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Comment by afroisalreadyin | Hacker News Reader

How do you do that? At OS level with a setting? Networking changes?

I use an app called AdBlock https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id691121579?pt=425087...

It creates a local VPN that sets up a local filtering DNS. I just added the following domains to the block list:

   facebook.com
    fbcdn.com
    fbcdn.net
    fbsbx.com
    fb.com

That's very interesting. Does Android have anything similar?

Not sure, but you can use something like NextDNS to achieve the same. It’s basically a “pihole in the cloud”:

https://kennis.cc/public_uploads/0caeb8d4.png

Android has tons of these apps. Cuz its Android. An app exists for everything.

Check out Blockada. (Non-root)

Adaway (root and non root phones)

Adaway requires version 5.something for non rooted devices. Anything less than version 4 is only for rooted devices.

I used to use NoRoot Firewall [0], which worked similarly, and allowed you to block per-application.

[0] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.greyshirts...

I use https://blokada.org/index.html on Android.

But you have to keep an eye on it because it can get killed when Android(?) thinks it needs the resources for something else. The app has some options to help prevent this but it doesn't always seem to work.

NetGuard. Creates a local VPN through which the internet is routed. Shows the domains each app is accessing, can be blocked per app, or forbid internet at system level (breaks things, require fine tuning).

Also you can configure a non standard DNS (like adguard, which can block some things at the DNS level).

EDIT: or NextDNS, since it comes with some additional features.

+1 Netguard. It's an essential app, along with Firefox with ad-blocking add-ons.

Netguard by the same dev behind Xpirvacy, which provides dummy data to apps that try to send back all sorts of unique identifiers to the mothership (+apps like facebook).

Most popular apps call facebook IPs at launch, along with other analytics services. It's quite disgusting.

https://github.com/M66B/NetGuard

Great tip, thanks. Edit: This worked like a charm. Goodbye facebook, welcome back Spotify.

I just created NextDNS config to block Facebook. Install app, use custom configuration with Configuration ID 22776a.

(or make your own, takes 30 seconds)

I've been pretty happy with Lockdown for iOS. https://lockdownhq.com/about

Open source and free. Don't be confused by the VPN service they also offer for a price. You just want the local firewall functionality.

You can also do this with NextDNS[1] which gives you a "denylist" of domains to not resolve. All you need to do is change your nameservers to the ones they give you (or they also have a VPN option, I think?)

[1] https://nextdns.io

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