NextDNS as an ad blocker on Android: a complete guide

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If you're fed up with intrusive mobile advertising and have heard about NextDNS as an ad blocker on AndroidYou're probably wondering exactly how it works, what you can expect from it, and how it differs from other methods like AdGuard DNS, ControlD, or similar services. The good news is that with a few well-adjusted settings, you can significantly reduce advertising and tracking on your Android device without much hassle.

Throughout this guide we will see in great detail how to use NextDNS and other filtered DNS servers to block adsWe'll cover its actual limitations (for example, with YouTube or Spotify), how it performs in everyday use, and even some interesting alternatives like enabling airplane mode in certain games. The goal is for you to gain a clear understanding of what NextDNS offers on Android and when it's more advantageous to use it than other services.

What is NextDNS and why is it useful for blocking ads on Android?

NextDNS is a cloud DNS service with filtering and firewall It acts as an intermediary between your device and the sites you connect to. Instead of simply translating domains into IP addresses, it adds layers of security, privacy, and control, including lists to block ads, trackers, and malicious domains.

When you configure NextDNS on Android, all your domain name queries first pass through their servers. These servers apply ad blockers and tracking (blocklists) and other security rules. If an app or website tries to contact a known ad domain, the request is cut off and the ad is not displayed.

In the specific case of Android, NextDNS can be used as encrypted DNS (DNS-over-TLS or DNS-over-HTTPS), which helps protect your traffic. facing prying eyes on Wi-Fi networks and operators, in addition to reducing the footprint you leave when browsing.

In addition to access via manual system configuration, there is an application called NextDNS Manager Designed to simplify account management and NextDNS settings directly from your Android mobile, with a polished interface and advanced options.

NextDNS Manager is an open-source application designed for conveniently manage your NextDNS settingsIt's not an official NextDNS app, but it integrates with their APIs so you can control almost everything from your mobile device without relying on a browser.

Key features of NextDNS Manager on Android

The NextDNS Manager app is designed to make daily service management easier. Among its strengths is a intuitive and user-friendly interfaceWith support for dark mode, dynamic/themed icons, and translation into about 14 different languages, it is very accessible to users from different countries.

In terms of functionality, it allows a complete management of NextDNS configurationActivate or deactivate different filtering modes, choose and customize ad and tracking blocking, manage predefined blocklists, create whitelists to allow specific domains you need, and adjust security options.

Another very useful point is the real-time statisticsFrom within the app itself, you can see how many DNS requests are being made, how many are being blocked, which domains are being queried most frequently, and which security rules are being activated. This is especially useful for detecting apps that abuse tracking or for understanding what's causing a specific service to be blocked.

For those most concerned about local privacy, NextDNS Manager incorporates a Application lock using biometrics or PINThis prevents other users with access to your mobile from changing settings or disabling important filters, which is especially useful if you're using NextDNS to control what children see.

Regarding installation, the application can be downloaded from Google Play, F-Droid, or directly from GitHubThis opens the door to using it on devices without Google services or in environments where installing apps from free repositories is preferred.

How ad blocking via DNS works on Android

To understand why NextDNS and other similar services are able to block advertising, it is helpful to understand two concepts: How do ads reach your mobile phone? and what role does DNS play in that process.

The ads you see on websites and apps are loaded from specific advertising serversOn a technical level, they are simply internet resources, just like an image, a video, or any other webpage. The app or browser sends requests to specific advertising domains to download those ads.

The DNS (Domain Name System) is the service that handles translate human-readable domain names (for example, www.google.es) in numerical IP addresses that devices understand. Every time an app wants to contact a domain, it asks the DNS server for the corresponding IP address.

That's where a filtered DNS comes into play: these types of servers can refusing to resolve certain directions or return empty responses for domains on their blocklists. If an ad domain is blacklisted, the query is not resolved and the ad is never downloaded.

In practice, DNS servers specializing in ad blocking maintain very extensive lists of advertising servers and trackersWhen a browser or app tries to contact them, the DNS cuts off communication, creating the feeling that the ads have "disappeared" from the content you consume.

Change your DNS settings on Android to block ads without installing apps.

One of the advantages of Android is that, from certain versions onwards, it allows you to configure a Private DNS directly from the system settingswithout needing to install any additional apps. This is very useful if you want global ad blocking (in apps and browsing) without cluttering your phone with extra tools.

