System-wide ad blocking using hosts files — no root needed, supports the local VPN and wireless ADB modes.
Hosts-file ad blocker. No-root mode uses the local VPN slot (on-device filtering only). No analytics; sources are user-controlled.
AdAway blocks ads across every app by mapping known ad servers to a dead address. It does this with a merged hosts file — either as a system hosts file (root), via a local VPN service (no root, on-device only), or through wireless ADB on newer Android versions. Sources are user-configurable: any hosts-file URL can be added, prioritized, or disabled, and updates run on a schedule in the background. A log view shows exactly what was blocked and when, and silent hosts can be whitelisted when something breaks. Open source and donation-funded; no ads (obviously) and no telemetry. The VPN mode never forwards traffic off the device.
AdAway by AdAway Contributors — Tools app, 5 MB, requires Android 6.0+. Direct APK download on AppsDone, scanned for malware.