AdClear Review 2024: Is This Free Ad Blocker for Android Users Worth It?

AdClear is designed for Android devices using the Samsung Internet or Yandex browsers. While niche, AdClear is effective at blocking most online ads. It's also completely free to use and easily accessible.

There aren't any fancy tools or filters, so you can set it up and forget about it. However, this does mean that you don't have as much control over your internet experience. So for the ultimate browsing experience, we recommend top-tier ad blockers with broader device compatibility.

Let's take a deep dive into AdClear, how it works, and who it may benefit.

AdClear overview

Best Basic Adblocker — Including YouTube Video Ads

4.9

AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Editorial Rating

Learn More

On Total Adblock's website

Ad Blocker

Total Adblock

Special deal: Save 80% off

• Instantly blocks distracting ads on millions of websites, including YouTube video ads
• Blocks third-party trackers to protect your privacy and information
• Improves page load times and enables faster browsing

Our experience

The AdClear app was easy to use, but there were some bumps along the way. After installing AdClear, we were prompted to download either Samsung Internet or Yandex browsers. AdClear doesn't work with other browsers like Chrome, so it was an extra step to download a compatible browser.

We downloaded the Samsung Internet browser. The next step from AdClear was to enable it in the browser's settings. It wasn't immediately clear how to do this or how to tell if it was on or not. After some fumbling around, we found the ad blocker feature in the settings. Once we found it, it was simple to enable it.

After the installation process was over, AdClear was extremely easy to use. AdClear doesn't have any custom filter options, so you can just set it and forget it. AdClear blocked several ads during our testing and didn't slow down our internet speeds.

Main features

AdClear is easy to use partially because there aren't many features. There isn't any whitelisting or blacklisting functionality, but AdClear does have some limited ad-blocking filters.

AdClear automatically enables two types of filters. The first is the Default List, which has the essential ad-blocking rules. The second type is the Mobile Ads Filter. Its function is to block ads on mobile devices.

Additional filters are based on language. Many people consume content in more than one language, which means you could receive ads in multiple languages. Enabling a language filter can help block ads in different languages. You can choose ad-blocking filters for a variety of languages, including:

• Chinese
• Dutch
• Finnish
• French
• German
• Korean
• Russian
• Spanish
• Turkish
• Ukrainian

AdClear’s test results

We tested if AdClear works at blocking ads and trackers. Overall, AdClear gave mixed results.

We conducted the first test with AdBlock Tester, which evaluated AdClear's ability to block intrusive ads and analytical tools. AdClear successfully blocked contextual ads but not banner ads. It also didn't do so well to block sites from gathering data about our online behavior.

So far, AdClear hasn't done a great job blocking ad trackers from collecting data from users. We also tested AdClear with Cover Your Tracks to determine if it blocked trackers. The test results showed that AdClear only provided partial protection. Other free ad-blocking extensions do a much better job of blocking annoying ads and ad trackers.

Finally, we used the Can You Block It test to see if AdClear could block interstitial ads and banner ads as well as disable ad-block warnings. AdClear successfully blocked all three ad types, which led to a smoother online experience.

AdClear scores

YouTube ad test

There are plenty of ads on YouTube, and many people try to avoid them by using ad blockers. We tested AdClear to see if it can block YouTube ads. At first, our video was just a black screen for several seconds. Eventually, the video played without showing an ad.

During our second attempt, the YouTube video was black for a while before eventually showing a static ad that you could immediately skip. While not the best ad blocker for YouTube, it's preferable to watching a video with annoying ads.

Bypassing paywall test

Paywalls block you from viewing content unless you have a subscription. We tested AdClear by browsing the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and The Atlantic to see if it would bypass the paywalls.

Unsurprisingly, AdClear didn't work, and we were met with a paywall if we wanted to read articles. Most content blocking apps can’t bypass paywalls without a VPN, but it’s worth a try, right?

What browsers and software is AdClear compatible with?

AdClear only works on Android devices using Samsung Internet and Yandex. It's extremely limited since it doesn't work with popular browsers like Chrome or Firefox.

However, it does work pretty well at blocking ads. If you're not in love with your mobile browser, it could be worth breaking up with it and moving to Samsung Internet or Yandex. This would enable you to use AdClear.

How to use AdClear

• Install the AdClear app.
• Accept the terms and conditions.
• Install the Samsung Internet or Yandex browser if you haven't yet.
• Go to the browser's settings to enable AdClear. On Samsung Internet, click the three horizontal lines on the bottom right. Then select Ad blockers from the menu. Enable AdClear from the list of ad blockers.
• Customize settings in the AdClear app. You can choose to disable default filters or enable language-based ad-blocking filters.
• You're all done! You can surf the Samsung Internet or Yandex browser without ads.

Top alternatives

AdClear may not be the best fit for everyone, especially due to its limited compatibility. Luckily, there are many other ad blockers on the market that could be the right fit for you. Based on our extensive testing, we recommend the following alternatives.

		Threat Protection	CleanWeb
Best for	Best for blocking YouTube ads	Best overall	Best for blocking streaming ads
Price	Starts at $1.59/mo (billed annually)	Starts at $3.99/mo (billed every two years)	Starts at $2.19/mo (billed biennially)
Free version?
Adblock Tester score	100/100	93/100	96/100
Cover Your Tracks score	2/3	2/3	0.5/3
Can You Block It score	3/3	2/3	3/3
Blocks YouTube ads?
Compatibility	Windows, Mac, Chrome, Edge, Opera, Amazon Fire, Safari, Android, iOS	Threat Protection: Windows, macOS Threat Protection Lite: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Chrome, Edge, Firefox	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Chrome, Edge, Firefox, FireTV
Learn more	Get Total Adblock	Get NordVPN Threat Protection	Get Surfshark CleanWeb

The Total Adblock browser extension has a perfect score for blocking ads. It's also the most affordable option and is compatible with most popular browsers. Plus, the premium plan includes the award-winning antivirus software, TotalAV.

If you want ad-blocking protection bundled with advanced security features, consider using NordVPN Threat Protection or Surfshark CleanWeb. In addition to blocking ads, trackers, and even malware infected ads, both services include a secure virtual private network (VPN) to help you browse anonymously.

FAQs

Bottom line: Is AdClear good?

Overall, AdClear works for Android users who don't want to put too much effort into blocking ads and trackers. It’s easy to use, and you can basically forget about it once it's set up. Plus, AdClear is a great choice for people who know multiple languages and can use the language filters to block ads in their respective languages.

Even though it’s a decent free ad blocker, AdClear doesn't provide much customization to filter specific websites, and it has very limited compatibility. It also only works on Android using the Samsung Internet or Yandex browser.

If AdClear doesn't meet your needs, there are plenty of other top-tested ad blockers with broad device and browser compatibility. Some of the best ad blockers include Total Adblock, NordVPN Threat Protection, and Surfshark CleanWeb.

3.4

AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Editorial Rating

Learn More

On AdClear's website

Ad Blocker

AdClear

• Free ad blocker extension for Android even stops YouTube ads
• Limited browser compatibility to Samsung Internet and Yandex

Author Details

Sara J. Nguyen

About the Author

Sara J. Nguyen is a freelance writer specializing in cybersecurity. She aims to help people protect their data while enjoying technology. She has written about online privacy and tech for over 5 years for several organizations. When she's not writing about the latest cybersecurity trends, you can find her on LinkedIn.