The general procedure for changing the DNS on Android is quite simple. The steps may vary slightly depending on your phone's custom interface, but the idea is always similar: you go into System settings and then in the connections or networks section to search for the private DNS option.

You will usually need to follow this approximate path:

• Open Android settings.
• Enter the connections, networks or Internet menu.
• Look for the section called “Private DNS” or something similar. If it doesn't appear directly, it's usually under “More connection settings” or advanced options.
• Choose the “Private DNS provider hostname” mode.
• Enter the address of the DNS provider that filters ads.

This way, all your Android connections that use the system DNS will go through the provider you have configured. Nothing else needs to be installed.: It is a simple host change that is applied at the device-wide level.

Use filtered DNS like AdGuard DNS together with NextDNS

Besides NextDNS, there are other DNS providers with ad filtering that are configured in a very similar way. One of the most popular is AdGuard DNSwhich offers free public servers with tracker and ad blocking without requiring you to create an account.

If you want to block ads across all Android devices without installing any apps, simply enter the AdGuard address in the Private DNS hostname field. For example, for general filtering you can use dns.adguard-dns.com, which is responsible for blocking trackers and ads at the system level.

AdGuard also has a variant focused on protecting minors, adding adult content filtering. In that case, the host to be installed on Android would be family.dns.adguard.com (or equivalent variants according to official documentation), so in addition to ads and trackers, domains of adult pages are blocked.

Importantly, You can use other DNS servers with ad blocking. Besides AdGuard, NextDNS, ControlD, and other providers offer similar features, with varying levels of customization depending on the service. It's recommended to try them out to see which best suits your privacy, performance, and filtering needs.

As for NextDNS, unlike fully open public DNS servers, it usually requires Create a free account to generate your custom settings.This account allows you to adjust block lists, whitelists, security rules, and many other advanced options that are not available in simpler services.

Configure DNS with ad blocking only in the Chrome browser

If you prefer to limit ad blocking to web browsing only, without affecting other applications, you can configure a Secure DNS directly in the Chrome browser for AndroidThis way, apps will continue to use the system's DNS, but Chrome will use its own provider for the pages you visit.

The process in Chrome involves going to the browser settings, looking for the section on "Privacy & Security" and locate the "Use secure DNS" setting. From there you can specify that you want to choose a different provider instead of the system default.

Once you're in the secure DNS section, you need to select the option to configure a custom provider and enter the address of the HTTPS-based DNS service you want to use. In the case of AdGuard, for example, the ad-filtered URL would have a format like this: https://dns.adguard-dns.com/dns-query, which is the address that Chrome will use to resolve domain names.

If you're also interested in enabling adult content blocking, you can enter the AdGuard Family variant, which follows the same pattern but uses the hostname for that filtering profile. It's important to use the complete URL format, because if any part is missing, the browser won't correctly apply the secure DNS.

It should be noted that The DNS configured in Chrome takes precedence over the one in Android.This means that if you have set up a DNS at the system level that blocks ads and porn, but in Chrome you use a provider that only blocks ads, adult content will still be accessible from the Google browser itself even though it is filtered at the system level.

Limitations when blocking ads on YouTube, Spotify, and other services

Although using filtered DNS servers like NextDNS, AdGuard DNS, or ControlD can greatly reduce advertising, it's important to know that They are not a magic solution for everything.In tests conducted on browsers such as Chrome and Firefox on Android, using DNS-over-TLS with different providers, it has been found that the ability to block ads on platforms such as YouTube or Spotify is quite limited.

In a test scenario, various ad-blocking services were configured on Android, including NextDNS with specific lists such as NextDNS Ads & Trackers Blocklist, AdGuard DNS, and the Lightswitch05 – Ads & Tracking list. An effort was made to keep the configuration as simple as possible, avoiding any changes to advanced options to prevent breaking websites or services.

The results showed that None of the free DNS servers tested were able to effectively block YouTube or Spotify ads.These services integrate advertising very closely with their content and, in addition, they often change the routes and domains used, making it difficult for a pure DNS filter to intercept everything without damaging the operation.

The only notable exception was ControlD in one of its paid plansIt includes a feature called "teleport" that can deliver better results against some highly protected services. However, using this feature requires a paid subscription, and not everyone is willing to pay for a DNS service, no matter how good it is.

