How do you block Ads? - Atrix 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I had AdFree before on my Samsung Captivate and it worked like a charm but sadly AdFree doesn't seem to be up to the task any longer on my Atrix (yes rooted).
How do you block ads and how succesful is your method?

Caebron said:
I had AdFree before on my Samsung Captivate and it worked like a charm but sadly AdFree doesn't seem to be up to the task any longer on my Atrix (yes rooted).
How do you block ads and how succesful is your method?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You aren't the only one with that issue.
I had the same problem, but finally got it working on my phone.
Check out my thread, and see if that fixes things for you...

One method is to use a host file to block many ad sites.
If you have root access, it's pretty easy to do.
Here's the file I use.
Get's most of them.

Thanks to both! I'll give it a shot and post feedback!

Related

Anyone have Adfree working ??

I had adfree working on my Galaxy I7500 ( GAOSP ) in it worked just fine with my Weathereye app. Now that I have the Atrix with the Weathereye app, Adfree just don't remove the ads from it. Anyone else have an issue ?
Working fine for me. Connect your Atrix to the computer, run adb and try "su" (or do this in Terminal on your phone). Maybe you don't really have root access.
Don't have Terminal showing in the apps list. I rooted via aRoot if it matters. Titanium Backup works fine. To be perfectly honest, I have very little experience with adb. Refresh my memory to try su via adb. I feel like a noob ...
EDIT: Found ADB for Dummies. I do, in fact, have su access. Any chance you can download Weathereye and see if you get ads at the bottom ?? I wonder if its a difference in phones that's causing this ...
Just installed it. No ads here, brotha. I know what you're talking about though - I've seen them before.
Try running Cache Cleaner and/or restarting your phone. There could be DNS info still lurking in the background pulling the ads.
Put a check by Symlink and also you could try doing Revert and then Download and install Hosts again if that doesn't work. Just keep buggering with it and it should work. I have an AT&T Atrix but my buddy has a Bell one and we got his rooted and ran Adfree last night with success. Sometimes it just takes some tinkering.
P.S. Maybe uninstall it and reinstall it after doing the Adfree stuff too. Trying to throw all the tips I can think of. I know that ads freakin' SUCK!!
Thanks for the tips, I'll play some more and see what I get. I'll let you know !
I have AdFree and it works on all apps so far. Only have about 20 apps downloaded, though.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
Well, I am at a loss. I uninstalled weathereye. Downloaded cachecleaner and android assistant. Reverted, then rebooted. Ran cachecleaner, re-downloaded hosts. Checked Symlink. Rebooted phone and re-installed Weathereye. Damned ads still appear. Grrrr !! I know this app will run without ads, I have done it before. I am convinced myself I am not insane, but that could change soon.
Well I have tried just about everything. No ads in Angry Birds, but they do persist in Weathereye. Oh well, guess I'll have to live with it. Maybe it'll sort itself out someday.
You could always replace the hosts file, its a bit more complex but it stops every ad, in the browser or anywhere else.
mobileweasel said:
Well I have tried just about everything. No ads in Angry Birds, but they do persist in Weathereye. Oh well, guess I'll have to live with it. Maybe it'll sort itself out someday.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this is likely due to AdFree not having the updates to the ad sites. AdFree works by replacing your hosts file with a list of known ad sites that loop back to itself, so that you are never presented the ad. if one app is still showing ads, then AdFree needs to update their master list to add in that site
Silent8Strike said:
You could always replace the hosts file, its a bit more complex but it stops every ad, in the browser or anywhere else.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there a how to around for this ? I don't mind giving it a go.
Pirateghost said:
this is likely due to AdFree not having the updates to the ad sites. AdFree works by replacing your hosts file with a list of known ad sites that loop back to itself, so that you are never presented the ad. if one app is still showing ads, then AdFree needs to update their master list to add in that site
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The thing is, is that I had no ads in this app when I was using AdFree with my Galaxy. That's partly I am a little frustrated and confused why its not working. Its not the end of the world if I can't get it removed, but it is annoying that these ads are links that sometimes I accidently hit.
i'm having the same exact problem, except my adfree doesn't block anything.
I found this thread: Block ads on your android phone. Haven't tried it yet, but I see no reason why it won't work.
No luck. I replaced the hosts file in /system/etc and no dice. I saw a hosts file in /etc/, should I be replacing that too ??
Anyone have any updated info on getting AdFree to work on the Atrix?
I rooted with Gladroot, rebooted the phone, cleared the cache yet in every app I'm seeing ads.
This is driving me nuts because I had no problems with this on my Milestone or Galaxy S. *sigh* Help!...
Really? I just got a Bell Atrix and put Adfree. Superuser requested access, I granted it, updated the .hosts and boom - no ads. Did this to a friend's Bell Atrix and another friend's AT&T Atrix and boom - no ads.
Just did it to my wife's Desire Z last night too because I put a new ROM on there... and no ads. Are you sure you guys are allowing Superuser? I don't know why the heck it works on every phone I do it to but not on phones for people here? Have you explored all the options in Adfree or used it on a wireless network?
bongd said:
Really? I just got a Bell Atrix and put Adfree. Superuser requested access, I granted it, updated the .hosts and boom - no ads. Did this to a friend's Bell Atrix and another friend's AT&T Atrix and boom - no ads.
Just did it to my wife's Desire Z last night too because I put a new ROM on there... and no ads. Are you sure you guys are allowing Superuser? I don't know why the heck it works on every phone I do it to but not on phones for people here? Have you explored all the options in Adfree or used it on a wireless network?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It started with no ads (like for 15min), but now it's not working at all. I did the reboot, cleared the cache, and even installed Busybox and ads are everywhere. I tried to redownload, but adfree says I'm up to date.
This is driving me nuts because I never had a problem with this on other phones.
Also I did the opt out of ads in the market as well and that didn't work either:
http://phandroid.com/2011/04/16/google-letting-users-opt-out-of-ad-targeting-via-market/
Looks like a couple of people in the comments section of that page are having the same issue?...
I noticed the other day that in the /etc directory ( not the system/etc/ directory ) that there is a hosts file, a hosts.allow file and a hosts.deny file. I wonder if I copy everything that adfree put in the host file and put it into the host.deny file if that would fix it ...
Hi, I made this account just to post a reply to this thread. I have a GladRooted Bell Atrix and am using Adfree. I noticed it worked before then suddenly stopped...
What I now realized, it works when I am on Wifi!!! but not on the Bell network!! So now how do we get it to work when on the Bell Network???
I am thinking this has to do with the Bell's version of the Atrix software since this is not an issue for AT&T users or for other Bell customers on other phones.
mastadon85 said:
Hi, I made this account just to post a reply to this thread. I have a GladRooted Bell Atrix and am using Adfree. I noticed it worked before then suddenly stopped...
What I now realized, it works when I am on Wifi!!! but not on the Bell network!! So now how do we get it to work when on the Bell Network???
I am thinking this has to do with the Bell's version of the Atrix software since this is not an issue for AT&T users or for other Bell customers on other phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it helps any, I'm an AT&T user with a Bell phone...

