I’ve been using Adguard Free on Android for about a year now and I like how it works. I discovered it does not block trackers unfortunately. I’m thinking of buying a lifetime subscription. Is it worth it?
It seems like an all-in-one package for all my devices, which would save me a lot of thinkering.
Or would I just go using other providers like Mullvad or Pihole in the future?
I mentioned Mullvad because of the VPN service, I think Adguard has that included too. Would that be safe to use for torrents? I live in the EU if that helps.
What ads are you trying to block? For a browser use Firefox and uBlock origin. For apps choose apps without ads. F-Droid and alternativeto.net are your friends in finding apps. I basically do not have ads.
The ones in browsers are the ones i see the most i guess. I already have firefox, can we install extensions on android already?
Next to that i’ve got a few games with ads.
Also i want something to keep the trackers away.
There have been Firefox Extensions for a long time. Just a limited number. uBlock Origin is one of them. Reason I say Firefox is two reasons. First why would anyone use a browser from an Ad company. Makes no sense to me. Second there is talk that Google will eliminate some of the APIs good Ad blockers need and Mozilla I think has said they will retain.
I honestly prefer to have Nebulo + TraclerControl combined. I never saw any ad on my mobile.
Nebulo is great because it uses privacy-focused DNS server, while TrackerConrrol identifies and blocks any tracker as you want.
Adguard app does block ads and trackers in the free version too, you just need to set up dns filtering and select adguard DNS. You can also create a nextdns account for free and run it through adguard to have more control over what you’re blocking.
In general, adblocker for browser > DNS > anything else.
You can also create a nextdns account for free and run it through adguard to have more control over what you’re blocking.
What would the advantage of doing this over just using NextDNS be? Is it that AdGuard does browser blocking too? I have uBO + NextDNS free. Does AdGuard offer anything better?
In my opinion, adguard is worth in two cases: if you need Firewall+VPN on an unrooted device (every other thing I tried was either Firewall or VPN, no chance of getting them to work at the same time), or if you’re installing it on a family member’s/acquaintance’s device, so that they have an on/off switch if something goes wrong.
Unless you don’t fit in one of those two cases adguard will do little to nothing for you
It’s not a matter of bypassing, it’s about achieving the same result by different means.
I don’t know what exactly adguard does once those settings are enabled, but a private DNS (or even adguard’s free public dns, if you don’t want to put in the commitment and prefer a “set it and forget it” approach) gives you both tracking and malware protection (I strongly suggest watching this video to understand what a private DNS does and how https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUG57ynLb8I)
In general, I think DNS blocking is the easiest, quickest and the most effective way to block ads on your devices
I’ve been using it and it works pretty well. It won’t block all ads in some apps (like kids games) at least with the default config, but it’s saved our devices from gigs worth of ads. I think on my wife’s phone it’s blocked something like a million ads and I’m sitting at 580,000 blocked on mine after about a year. It’s nice that you can put it on multiple devices too.
I think PiHole is good too but only works at home. I also use Firefox with UBlock so I have that whitelisted in AdGuard.
I’ve liked the approach of using pihole for local devices, and then when away using like a local vpn approach to filtering stuff out like personaldnsfilter.
You could look into installing PiVPN over your Pi-Hole so you can use it while away from home as well via Wireguard. It is super simple to set up and use it on phones and laptops.
Why pay for a VPN when you can just use pivpn/wireguard for free? The question was how to simply use pihole when remote. Idk why you’d need to pay for a VPN to do that.
Don’t need to pay for a vpn there just so mainstream now and basically cost nothing. I pay for proton unlimited $50 a year and get vpn for 10 devices , storage, calendar and email
You are not logged in. However you can subscribe from another Fediverse account, for example Lemmy or Mastodon. To do this, paste the following into the search field of your instance: !privacyguides@lemmy.one
In the digital age, protecting your personal information might seem like an impossible task. We’re here to help.
This is a community for sharing news about privacy, posting information about cool privacy tools and services, and getting advice about your privacy journey.
You can subscribe to this community from any Kbin or Lemmy instance:
Check out our website at privacyguides.org before asking your questions here. We’ve tried answering the common questions and recommendations there!
Want to get involved? The website is open-source on GitHub, and your help would be appreciated!
This community is the “official” Privacy Guides community on Lemmy, which can be verified here. Other “Privacy Guides” communities on other Lemmy servers are not moderated by this team or associated with the website.
Moderation Rules:
We prefer posting about open-source software whenever possible.
No soliciting engagement: Don’t ask for upvotes, follows, etc.
Surveys, Fundraising, and Petitions must be pre-approved by the mod team.
Be civil, no violence, hate speech. Assume people here are posting in good faith.
Don’t repost topics which have already been covered here.
News posts must be related to privacy and security, and your post title must match the article headline exactly. Do not editorialize titles, you can post your opinions in the post body or a comment.
Memes/images/video posts that could be summarized as text explanations should not be posted. Infographics and conference talks from reputable sources are acceptable.