This reinforces the idea that DNS blocking is all well and good for Clean up banners, intrusive trackers, and standard advertisingHowever, for platforms like YouTube or Spotify, where ads are mixed in with the content stream itself, the effectiveness is much lower. In those cases, specific solutions are usually needed, such as premium subscriptions or very advanced tools that go beyond the scope of a simple DNS.

Parental controls and content filters with services like NextDNS

Beyond ad blocking, many advanced DNS services include powerful parental control toolsWith them, it is possible to limit access to categories of sites such as pornography, violence, piracy, or gambling, which is especially useful for protecting minors at home.

Among the most common options is the possibility of automatically block pages with explicit sexual contentSites featuring extreme violence, illegal download sites, and much more. Some services even allow you to strengthen search engine security by activating "SafeSearch," which filters explicit results on Google, Bing, and others, including images and videos.

Another interesting point is the ability to Force YouTube into restricted modeThis option aims to limit children's exposure to adult or inappropriate videos, not only on the YouTube app itself, but also on other websites that embed videos from the platform.

In addition, many family-oriented DNS providers allow for targeted blocking. certain websites, apps, or specific gamesThis includes social media (Facebook, Tinder), online video games like Fortnite, or any other domain or app you want to restrict. This way, you can finely customize what is and isn't allowed on your home devices.

Some services even incorporate a feature of “recess"or similar," which is used to restrict access to certain websites, apps, or games to only certain times of the day. This is very practical for setting study periods, rest periods, or limited mobile phone use, without having to manually monitor each device.

Other unusual ways to block ads: airplane mode

There is a trick, as simple as it is limited, to avoid advertising in certain apps: activate airplane mode on your mobile phoneAlthough it may sound like a makeshift solution, in some specific contexts it works surprisingly well to eliminate certain annoying ads.

The idea is simple: many games and applications that don't need a permanent connection use the Internet only to Download ads while usingImagine a completely offline game, with no multiplayer mode or need to sync data in the cloud, but full of banners and promotional videos that pop up every other minute.

If you activate airplane mode before opening these types of apps, the device cuts off all data and Wi-Fi connections, so Requests to advertising servers cannot be completedThe practical result is that the game continues to function (because it does not depend on the internet for basic mechanics), but the ads stop loading.

However, this method is very limited: It's not suitable for browsing the internet (because airplane mode cuts the connection) and it also doesn't work in applications that require being connected at all times, such as most online games, social networks or streaming platforms.

Even with its limitations, it can be a quick resource for specific moments: you want to play a quick game of a local game full of ads and you prefer to sacrifice the connection for a few minutes in exchange for playing without advertising interruptions.

NextDNS vs. other DNS alternatives with ad blocking

At the time of choosing Which DNS to use as an ad blocker on AndroidIt's worth comparing the most well-known services. Each has its strengths and weaknesses, and they're not all used or configured in the same way.

NextDNS stands out, above all, for its high degree of customization and detailed controlWith a free account, you can define your own combination of blocklists, create specific rules, manage whitelists and blacklists to your liking, and access comprehensive statistics. This makes it ideal if you want a customized approach.

AdGuard DNS, for its part, is betting on the simplicity and free accessIt offers ready-to-use public servers: copy the host, paste it into Android or Chrome, and you're good to go. You don't need to register, although in return you have less room to fine-tune parameters than NextDNS allows.

ControlD is another interesting alternative that combines free plans with paid optionsThe advanced plans include features like "teleport," which help improve both privacy and the ability to bypass certain restrictions and block ads, even on very complex services. However, if you don't want to pay, the features are closer to what other free DNS providers offer.

In all cases, it's worth keeping in mind that DNS blocking is usually very effective for most traditional ads and web crawlersBut this isn't the case for ads embedded in streams and highly closed apps. Therefore, the decision should be based more on the combination of privacy, convenience, and parental controls you need, and less on the promise of "blocking everything" under any circumstances.

Given all this, it's clear that configuring a filtered DNS like NextDNS on Android is one of the most powerful and flexible ways to Reduce advertising, improve privacy, and gain control over what you see on your devicesWhen combined with browser settings and, where appropriate, parental control features, it allows you to have a fairly clean and secure environment, while also acknowledging that there are technical limitations with certain platforms and that you can always supplement with other solutions if needed.