How to speed up web browsing: 1. Root, 2. Install AdAway

... Done!
For me its quite an improvement because the browser doesnt load all the crap that is embedded on many websites!
I've personally used Adblock for a long time, but yeah, same idea. I plan on rooting my TP tonight, almost solely for ad blocking.
EDIT: Whoops. I use AdFree, not AdBlock.
nyijedi said:
I"ve personally used Adblock for a long time, but yeah, same idea. I plan on rooting my TP tonight, almost solely for ad blocking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i also used adblock, but adaway seems really nice and has more options. you should try it!
+1 to this or any other ad removing software.
When I rooted under HC, it was the first thing I installed after superuser.
I'm agree that ads can be a pain.. but please think that those are part of how android developers who offers free apps in the market get some money for their work. I'm not saying no to do it, just Think about it.
rootusr said:
I'm agree that ads can be a pain.. but please think that those are part of how android developers who offers free apps in the market get some money for their work. I'm not saying no to do it, just Think about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought about... and then quickly rooted and installed AdAway.. and never thought about it again.
rootusr said:
I'm agree that ads can be a pain.. but please think that those are part of how android developers who offers free apps in the market get some money for their work. I'm not saying no to do it, just Think about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, the ads are more of an issue in the browser for me, but I get your point. Personally, I regularly purchase the paid ad-free version of apps that I love rather than using the free version and removing the ads.
rootusr said:
I'm agree that ads can be a pain.. but please think that those are part of how android developers who offers free apps in the market get some money for their work. I'm not saying no to do it, just Think about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ads in most android apps are ok i think, the ads on many websites are just ridiculous! i'm always shocked when looking at websites on a computer that doesnt have adblock installed, on some sites this great plugin makes the site at least readable!
i agree that app devs are suffering from those methods and i wish there was an app like adaway that blocked only browser ads, but there isnt (at least to my knowledge)....
Hey folks, I'm rooted, have busybox, but am having trouble getting AdAway to work properly on my TFP. It ends up telling me that the Applying failed -- "Applying the hosts file to your system failed"
It tells me that I should try changing the target location of the hosts file, but I've tried both and nothing works. Is there a special/custom location to the target file?
NeoteriX said:
Hey folks, I'm rooted, have busybox, but am having trouble getting AdAway to work properly on my TFP. It ends up telling me that the Applying failed -- "Applying the hosts file to your system failed"
It tells me that I should try changing the target location of the hosts file, but I've tried both and nothing works. Is there a special/custom location to the target file?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have seen this error several times, then it fixes hours later. I often think the server(s) that AdAway is pinging to get the host files are down or busy or overloaded or just not stout enough for the traffic so we get these errors. Try again later. I do, and it always works out.
---------- Post added at 02:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:51 PM ----------
Some of the logic in here is funny... It is okay to block ads on the web - still taking money out of someone's pocket - but not as "cool" to block them on your phone because then a "dev" loses out. Please. Hypocrisy at it's finest. Someone on the web or a dev on a mobile device putting ads in the GUI are all open season and no one gets a pass any more than the other.
NeoteriX said:
Hey folks, I'm rooted, have busybox, but am having trouble getting AdAway to work properly on my TFP. It ends up telling me that the Applying failed -- "Applying the hosts file to your system failed"
It tells me that I should try changing the target location of the hosts file, but I've tried both and nothing works. Is there a special/custom location to the target file?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hmm dont know....for me it just worked (one button press)!
2 questions:
- do you have superuser installed?
- do other root apps work? (you can test root access with "ota root keeper")
If he is getting that error, he is properly rooted. He could not get that error without the app running and for the app to run, you need root.
It is not a root issue as I pointed out in the last page, I have seen this before numerous times, it is very much likely an error with the app getting access to the servers with the host files to download. Time has always fixed it for me. Saw it last night, today all worked fine.
Trying this now. So with this it isnt necessary to do the about:debug option with the browser setting thats posted below?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1411438&highlight=browser
Just installed, applied it and rebooted. Seems to be working good so far. Will out iit throught the paces to see.
Is this a set n leave alone app or do you constantly need to go in and update the host files or sources or whatever?
Browser does seem faster though...

