Updated

Updated · Android Authority · Jul 22

Author Deploys NextDNS on Parents' Android Phones, Using 300,000 Free Monthly Queries to Block Scam Ads

Updated

Updated · Android Authority · Jul 22

Author Deploys NextDNS on Parents' Android Phones, Using 300,000 Free Monthly Queries to Block Scam Ads

1 articles · Updated · Android Authority · Jul 22

NextDNS became the author's fix after deceptive Android ads—including fake PDF update prompts seen in YouTube—led the parents to install bogus apps and clutter their phones.
Android's Private DNS setting let the author apply network-wide filtering remotely across phones and an older streaming box, while separate NextDNS profiles tailored protections for each parent.
The free tier's 300,000 monthly DNS queries was judged sufficient, and the setup used allowlists plus the HaGeZi Normal blocklist to catch unwanted domains.
DNS filtering still misses ads served from the same domains as content—such as YouTube—so the author also uses app-specific alternatives, permission reviews and app removals as part of a broader security routine.

Sources

If DNS blockers cannot stop YouTube ads, what other hidden backdoors are malicious advertisers using to bypass your phone's security?

Could the hidden DNS settings you use to block mobile scams accidentally break your parents' essential banking apps?

Why are tech giants allowing fake system alerts on their platforms, forcing families to build their own cybersecurity defenses?

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