Spotify Ads with AdGuard DNS

[Cascade]

Hi,

I am using AdGuard DNS on my router. When I run the Spotify app (free version) on my Android 6 phone, I still see sponsored video/audio ads in the app. Is it possible to blocks ads in the Spotify app using just AdGuard DNS? Could the filter lists be updated to support this?

Thanks.

 

[Alex302]

Hi
Android can use own DNS.
Could you, please, install AdGuard for Android, setup DNS(and enable DNS blocking) and collect HTTP log?
https://kb.adguard.com/en/android/solving-problems/log
and
https://kb.adguard.com/en/ios/solving-problems/dns-requests-log

 

[Cascade]

Would is be possible to block Spotify ads using AdGuard DNS on my router instead of on my Android mobile/tablet? Thanks.

 

[Alex302]

I am not sure about router. Android can use Google DNS.

Could you, please, install AdGuard for Android, setup DNS(and enable DNS blocking) and collect HTTP log?
https://kb.adguard.com/en/android/solving-problems/log
and
https://kb.adguard.com/en/ios/solving-problems/dns-requests-log

 

[Cascade]

I have the DNS servers on my router set to AdGuard DNS. Overall, it works good overall but it is mainly with Spotify that there are problems with unblocked ads.

With the Spotify Android app (on mobile/tablet) - Sponsored video/audio ads run.
With the Spotify Windows client - Ads are sometimes blocked but not always.

I found a programme called EZBlocker - Spotify Ad Blocker:

https://www.ericzhang.me/projects/spotify-ad-blocker-ezblocker/

This blocks ads in the Spotify Windows client (when I tested it) by adding these entries to the Windows Hosts file:

0.0.0.0 pubads.g.doubleclick.net
0.0.0.0 securepubads.g.doubleclick.net
0.0.0.0 www.googletagservices.com
0.0.0.0 gads.pubmatic.com
0.0.0.0 ads.pubmatic.com
0.0.0.0 spclient.wg.spotify.com

I'm not sure if they would apply to the Spotify Android app or not.

Would it be possible to add these rules (or similar rules) to AdGuard DNS? Thanks.

 

[avatar]

Hm, that's interesting.

The problem is www.googletagservices.com, blocking it globally will break a lot of websites.
However, AdGuard for Android can block it for the Spotify app specifically.

Do you have AG for Android installed? We can test it.

 

[Alex302]

these domains are blocked:
pubads.g.doubleclick.net
securepubads.g.doubleclick.net
gads.pubmatic.com
ads.pubmatic.com

spclient.wg.spotify.com

https://github.com/StevenBlack/hosts/issues/270
it seems this domain is useful.

 

[Cascade]

Thanks for your feedback. Unfortunately, I don't have AdGuard for Android (or AdGuard for Windows) installed.

 

[avatar]

Then the only way is to wait for the self-hosted AG DNS version so that you could set up blocked hosts manually.