Samsung's new ad blocker finally stopped my phone from pestering me all day
Android Police 2026-06-15 12:00:12
Context: The article discusses a new ad-blocking feature introduced by Samsung in its One UI 8.5 update, which helps reduce excessive ad notifications on Samsung phones. This feature was tested on a Samsung Galaxy S25+ in conjunction with Private DNS to enhance user experience by minimizing ad interruptions. The location where this event took place is not explicitly mentioned, but based on the device used (Samsung Galaxy S25+), it can be inferred that the author, Faith Leroux, likely used the device in her usual environment.
Key Facts
- Samsung's One UI 8.5 update, based on Android 16, includes a new ad block control feature for apps that send excessive ad alerts, which can be accessed through Settings > Device care > Settings (three-dot icon) > Block apps with excessive ads.
- The feature uses "Intelligent blocking" to automatically put apps with frequent ad notifications into deep sleep, reducing but not entirely blocking ads in notifications.
- To further enhance ad blocking, the author used a custom Private DNS, specifically Adguard, in conjunction with the new ad block control setting on their Samsung Galaxy S25+.
- The Private DNS feature can be enabled on most Android phones by going to Settings > Connections > More connection settings > Private DNS, and entering a trusted DNS provider hostname.
- The author recommends combining the ad block control setting with Private DNS and using a VPN for additional privacy, as Private DNS does not encrypt traffic.