If you’ve recently bought a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, you may have noticed something frustrating—ads popping up in unexpected places, even in system apps like Samsung Weather or Samsung Pay. While your phone is powerful and full of features, these advertisements can be distracting and intrusive, especially when you’re expecting a clean, premium experience. Fortunately, there are several ways to minimize or completely remove ads from your Galaxy device. In this article, we’ll walk you through the most effective steps to take control of your phone and reclaim your screen.
Why Are There Ads on My Galaxy Phone?
Samsung has increasingly added ads to its native apps as a revenue-generating model. You might see them in Samsung Themes, Samsung Health, or even in push notifications. While this helps keep some services free, it doesn’t sit well with users who have paid a premium for their devices.
Ways to Remove or Reduce Ads
Here are some practical steps you can take to reduce or eliminate advertisements on your Samsung Galaxy Smartphone:
1. Opt Out of Personalized Ads
Samsung uses your data to deliver targeted ads. You can limit this by adjusting your privacy settings:
- Go to Settings.
- Scroll down and tap on Privacy.
- Tap Customization Services.
- Toggle off Customized ads and direct marketing.
This stops Samsung from using your personal data to deliver ads tailored just for you. While this won’t remove all ads, it reduces their frequency and personalization.
2. Disable Marketing Notifications
Most of Samsung’s default apps come with options for promotional alerts. Disabling these will help reduce pop-ups and push notifications:
- Open the Samsung Members or Samsung Pay app.
- Tap the Menu icon (usually top-right corner).
- Go to Settings or Notices.
- Find and turn off Marketing Information.
Repeat this for all Samsung apps that support this setting. It’s a one-time effort that pays off with a quieter phone experience.
3. Turn Off Ads in Weather and Samsung Apps
Some built-in apps like Samsung Weather are notorious for showing banner ads. Here’s how to deal with this:
- Open the Samsung Weather app.
- Tap the Menu button and go to Settings.
- Look for options related to Advertisements or Marketing and toggle them off.
This ensures you don’t get commercial interruptions during your daily forecast check-ins.
4. Use Good Lock Modules or Third-Party Tools
Samsung’s Good Lock app allows deep customization of your device. While it doesn’t explicitly block ads, some modules like NotiStar or Nice Catch can help you control notification ads.
- Download Good Lock from the Galaxy Store.
- Install modules like NotiStar to better manage app behaviors.
- Filter or block large volumes of irrelevant app notifications, many of which are advertising-based.
Additionally, consider installing a third-party ad-blocking app like AdGuard, which can actively block ads from both apps and browsers.
5. Adjust Browser Settings
If you’re seeing ads while browsing, be it in Samsung Internet or your preferred browser, there are ad blockers available:
- Open the Samsung Internet browser.
- Tap the Menu > Ad Blockers option.
- Download and enable a supported ad-blocking extension such as Adblock Fast or Disconnect.
This will significantly reduce banner ads and tracking while surfing the web on your phone.
Final Thoughts
While Samsung phones might push more ads than some of their Android competitors, the good news is that you have tools at your disposal to fight back. By carefully adjusting your system and app settings, using Galaxy Store utilities, and installing reputable third-party apps, you can have a cleaner, ad-free experience on your Galaxy smartphone.
Remember, some minimal ads might remain, especially in free services or third-party apps, but with these steps, you’ll greatly reduce the clutter and interruptions.
Now that you know how, go ahead and make your phone truly your own – minus the distractions.