After rooting, I cannot access certain sites?

Ok, this is a strange one. Not just with the Note 2, but also the S3 and Rezound. Whenever I root, I can no longer access some sites. Don't laugh, but mainly Adult friend finder. It gives the "webpage not available" like it would when a site is actually down. Prior to rooting I can access this site without issue. Just wondering if there is something in the rooting process that would block the availability of sites like this?
As mentioned, it has been like this for some time with my different Android phones.
Root doesn't affect anything like that.
I just tested it and received the same thing. It's the ad blocker that's preventing it.
Remove adultfriendfinder from your /etc/hosts file.
pool_shark said:
Root doesn't affect anything like that.
I just tested it and received the same thing. It's the ad blocker that's preventing it.
Remove adultfriendfinder from your /etc/hosts file.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^This.
Ads are blocked.
Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2
Great. Thanks....i just unrooted, but will definitely give it a try when I re-root. Thanks again
oops...when I reroot what is the easiest way to modify this file?

Pop up ads

I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this question already (unfortunately) but here goes:
Is there any way to prevent the constant pop-up ads? Any software that doesn't require root or any program that I *might* be able to disable (using Package Disabler)
to prevent these damn things from showing up? Almost makes it worthwhile to buy an unlocked phone....
Mods, sorry if this isn't the correct forum for this question.
Cheers!
What pop up ads are you talking about?
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ using Tapatalk
RKramden said:
I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this question already (unfortunately) but here goes:
Is there any way to prevent the constant pop-up ads? Any software that doesn't require root or any program that I *might* be able to disable (using Package Disabler)
to prevent these damn things from showing up? Almost makes it worthwhile to buy an unlocked phone....
Mods, sorry if this isn't the correct forum for this question.
Cheers!
I'm having the same problems too and started after the last update the one that's keeping us from rooting it because of Knox that's all I know but you're not alone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
phiftyopz said:
What pop up ads are you talking about?
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The ones that appear with almost every app that you use on the phone. I've tried AD Blocker and it works for very few apps.
I miss the days of a rooted phone and Ad-away. Never had these pop-ups back then...oh, well...next time I WILL buy an unlocked
phone!!
I use Ad-Guard.. It works on rooted and non rooted. I used to use it on my last two rooted phones but it works good for this phone that not rooted. It doesn't block app ads so much as it blocks browser webpage ads BIG time.
Matttrix said:
I use Ad-Guard.. It works on rooted and non rooted. I used to use it on my last two rooted phones but it works good for this phone that not rooted. It doesn't block app ads so much as it blocks browser webpage ads BIG time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anyway to get rid of the vpn key icon in the status bar?
As far as i know only if your rooted

Working ad blocker? (no root)

Device: Nexus 7 (2013)
OS: Android M 6.0.1
I am looking for a system wide ad blocker that works without root access. I tried Adblock Plus, but that let a whole lot of ads in. AdGuard was better, but ads still slipped through. On iOS, I use an app called Weblock and I haven't seen an ad since the day I installed it. You don't even have to have the app installed for it to work, you just have to enter the PAC URL into your WiFi config. I tried it out on my Nexus, and it did block ads, but it started causing connection issues.
So, what are my non-root, system wide options here other than ADP and AG? I know a lot of people would say "just root it and install AdAway", but I simply don't want to root my device.
Thanks!
Try this: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.savageorgiev.blockthis
The only Problem is, that you must pay after 30 Days of use.
Good Luck!
Thank me, by hitting the Thanks Button!
AnDrOiiiD_YT said:
Try this: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.savageorgiev.blockthis
The only Problem is, that you must pay after 30 Days of use.
Good Luck!
Thank me, by hitting the Thanks Button!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll give it a try! Thanks!
EDIT: Update - Tried it, doesn't work at all. Oh well :/
A truly working ad block needs root access. Not much you can do about it.
Master_W said:
I'll give it a try! Thanks!
EDIT: Update - Tried it, doesn't work at all. Oh well :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why you don't try the systemless root from chainfire?
zelendel said:
A truly working ad block needs root access. Not much you can do about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, you're right @zelendel.
Thank me, by hitting the Thanks Button!

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