No help vampires: This is not a tech support subreddit, don’t abuse our community’s willingness to help. Questions related to privacy, security or privacy/security related software and their configurations are acceptable.
No misinformation: Extraordinary claims must be matched with evidence.
Do not post about VPNs or cryptocurrencies which are not listed on privacyguides.org. See Rule 2 for info on adding new recommendations to the website.
General guides or software lists are not permitted. Original sources and research about specific topics are allowed as long as they are high quality and factual. We are not providing a platform for poorly-vetted, out-of-date or conflicting recommendations.
RethinkDNS is good, encrypted DNS and firewall
If you don’t need its HTTPS Filtering feature then just use something like rethinkdns
I have two family subscriptions. I find it worth it. It’s quite cheap on Stacksocial (even cheaper if you have a discount code).
On top of that, I have one of these routers at home. It comes in-built with Adguard Home. There is a newer, better model coming out soon as well.
What ads are you trying to block? For a browser use Firefox and uBlock origin. For apps choose apps without ads. F-Droid and alternativeto.net are your friends in finding apps. I basically do not have ads.
The ones in browsers are the ones i see the most i guess. I already have firefox, can we install extensions on android already? Next to that i’ve got a few games with ads. Also i want something to keep the trackers away.
There have been Firefox Extensions for a long time. Just a limited number. uBlock Origin is one of them. Reason I say Firefox is two reasons. First why would anyone use a browser from an Ad company. Makes no sense to me. Second there is talk that Google will eliminate some of the APIs good Ad blockers need and Mozilla I think has said they will retain.
You might want to look into AdAway
It blocks trackers and ads, and functions the same as Adguard in that it uses a local vpn to block ads.
It also allows custom lists.
I honestly prefer to have Nebulo + TraclerControl combined. I never saw any ad on my mobile. Nebulo is great because it uses privacy-focused DNS server, while TrackerConrrol identifies and blocks any tracker as you want.
Adguard app does block ads and trackers in the free version too, you just need to set up dns filtering and select adguard DNS. You can also create a nextdns account for free and run it through adguard to have more control over what you’re blocking.
In general, adblocker for browser > DNS > anything else.
What would the advantage of doing this over just using NextDNS be? Is it that AdGuard does browser blocking too? I have uBO + NextDNS free. Does AdGuard offer anything better?
In my opinion, adguard is worth in two cases: if you need Firewall+VPN on an unrooted device (every other thing I tried was either Firewall or VPN, no chance of getting them to work at the same time), or if you’re installing it on a family member’s/acquaintance’s device, so that they have an on/off switch if something goes wrong.
Unless you don’t fit in one of those two cases adguard will do little to nothing for you
AdGuard blocks ads and trackers just fine
deleted by creator
Thanks for the explanation! But what is behind ‘Tracking protection’ and ‘browsing security’? Or can that be bypassed by using Nextdns?
It’s not a matter of bypassing, it’s about achieving the same result by different means.
I don’t know what exactly adguard does once those settings are enabled, but a private DNS (or even adguard’s free public dns, if you don’t want to put in the commitment and prefer a “set it and forget it” approach) gives you both tracking and malware protection (I strongly suggest watching this video to understand what a private DNS does and how https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUG57ynLb8I)
In general, I think DNS blocking is the easiest, quickest and the most effective way to block ads on your devices
Ill check that one out, thanks!
Here is an alternative Piped link(s): https://piped.video/watch?v=WUG57ynLb8I
Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.
I’m open-source, check me out at GitHub.
I’ve been using it and it works pretty well. It won’t block all ads in some apps (like kids games) at least with the default config, but it’s saved our devices from gigs worth of ads. I think on my wife’s phone it’s blocked something like a million ads and I’m sitting at 580,000 blocked on mine after about a year. It’s nice that you can put it on multiple devices too.
I think PiHole is good too but only works at home. I also use Firefox with UBlock so I have that whitelisted in AdGuard.
Use NextDNS instead. Custom lists, tracker protection, and can be used for free with full features, but the paid version is very cheap.
I’ve liked the approach of using pihole for local devices, and then when away using like a local vpn approach to filtering stuff out like personaldnsfilter.
Haven’t really looked into paid options.
You could look into installing PiVPN over your Pi-Hole so you can use it while away from home as well via Wireguard. It is super simple to set up and use it on phones and laptops.
I love the pi hole
Now, how do you use a pihole on your phone when you aren’t connected to your WiFi?
Solution: Always be connected to your home network via permanent and mandatory VPN uplink.
You can use pivpn and tunnel into it using wireguard when You’re not home.
Or
If you are interested in protonvpn here’s a month free https://gonzoknows.com/product/proton-mail-plus-suite/
Why pay for a VPN when you can just use pivpn/wireguard for free? The question was how to simply use pihole when remote. Idk why you’d need to pay for a VPN to do that.
Don’t need to pay for a vpn there just so mainstream now and basically cost nothing. I pay for proton unlimited $50 a year and get vpn for 10 devices , storage, calendar and email
Adguard home is free
I’m using this too! I run it in Home Assistant. I just dont have any vpn setup now, i use the Adguard app