Here’s how to block unwanted ads on your Android phone

We can all agree that unwanted ads can be annoying, distracting, and sometimes malicious.

ALSO READ: MTN users must tighten themselves for prices hikes soon

Dangers of unwanted ads

Did you know that abusive ads can slow even the best Android phones, drain your battery, and compromise privacy.

Advertisements usually appear on a web page, but ads can sometimes be seen in pop-ups, notifications, and Android wallpaper if an abusive app is installed. This guide shows you how to get rid of them.

ALSO READ: WhatsApp: Big changes coming on your Android keyboards

Here is what you need to do

Google Chrome has a built-in pop-up and ads blocker to disable intrusive or misleading pop-ups. Follow the steps below to enable them on your phone.

ALOS READ: Crime stats: Here are the top 10 hijacking hotspots in South Africa

1. Open Google Chrome on your Android phone.
2. Tap the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner and open Settings.
3. Scroll to Site settings.
4. Open Pop-ups and redirects.
5. Enable the Pop-ups and redirects toggle from the following menu
6. Go back to Site settings and select Ads.
7. Turn on the Ads toggle.

ALSO READ: Here’s what to lookout for as tax season loams ahead

If you want to remove pop-ups during web browsing, use one of the third-party web browsers on Android, as Chrome doesn’t support an ad-blocker extension on mobile. Samsung Internet and Firefox are two popular Chrome alternatives that offer ad-blocker extensions on Android.

ALSO READ: All you need to know about the new South African smoking tax

Samsung Internet offers a built-in extension store to download pop-up blockers. Brave is another ads-blocker browser on Android that offers an ad-free browsing experience.

ALSO READ: ‘Banning SOME old bulbs in South Africa is a good thing’

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ARTICLES BY CWENGA MAQHUBELA