How to Stop Ads When Playing Games on Android Without Ruining the Fun

How to stop ads when playing games on Android: three fast wins

Let’s start with fixes you can try today. None of them will totally eliminate ads, but together they can noticeably cut ads on mobile games and improve your gaming experience:

Play games offline whenever you can

Many single player mobile games only need an Internet connection to load ads. If a title supports offline play, turn off Wi-Fi and mobile data or tap airplane mode. With no network, ad servers cannot reach your Android device, so most in game ads disappear.

Use device settings to limit ad tracking

Android lets you reset your Advertising ID, limit ad tracking, and turn off ad topics, app suggested ads, and ad measurement. These switches live under privacy and Google Play menus. They will not fully stop ads, but they potentially limit how personal and creepy they feel across mobile devices and other apps.

Let DNS and ad blockers filter ad domains

Newer versions support Private DNS. If you point it to an ad blocking DNS like AdGuard DNS, the system quietly blocks many ad domains. Add ad blocker apps or a trusted ad blocker browser extension and you can block ads and basic trackers with little effort.

Once these basics are in place, deeper tools like VPN filtering and ad free upgrades become much more effective.

Why mobile game ads exploded and why it matters

Mobile gaming runs on advertising. A study of children’s apps found that about 95 percent of popular titles for kids under five contained at least one form of advertising, often interrupting play with banners and pop ups. michiganmedicine.org+1

In 2025, the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority also banned several in-game promos for objectifying women and using porn style tropes in mobile dating and chat titles. So reducing ads on mobile games is not only about comfort, but also about keeping Android users away from offensive ads and shady offers.

Device settings that quietly reduce tracking and ads

Before installing more tools, clean up the built in options. These device settings touch many apps at once and make later ad blocking less leaky.

Tighten Google’s ad privacy switches

Open Settings, go to Privacy or Google services, and look for ad privacy options. Turn off ad topics, app suggested ads, and ad measurement so ads rely less on your activity across Play Store, Google Play, and other Google app surfaces.

Reset or delete your Advertising ID on Android

Your Advertising ID is a simple ID used for ad tracking in most mobile games and many other apps. Android lets you reset it or delete it entirely so titles cannot keep using the old ID.

If you also use an iOS device, open its privacy settings and limit Apple Advertising in a similar way.

Play games offline to stop ads in games instantly

Going offline is still the easiest way to calm down noisy titles. When the phone is offline, ad SDKs cannot phone home and ads in games simply never arrive.

Check if a game can play offline

Start a level while online, then turn off Wi-Fi and mobile data or tap the airplane mode icon. If the game keeps running, you know it can play offline without a constant Internet connection. In that case, offline sessions give you the same game content with far fewer ads in mobile games.

Use offline sessions for kids and casual Android games

For puzzle apps, runners, and simple Android games, offline mode is usually enough. Children can play games on long trips without endless promos and pop ups.

If a title refuses to launch without a live link, you will need network level tools instead.

Use Private DNS and a reliable ad blocker, then add a VPN app

To calm down ads on mobile games everywhere, not just in one title, filter traffic at the network and browser level.

Switch Android to an ad blocking DNS provider

Open Network and Internet, tap More connection settings, pick Private DNS, choose private DNS provider hostname, and enter the hostname from your service, for example dns.adguard.com if you use AdGuard DNS. This kind of ad blocking DNS blocks many ad and tracking hosts, so fewer calls from ads in mobile games and other apps reach your Wi-Fi network.

Add a reliable ad blocker on top of DNS

DNS filtering is great, but some promos and pop ups come from the same servers as the content. A tool with strong ad blocking features fills that gap. Pick a reliable ad blocker or trusted ad blocker in the Google Play Store without shady permissions or full root access.

Use a VPN app with filtering when you are away from home

On hotel or café Wi-Fi you cannot configure DNS on the router. A good VPN app routes traffic through an encrypted tunnel and can enable ad blocking for some hosts at the same time, which helps block mobile game ads, reduces tracking in mobile game advertisements, and keeps Internet traffic private on shared Wi-Fi.

For many games, this stack is enough to cut most noise and keep your gaming experience smooth.

When paying to remove ads is the better deal

Sometimes the cleanest answer is to pay and move on. If a title spams you with more ads than gameplay, buying its upgrade is often worth it.

Many devs offer ad-free versions or small unlocks inside the Google Play Store. You usually keep the same game content but lose the worst banners and timers. For a few good games, that small cost beats juggling filters forever.

How VeePN helps block ads and protect your Android traffic

The tips above work with built in tools or free blockers. VeePN adds a privacy layer that travels with you and also helps block mobile game ads and tracking.

Block ads feature for web clutter and simple banners

VeePN includes a “Block ads” toggle that filters many banners and trackers in your browser and some apps. Switch it on to block ads on websites and simple web view ads in games.

Encryption that shields what you do online

VeePN encrypts your Internet connection, so people on public Wi-Fi cannot see which apps or mobile games you open. That follows the same idea as VeePN’s secure VPN for Android guide, where encryption is the base layer of defence.

Changing IP address to cut easy tracking links

When you connect, VeePN gives you a new IP address from its VPN server network. This makes it harder for ad systems to tie behaviour across mobile devices, streaming apps, and browser tabs.

Kill Switch that keeps leaks from happening mid session

If the VPN connection drops, VeePN’s Kill Switch can pause traffic until the tunnel is back. Your real IP does not suddenly appear in the middle of a match or stream.

One subscription for multiple platforms

A single plan works on Android, an iOS device, desktop, and browser extensions. You can protect mobile games, streaming services, and work tools on up to ten gadgets at once.

Try VeePN with a 30-day money-back guarantee and keep it only if it really helps.

Written by Oliver Bennett Oliver Bennett is a dedicated cyber security content writer with a knack for breaking down intricate cyber topics into accessible and actionable insights.

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