits. It cannot block ads on YouTube in the official app, where ads are served from the same place as the videos, or remove ads from social media apps that build them into the feed. YouTube Premium removes ads on YouTube, but there is no free setting that strips them out entirely.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it legal to block ads on my phone in the UK?

Yes. Blocking ads on your own device is legal in the UK. You are choosing what your phone downloads and displays, which is your decision. Some websites may ask you to turn off your ad blocker to read their content, but there is no law against using one.

Will an ad blocker slow my phone down?

No, it usually speeds things up. Ads add extra downloads, scripts and tracking to every page, so blocking them means pages load faster and use less data and battery. A content blocker itself uses very little power.

Why do I still see ads in some apps after blocking?

Some apps serve ads from the same servers as their content, so a DNS filter cannot tell the two apart, and some social media apps build ads directly into the feed. Browser ad blockers only work inside the browser. For those cases, private DNS on Android or a paid ad-free version of the app are the best options.