Help How to get rid of (block) "ads by Google"

[HealingHands33]

I have a Samsung S5 running Android 6.0.1, not rooted, and generally it has always run well. However, in the last few days (week or so?) I'm now suddenly experiencing very frequent full-screen ads, most (all?) of which are for various apps and have a link to the Google Play Store; never had these before. In one corner of the apps is a small "I" icon (presumably for Information), which when clicked displays "Ads by Google."

I've searched online for a solution, but all the articles I've found seem to end up solving one of two problems I don't have:

A) I am not trying to stop personalized ads by Google (did that as soon as I bought the phone); and
B) I am not trying to block ads in a browser (have always used Adblock Plus or uOrigin in my browsers)​

The full-screen pop-up ads occur at any time, even if my browser(s) are closed, so a browser addon isn't the solution. I found an article which seemed to imply that Adblock Plus had a blocking app that worked on the phone generally, rather than just within the browser, but when I followed the download link, sure enough, the download was for the Adblock Plus browser, which doesn't solve my problem.

I apologize if I'm missing something obvious, but if anyone can tell me how to reliably block these infuriating "Ads by Google," I'd be most grateful.

HH33

 

[mikebruer5]

If anybody can help please help. It's not a browser issue I have ads as soon as I unlock the phone. Full screen ads frequently..thank  you..  I feel your pain..

 

[HealingHands33]

I think I've solved my own problem. I finally found a link where I could download the .apk file for Adblock Plus, rather than just the ABP browser addon. I've sideloaded ABP onto the phone and configured the proxy, so we'll see what happens.

 

[mikebruer5]

I think I've solved my own problem. I

<span style='text-decoration: underline'>finally</span> found a link where I could download the .apk file for Adblock Plus, rather than just the ABP browser addon. I've sideloaded ABP onto the phone and configured the proxy, so we'll see what happens.

Plzzz ..share..

 

[HealingHands33]

If anybody can help please help. It's not a browser issue I have ads as soon as I unlock the phone. Full screen ads frequently..thank  you..  I feel your pain..

I downloaded the .APK file at:
https://update.adblockplus.org/latest/adblockplusandroid.apk

Initial instructions start here:
https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-disable-ads-by-Google-in-mobiles

If you need to set up the proxy manually, that article links to the further instructions here:
https://adblockplus.org/en/android-config

That's what I just did. I need to give it some time to see whether I'm still getting ads or have in fact solved the problem, but you may want to give it a try in the meantime. If you have any success, please post your results here. Other/better solutions will be welcome.

Hope that helps.

HH33

 

[mikedt]

Ads are often caused by some "free" app or game that got installed or updated. Have you been sideloading APKs from outside of Google Play or Amazon Appstore, i.e. untrusted sources, whatever websites, etc. Some cheapo off-brand phones may have ads as well, baked into system.

 

[HealingHands33]

Ads are often caused by some "free" app or game that got installed or updated. Have you been sideloading APKs from outside of Google Play or Amazon Appstore, i.e. untrusted sources, whatever websites, etc. Some cheapo off-brand phones may have ads as well, baked into system.

Thanks for your reply. In the 2+ years that I've had the phone, AdBlock Plus is probably the 2nd or 3rd app I've sideloaded. The last sideload was at least many months ago, if not a year+, and I keep the "Unknown sources" unchecked all the time, except when I specifically need it. These ads only started a few days ago, so I don't think it's a sideloading issue (I also scanned the .APK with Malwarebytes and Virus Total), nor is it likely to be baked into my Samsung S5, especially since I've owned the phone for over two years and only had these ads pop up in the last few days.

Not sure what's caused this. I've naturally updated various apps on a fairly regular basis, but couldn't begin to tell you which may be the culprit.

HH33

 

[HealingHands33]

UPDATE:
Since installing and configuring ABP, some in-app ads (the small banner ads across the bottom, top, or middle of the app) have disappeared, but others still remain. I've had one full-screen ad show up, but I'll reboot my phone and see if anything changes.

