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How to block pop-up ads on an Android phone

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(Pocket-lint) – No one likes to be interrupted by an annoying advert, but on our phones, it has become an all too common experience.

Most people know that they can block ads on their desktop or laptop computer, but our phones tend to be plagued with the things. Long gone are the days when you could install Ad Block Plus from the Play Store, Google doesn’t allow system-wide ad blockers anymore.

So, how do you go about blocking ads? Thankfully, it’s very easy, and we’ve got everything covered in this guide.

But first, a few things to mention. It’s important to remember that ads help keep sites going (including this one) and they’re important for content creators, too. So even though they can be irritating, in some cases, it’s worth allowing ads to help support the content that you love.

Also, we’ll be focusing on browser-based ad blocking, so keep in mind that these solutions won’t block ads in other apps, like games, for instance.

With that said, let’s get into the guide.

How to block pop-ups and intrusive ads in Chrome

Chrome is the default browser on the majority of Android phones, and as such, it’s the one the vast majority of people stick to.

You don’t need to swap to another browser to block ads, though. Thankfully, Chrome has some handy tools built-in to help with this.

The only caveat is that Chrome doesn’t block all ads, just pop-ups and ads that it deems intrusive or misleading. Here’s how you activate the features:

  1. Open Chrome on your Android phone
  2. Tap the three dots in the top right corner
  3. Tap on Settings
  4. Scroll down to Site settings and select it
  5. Tap Pop-ups and redirects
  6. Make sure the slider is toggled to the left
  7. Go back to the previous page
  8. Tap Ads and do the same thing

Now, Chrome will prevent the majority of pop-up ads from loading, and block ads entirely on sites that have misleading and intrusive ads. In some ways, it’s the best of both worlds as it allows you to support the content that you care about without suffering through egregious pop-ups.

But what if you want to take things a step further and block everything? Read on.

How to block ads with different browsers

If you’re willing to ditch Chrome, there are plenty of browsers that offer more robust ad-blocking options. Just keep in mind that you won’t be able to sync your history and bookmarks with Chrome on desktop, if you use that.

Our favourite option is Firefox, it allows for add-ons to be installed, and they work like Chrome extensions on desktop. uBlock Origin is a powerful, free and open-source ad blocker that can easily be added to the Firefox Android browser, and it’ll block just about everything.

Another great and full-featured option is the Opera browser, which has a solid ad blocker built-in and even a free VPN. There’s even a straight-up Adblock Browser, if all you care about is blocking ads.

How to block ads with an app

So, that’s browsers sorted, but what if you want to block ads in other apps? As we mentioned up top, Google has long since removed ad-blocking apps from its Play Store, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t block ads elsewhere.

You’ll have to side-load these apps, which can be a little daunting if you’ve never done it before, but it doesn’t mean the apps are untrustworthy – just that Google’s not so keen on you using them. Which is understandable, given its business model.

Best iPhone apps 2022: The ultimate guide By Maggie Tillman ·

These are the absolute best iPhone apps available right now, from productivity apps to apps for traveling, reading, listening to music, and more.

Apps like AdGuard and AdLock come from notable cyber-security brands and so should be perfectly safe to use. The downside is that they’re subscription based, so you’ll have to pay a monthly fee once your trial ends.

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Sourced from Pocket-lint

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iOS App Tracking: How to stop iPhone and iPad apps from sharing what you do

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– Apps need your permission to track activity across different apps in iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, and tvOS 14.5

(Pocket-lint) – Apps that track you across other apps and websites on iOS, iPadOS and tvOS will now have to ask your express permission to do so. The move marks a shift in how apps can operate on Apple’s mobile operating systems and how apps can target you

All apps now have to detail what they track on the App Store (in a section called App Privacy). If they haven’t submitted details for this yet, they will be mandated to do so when they next submit an app update to Apple.

This is coming as part of the new iOS/iPadOS/tvOS 14.5 update. Apps have been able to ask for this permission in earlier versions of iOS 14, but now it will be mandatory.

Apple calls this App Tracking Transparency and it means users will now have to opt into their devices giving over information on their use. You’ll see a pop-up message like this when loading apps after they’ve been updated.

Apple

The new requirement has stoked the ire of some, especially Facebook, who rely on tracking to target ads. Your Apple device tracks what you do in apps using an anonymised Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA) – this means that Facebook can serve you ads for the item you’ve just searched for on eBay.

Google has a similar thing called Google Advertising ID or GAID. These essentially tie your activity together in a way that means you can’t be personally identified. They make ads more effective for advertisers but should – in theory – also make them more relevant to you. Facebook argues tracking gives you a “better ads experience” but it has already warned investors that Apple’s move could hurt its advertising business.

App Tracking Transparency means apps now have to ask for permission to use that shared information. Of course, you could still be targeted by the information you provide such as searches or previous purchases within a particular app – so you’ll likely still see ads personalised for you.

