Repolode
Submit
pass-with-high-score

pass-with-high-score/blockads-android

Free, open-source Android ad blocker that filters ads, trackers and malware system-wide via a local VPN, no root required.

Open-source alternative to:AdGuard

View on GitHubWebsite
Stars
2,657
Forks
162
Open issues
68
Last commit
13 hours ago

What is it?

BlockAds is an open-source ad blocker for Android that filters DNS queries on the device. It runs a local VpnService, matches each query against loaded filter lists stored in a Trie structure, and blocks matching domains. Traffic that does not match passes through normally, and no data leaves the device.

Besides the default VPN mode, the app offers a Root Proxy Mode that uses iptables redirection. An optional HTTPS filtering mode uses a userspace TCP/IP stack written in Go, and it can apply cosmetic CSS rules and JavaScript scriptlets to web pages from selected browsers. A curated passthrough list of 284 domains is included so banking, payment and government apps keep working.

The app is built with Jetpack Compose and Material 3, supports DNS-over-HTTPS, per-app bypass, custom rules and scheduled filter list updates, and is available in several languages.

Key features

  • 01System-wide ad, tracker and malware blocking through a local VPN, without root
  • 02Optional Root Proxy Mode using iptables
  • 03Optional HTTPS filtering with per-app MITM, cosmetic CSS and JS scriptlets
  • 04Built-in filter lists such as StevenBlack, AdGuard DNS and EasyList
  • 05Real-time DNS query logs with search and filtering
  • 06DNS-over-HTTPS support, per-app bypass and custom block/allow rules

Use cases

  • Blocking in-app and web ads on an Android phone without rooting it
  • Viewing which domains apps contact through the real-time DNS query log
  • Keeping banking and payment apps working while filtering other traffic
  • Using WireGuard profiles alongside system-wide filtering

Quick start

  1. 1

    Clone the repository with a blobless clone

    git clone --filter=blob:limit=1m https://github.com/pass-with-high-score/blockads-android.git
  2. 2

    Open the project in Android Studio

  3. 3

    Sync Gradle and run the app on a device or emulator

  4. 4

    Build the debug APK from the command line

    ./gradlew assembleDebug

Things to know

  • Building from source requires Android Studio, JDK 17 or higher, and Android SDK 36.
  • Licensed under GPL-3.0, so derivative works must also be distributed under copyleft terms.
  • Root Proxy Mode requires a rooted device, while the default VPN mode does not.

In collections

Privacy & local-first toolsAndroid apps & phone tools

Topics

#android#ad-blocker#dns#vpn#privacy#kotlin#jetpack-compose#no-root#adblocker#block-ads

FAQ

What is blockads-android?
Free, open-source Android ad blocker that filters ads, trackers and malware system-wide via a local VPN, no root required. BlockAds is an open-source ad blocker for Android that filters DNS queries on the device. It runs a local VpnService, matches each query against loaded filter lists stored in a Trie structure, and blocks matching domains. Traffic that does not match passes through normally, and no data leaves the device.
Is blockads-android free to use? What license does it have?
blockads-android is open source under the GPL-3.0 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is blockads-android still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to blockads-android was on Nov 7, 2026.
What can I use blockads-android for?
Blocking in-app and web ads on an Android phone without rooting it Viewing which domains apps contact through the real-time DNS query log Keeping banking and payment apps working while filtering other traffic Using WireGuard profiles alongside system-wide filtering
How do I install blockads-android?
Clone the repository with a blobless clone: git clone --filter=blob:limit=1m https://github.com/pass-with-high-score/blockads-android.git Open the project in Android Studio Sync Gradle and run the app on a device or emulator Build the debug APK from the command line: ./gradlew assembleDebug
Where can I get blockads-android?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/pass-with-high-score/blockads-android

Summary generated by AI from the project's README. GitHub stats refresh daily.

Related projects

StevenBlack / hosts

A curated, de-duplicated hosts file that merges several public blocklists to block ads, trackers, malware, and optional categories on any OS.

Security#hosts#ad-blocker#privacy
31.4K+60 this week2.4KPythonMITWell maintainedUpdated 6 days ago