 

[mikedt]

Have you got anything like ES File Explorer, anything by GO such as GO Keyboard or GO SMS, Cheetah Mobile apps, Peel Smart Remote, TouchPal, WonderShare, Kingo Root, etc., all of which are known adware and are Chinese.

 

[mikebruer5]

I downloaded the .APK file at:

<br>

<a href='https://update.adblockplus.org/latest/adblockplusandroid.apk' target='_blank' class='externalLink' rel='nofollow'>https://update.adblockplus.org/latest/adblockplusandroid.apk</a>

<br>

<br> Initial instructions start here:

<br>

<a href='https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-disable-ads-by-Google-in-mobiles' target='_blank' class='externalLink' rel='nofollow'>https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-disable-ads-by-Google-in-mobiles</a>

<br>

<br> If you need to set up the proxy manually, that article links to the further instructions here:

<br>

<a href='https://adblockplus.org/en/android-config' target='_blank' class='externalLink' rel='nofollow'>https://adblockplus.org/en/android-config</a>

<br>

<br> That's what I just did. I need to give it some time to see whether I'm still getting ads or have in fact solved the problem, but you may want to give it a try in the meantime. If you have any success, please post your results here. Other/better solutions will be welcome.

<br>

<br> Hope that helps.

<br> I hope this works. If it does work you're my hero have a good day and thanks for your time..

<br> HH33

 

[HealingHands33]

UPDATE 2:
No luck.

Have you got anything like ES File Explorer, anything by GO such as GO Keyboard or GO SMS, Cheetah Mobile apps, Peel Smart Remote, TouchPal, WonderShare, Kingo Root, etc., all of which are known adware and are Chinese.

I've used Go SMS for years and never had these full-screen ads. I just yesterday deleted Cheetah Mobile's CM Cleaner (which I'd also used ever since I got the phone, but with no full-screen ads), but still have the full-screen ads.

FWIW, I rebooted the phone and the notification from Adblock Plus now says "Ads are blocked on the WiFi connection," but I'm still getting little banner ads in some (not all) apps, and every one I've checked says "Ads by Google."

Unless someone can help me understand something I may have done wrong, I'd say that Adblock Plus probably isn't the answer to getting rid of "Ads by Google."

 

[mikedt]

UPDATE 2:
No luck.



I've used Go SMS for years and never had these full-screen ads. I just yesterday deleted Cheetah Mobile's CM Cleaner (which I'd also used ever since I got the phone, but with no full-screen ads), but still have the full-screen ads.

I know GO Keyboard definitely shows lock-screen ads, because I've seen them for myself. If you're still using a GO app, maybe the devs have become more greedy for Ads by Google $$$ and have updated their apps accordingly. That's why things like this are "free". Cheetah Mobile are notorious for data mining and selling your data to third-parties, and their CFO has freely admitted that's how they monetize.

 

[HealingHands33]

Thanks for that info. I don't actually get lock screen ads; the full-screen ads that recently started just pop up randomly when I'm actually using the phone. I use the SwiftKey keyboard, which is excellent, so I've never tried GO Keyboard. As to Cheetah Mobile, I got sick of their constant nagging to sign up for endless extra sub-apps to do this function or that function, so I dumped CM and am now trying 360 Security. Not sure yet if it's any better, but I'm really glad to be rid of CM.

I used Addons Detector and found that I have 46 apps which use Google Mobile Ads, so getting rid of all of them isn't an option and deleting them individually, waiting to see if anything changes, then reloading the non-problem ones would be a really arduous mission. I can't help thinking that there must be a way to block Ads by Google, perhaps by blocking access to the site from which those ads come, but I'm not sure what site that is. I have NoRoot Firewall on my phone and could perhaps create some sort of global filter, but I'm not sure what address(es) and port(s) to block.

Thanks again for your posts.