BlockAds is a free, open-source ad blocker for Android.
It blocks ads, trackers, and malware system-wide using local VPN-based DNS filtering — no root required, no data collection.
Built with Jetpack Compose and Material 3 for a modern, premium experience.
- System-wide ad blocking via DNS filtering — no root needed
- Multiple built-in filter lists (StevenBlack, AdGuard DNS, EasyList, and more)
- Region-aware defaults — auto-enables filters for your language
- Real-time DNS query logs with search & filtering
- Security protection — blocks phishing, malware, and malvertising domains
- Dark / Light / System theme with Material 3 dynamic colors
- 7 accent color options + Material You dynamic theming
- Quick Settings tile & home screen widget
- Custom block/allow rules and whitelisting
- Per-app filtering (bypass VPN for selected apps)
- DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) support with multiple providers
- Auto-update filter lists on schedule (6h / 12h / 24h / 48h)
- Export / Import settings backup
- Auto-reconnect on boot
- Multi-language support (English, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Thai, Spanish)
- 100% local — all data stays on your device
Join our community:
If you enjoy BlockAds, consider supporting the project! Your sponsorship helps us maintain and improve the app.
- Android Studio Ladybug or newer
- JDK 17 or higher
- Android SDK 36 (min SDK 24)
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Clone the repository:
git clone https://github.com/pass-with-high-score/blockads-android.git cd blockads-android -
Open the project in Android Studio
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Sync Gradle and run the app on a device or emulator
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Build from command line:
./gradlew assembleDebug ./gradlew bundleRelease # requires signing key
BlockAds creates a local VPN on your device. DNS queries are routed through it and matched against filter lists using a memory-efficient Trie data structure. Matching queries are blocked locally. All other traffic passes through normally — no data leaves your device.
This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0.
You are free to use, modify, and distribute it under the terms of the license.
See the full LICENSE file for details.
- Developed and maintained by Nguyen Quang Minh
- Built with Jetpack Compose, Koin, and Compose Destinations
Pull requests and issue reports are welcome.
Help us improve BlockAds!
Want to see BlockAds in your language?
Open an issue or submit a PR with your translations.