How to block ads on a Samsung phone · Seawall
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Setup guide · Samsung Galaxy, One UI

How to block ads on a Samsung phone

Set Seawall as Private DNS, and ads stop loading in apps, in Samsung Internet and other browsers on your Galaxy. Then turn off the ads and offers Samsung builds into its own apps: four settings, a few minutes.

  • About five minutes
  • No app to install
  • Wi-Fi and mobile data

In short

Open Settings › Connections › More connection settings › Private DNS, choose “Private DNS provider hostname”, paste your Seawall address and tap Save.

  1. Settings
  2. Connections
  3. More connection settings
  4. Private DNS
Get your Seawall address

Block ads on a Galaxy with Private DNS

The steps are the same on Galaxy phones and tablets with One UI. If a menu looks different, type “Private DNS” into the search in Settings.

  1. Get your Seawall address

    Create a Seawall account and copy your personal address from it.

    Seawall address

    example.dns.seawalldns.com

    This is an example. Your personal address appears after you sign up. Get yours

  2. Open Private DNS

    Go to Settings › Connections › More connection settings › Private DNS.

    1. Settings
    2. Connections
    3. More connection settings
    4. Private DNS

  3. Paste your address

    Choose “Private DNS provider hostname” and paste your Seawall address. Type it exactly, without https:// or spaces.

  4. Tap Save

    Ads stop loading right away, in apps and browsers, on Wi-Fi and mobile data. If an app was already open, close and reopen it.

  5. Check that it works

    Open the ad blocker test on your phone. All 24 addresses should show “blocked”.

    Run the ad blocker test
Private DNS on a Samsung phone, illustration

Turn off ads in Samsung apps

Some ads and offers come from Samsung itself. These settings turn them off; your apps keep working.

  1. Customization Service

    Samsung uses it to personalize ads and offers in its apps. Type “Customization Service” into the search in Settings and turn it off.

  2. The news panel on the home screen

    Long-press an empty spot on the home screen and swipe to the leftmost page. Turn off the Samsung news panel, called Samsung Free or Samsung News depending on your region, or switch it to Google Discover.

  3. Promotional notifications

    Long-press an ad notification to see which app sent it, for example Galaxy Store or Samsung Wallet, and turn off that app’s promotional notifications.

    1. Settings
    2. Notifications
    3. App notifications

  4. Advertising ID

    Delete your advertising ID. Apps then can’t use it to link your activity for ads.

    1. Settings
    2. Google
    3. Ads

If something doesn’t work

“Private DNS server cannot be accessed”

Android shows this when it can’t reach the address in Private DNS. Check that your Seawall address is typed exactly, without https:// or spaces. If a public Wi-Fi blocks encrypted DNS, switch to mobile data or set Private DNS to Automatic while you’re on that network.

Ads still show in some Samsung apps

Some come from the same servers as the app’s content, so DNS can’t tell them apart. The settings above turn most of them off.

Pop-ups over other apps or on the home screen

That’s adware: an app that shows ads by itself. Open Settings › Apps and uninstall apps you don’t recognize or installed just before the pop-ups started.

Ads in YouTube, Facebook or Instagram

These apps serve ads from the same servers as their videos and posts, so DNS can’t tell them apart. Seawall blocks the ad networks that other apps, games and websites use.

Your browser uses its own secure DNS

If secure DNS in your browser is set to another provider, the browser skips Private DNS. Switch it back to your current service provider in the browser’s privacy settings.

A site or app stopped working

Add it to your allow list in your Seawall account or pause protection for 10 minutes.

Samsung ad blocking questions

Why does my Samsung phone show ads?

Some ads come from apps and websites, and some from Samsung itself: offers in its apps, the news panel on the home screen and promotional notifications. Seawall blocks ad servers for every app, and the settings above turn off Samsung’s own offers.

Does Seawall block ads in Samsung Internet?

Yes. Ads in Samsung Internet stop loading like in other apps. Samsung Internet also supports ad blocker add-ons in its menu; you can keep one alongside Seawall.

How do I stop pop-up ads on my Samsung phone?

Turn on Private DNS with your Seawall address: ads from ad networks stop loading in every app. If ads pop up on top of your home screen, that is adware: find the app among recently installed ones in Settings › Apps and uninstall it.

Does it work on Galaxy tablets?

Yes. The steps are the same on Galaxy Tab: Private DNS is in Settings › Connections › More connection settings.

Will these settings break my phone?

No. They only control ads and promotional content. Samsung apps keep working, you just see fewer offers.

How do I turn Seawall off?

Open Private DNS again and choose Off or Automatic. To let everything through for a moment instead, pause protection for 10 minutes in your account.

Set up your other devices

Get your Seawall address

Then follow the steps above. It takes about five minutes.

Try it freeRun the ad blocker test