Apple

Apps can’t circumvent having to ask for this permission according to App Store rules, nor restrict app functionality depending on whether you’ve given permission to track. Equally, they’re not able to pass on other information, such as an email address or username to others.

Apple’s own apps will also comply with these rules, but as per Apple’s privacy policies, it doesn’t share information it collects about you with other companies.

Users have previously been able to access per-app Privacy settings, but have not been asked permission. You can also globally disable tracking for a period should you wish to.

How to disable ad tracking on your iOS/iPadOS device, either per app or globally.

Go to Settings > Privacy > Tracking. You can then see a list of apps you have enabled for tracking and toggle any one of them off.

Apple

At the top is a global setting – you can turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track. This means you won’t see any pop-ups from apps and will stop any new apps from asking for permission to track.

If you have already given permission to some apps to track you, you’ll then be asked whether you want to continue to allow them to track or stop them from that point onwards.

Apple

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We’re not Addicted to Smartphones, We’re Addicted to Social Interaction

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According to scientists, mobile device habits stem from a healthy human need to socialise, which is rooted in evolution.

By MediaStreet Staff Writers

A new study of dysfunctional use of smart technology finds that the most addictive smartphone functions all share a common theme: they tap into the human desire to connect with other people. The findings, published in Frontiers in Psychology, suggest that smartphone addiction could be hyper-social, not anti-social.

“There is a lot of panic surrounding this topic,” says Professor Samuel Veissière, from the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University, Canada. “We’re trying to offer some good news and show that it is our desire for human interaction that is addictive – and there are fairly simple solutions to deal with this.”

We all know people who, seemingly incapable of living without the bright screen of their phone for more than a few minutes, are constantly texting and checking out what friends are up to on social media.

These are examples of what many consider to be the antisocial behaviour brought on by smartphone addiction, a phenomenon that has garnered media attention in the past few months and led investors and consumers to demand that tech giants address this problem.

But what if we were looking at things the wrong way? Could smartphone addiction be hyper-social, not anti-social?

Professor Veissière, a cognitive anthropologist who studies the evolution of cognition and culture, explains that the desire to watch and monitor others – but also to be seen and monitored by others – runs deep in our evolutionary past. Humans evolved to be a uniquely social species and require constant input from others to seek a guide for culturally appropriate behaviour. This is also a way for them to find meaning, goals, and a sense of identity.

Together with Moriah Stendel, also from McGill’s Department of Psychiatry, Professor Veissière reviewed current literature on dysfunctional use of smart technology through an evolutionary lens. The researchers found that the most addictive smartphone functions all shared a common theme: they tap into the human desire to connect with other people.

Healthy urges can become unhealthy addictions

While smartphones harness a normal and healthy need for sociality, Professor Veissière agrees that the pace and scale of hyper-connectivity pushes the brain’s reward system to run on overdrive, which can lead to unhealthy addictions.

“In post-industrial environments where foods are abundant and readily available, our cravings for fat and sugar sculpted by distant evolutionary pressures can easily go into insatiable overdrive and lead to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. The pro-social needs and rewards of smartphone use as a means to connect can similarly be hijacked to produce a manic theatre of hyper-social monitoring,” the authors write in their paper.

Turning off push notifications and setting up appropriate times to check your phone can go a long way to regain control over smartphone addiction. Research suggests that workplace policies “that prohibit evening and weekend emails” are also important.

“Rather than start regulating the tech companies or the use of these devices, we need to start having a conversation about the appropriate way to use smartphones,” concludes Professor Veissière.

 

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Samsung thinks foldable phones are the new flip phones

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By Gordon Gottsegen.

A patent application gives us a good look at the company’s plans for a foldable smartphone.

The next-generation flip phone could be foldable.

Samsung recently published a patent (original, in Korean) that shows renderings of a phone that folds in half down its middle.

The company is expected to release a bendable smartphone next year, according to reports. We don’t know for certain whether this patent would tie in to those alleged devices — or ever be used at all — but it looks plausible at least.

This type of design could lead to a smartphone with many interesting features. Bending a phone in half makes it easier to carry around, and the phone’s inwardly curved design could comfortably hug your cheek.

Samsung has experimented with flexible screens for a long time. While the Galaxy Edge line technically incorporates a flexible screen beneath a rigid body (you can’t bend it yourself), Samsung also wants to produce a phone that you can repeatedly bend or even fold.

This isn’t the first patent we’ve seen with foldable screens, either. A Samsung patent from last yearshowed design concepts for not only foldable smartphones, but also ones that can be rolled up like a scroll.

Bendable, foldable and rollable phones present technical hurdles. Not only does the screen itself have to move without breaking or wearing, but the stuff inside has to as well, or at least be placed in an area where it won’t get harmed. When’s the last time you saw a bendable battery?

So the question isn’t whether Samsung is working on foldable phones, but how long we have to wait until they’re ready for show-and-tell.

Samsung said it would not comment on rumors or speculation.

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Sourced from C¦NET

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