Alternatives to AdAway (github.com)
from akunohana@piefed.blahaj.zone to privacy@lemmy.ml on 01 Jun 17:44
https://piefed.blahaj.zone/c/privacy/p/793580/alternatives-to-adaway

I have been using the hosts file based ad blocker AdAway for at least two years. It runs on my smartphones and tablet, all rooted, thus I can run a VPN simultaneously. Since it has always worked flawlessly, I never really took the time to compare it to other similar apps.

But as of today, there hasn’t been an update since 2024.

I am asking for alternatives and the reason you think they’re better.

#adaway #adblock #android #app #hosts #privacy #root

threaded - newest

Samsy@lemmy.ml on 01 Jun 17:57 next collapse

Used adaway, too but long before 2021. Good alternative is to host a small vps server, install adguard home, use hosts confs as common and then use DoT on a unrooted phone to this vps. GrapheneOS for example.

Or easier, just use a DoT provider with adblock which you trust. Quad9, adguard-dns and so on.

inari@piefed.zip on 01 Jun 18:12 next collapse

I use DNSnet on my phone, which has the benefit of not requiring root

visnudeva@lemmy.ml on 01 Jun 19:04 next collapse

On fdroid Dnsnet and Blockads are nice, i also used and help translate Athena.

akunohana@piefed.blahaj.zone on 01 Jun 19:07 collapse

Sweet! Thank you for your contribution! :D

paf@jlai.lu on 01 Jun 22:55 collapse

Don’t know about your specific use case but blockads is quite good

kn33@lemmy.world on 01 Jun 19:18 next collapse

<img alt="An Android settings screen showing the “Select Private DNS Mode” dialog menu. The “Private DNS provider hostname” option is selected, with the hostname field filled out as “dns.adguard.com”." src="https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/15ee8a1f-dfd6-48dd-a16f-5cfb646a9a4b.png">

This is all I do. It works pretty well. I sometimes have to turn it off briefly to log in to airplane wifi or such.

akunohana@piefed.blahaj.zone on 01 Jun 19:23 collapse

Thanks! For this, I am using Mullvad’s ad blocking DNS. 😊 I want to be able to block specific hosts and IP addresses on a hosts file level in order to block certain system apps from connecting.

lukecooperatus@lemmy.ml on 01 Jun 21:19 collapse

FWIW, if you self-host Adguard, you can do those things without needing to bother with touching individual hosts files. It’ll also then just work for every device on your network. Create your own domain and expose adguard via a subdomain and you can just point your phone at your DNS server while you are on external networks too.

voxel@feddit.uk on 01 Jun 19:20 next collapse

I would tbh recommend to just switch to DNS-based blocking by changing your DNS provider in the Android settings (“Private DNS”).

akunohana@piefed.blahaj.zone on 01 Jun 19:24 collapse

That’s a great idea for the ad blocking, which is what I am writing about in the OP, but I also would like to be able to block specific hosts and IP addresses on a hosts file level, in order to stop system apps from connecting.

BluescreenOfDeath@lemmy.world on 01 Jun 20:49 next collapse

I’ve used a VPN based ad filter for years.

It was called dns66, but has been replaced by DNSnet on F-Droid.

It creates a loopback VPN connection and forwards all traffic through it, when can then be filtered.

SteakSneak@retrolemmy.com on 07 Jun 05:43 collapse

I’ve used adguard for a while and I think it can either filter using VPN or with root.

potatoguy@mbin.potato-guy.space on 01 Jun 19:45 next collapse

You also can put the hosts file made for a Linux system into the mounted /system/etc/hosts, the system partition /system can be mounted on /mnt or /mnt/system too.

As you have root, or with just a custom recovery, you can change it, just going to the recovery, using adb in there and mounting the system partition as rw, then moving the hosts file to the mounted expected location.

akunohana@piefed.blahaj.zone on 01 Jun 20:13 collapse

Interesting! And thank you! I already see a hosts file under /system/etc/, for now only containing localhost. Could I not just edit this file and be done? I know too little about how Android works…

If I do need to mount /system, can I not do it from the stock recovery? I think I saw a “mount system partition” in there the other day.

potatoguy@mbin.potato-guy.space on 01 Jun 20:31 collapse

I know too little about how Android works...

Yeah, this is a more advanced thing, I think the other methods described on the post are better, if you don't have a custom recovery AND custom rom. If the device is locked or have the stock rom, it might not boot, because of the signature checking on the image.

MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip on 01 Jun 20:46 next collapse

There’s a magisk module for this.

akunohana@piefed.blahaj.zone on 01 Jun 21:09 collapse

You mean systemless hosts works without being called/used by an app? Do you know the systemless hosts file path?

MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip on 01 Jun 21:15 collapse

I think it had a configurable path? Or at least it told you. But sure, automatic updates is another matter. I don’t think it can do that.

Can’t you just point AdAway to Stevenblack’s hosts or something?

akunohana@piefed.blahaj.zone on 01 Jun 21:35 collapse

I think we’ve got off track. Stevenblack’s is already shipped with AdAway. AdAway works perfectly fine with Magisk’s systemless hosts. I have no other reason for wanting to change to another app than the fact that it hasn’t been updated since 2024.

shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip on 01 Jun 20:55 next collapse

I use controld.com DNS over TLS. They have a free ad blocking and malware blocking DNS that works incredibly well.

FrostyPolicy@suppo.fi on 01 Jun 21:21 collapse

Use Mullvad’s dns servers mullvad.net/en/…/dns-over-https-and-dns-over-tls#…. Their vpn also has dns blocking capabilities.