[APP][5.1+] AdClear: Non-Root Full-Version Ad Blocker

Introduction:
AdClear is a non-root ad blocker for Android devices. There's only one version of the app, and it's free. We released it at the end of December and are looking for feedback and help in making AdClear the best it can be.

Features:

• Blocks encrypted ads
• Works with Wi-Fi and cell data
• Blocks ads in apps
• Selective app filtering
• Support for multiple browsers
• Non-root
• Log of blocked ads
• Saves bandwidth and battery
• Increases loading speeds online

How Does It Work?
AdClear is non-root, but it works on rooted phones just the same. AdClear creates a VPN on your device to filter out ad traffic before it reaches you on the web or in apps. The SSL certificate gets in the way of encrypted ads and filters them in the same way. This means the ad blocker can run in the background while you browse in whatever browser or app you want to use.


Who Are We?
SEVEN Networks actually has a pretty storied history on the mobile market--just in the background. We became pioneers in mobile messaging by inventing push-notified e-mail in the early '00s. We sold this feature to carriers and companies like Blackberry to put on their phones. In the same vein, we deployed e-mail to more than 550 devices in a time when OS platforms varied from phone to phone. As Android and iOS became the two primary platforms, we switched gears by creating Open Channel, which improved mobile network traffic by eliminating the need for constant syncing. We sold this technology to multiple carriers and even released a version on the Play store.

Recently, we've obviously taken sight of the developing market for ad blockers, and we realized we have some unique tools to bring to the table. Open Channel's fantastic resources gave us the ability to block encrypted ads and a huge data pool with which to build AdClear. We released AdClear on December 28, 2015, and we've been updating and upgrading it ever since.

"How Do You Make Money?"
The truth is, we don't right now. What we are doing is creating a source of analytics from our users in order to fix bugs and improve the app. This includes your device, android version, battery life, and app usage. You are assigned a UUID that completely separates you from your device and data, and there is no feasible way for us to personally identify you. If you'd like, uninstalling and reinstalling the app will give you a completely new UUID that cannot be connected to the previous one. We only use this to rapidly analyze and change our product.

In the future we may sell anonymized data to carriers, but that's one idea of many. That's part of what we want to know from you. This is a unique business plan for the ad blocking market. Would you be more inclined toward an acceptable ads or freemium model (premium being opting out of analytics)? Our main priority is to provide a high quality experience based on user suggestions to YOU at a high development pace. After a post we made on reddit got a bit of traction, we added a log, selectable app filter, and on/off switch based off of suggestions within the next few days. We want to get that type of feedback, that help, from XDA, and we're excited about the DEVDB platform. We've included the feature request and bug report sections and we hope that they are used! Either way, we're excited to have address these things with you in the comments.

How To Download:
DOWNLOAD LINK

More information about AdClear is available from our website.

Additional Links:

• Privacy Policy
• FAQ
• Terms of Use
• Home Page

XDA:DevDB Information
SEVEN AdClear, App for all devices (see above for details)

Contributors
SEVEN_AdClear, SEVENDev, SevenNetDev

Version Information
Status: Stable
Current Stable Version: 9.15.0.815-ga
Stable Release Date: 2020-07-27

Created 2016-02-05
Last Updated 2020-07-28

Anyone thinking about installing this should read the privacy policy over very carefully, and take a long hard think about it.

If you let this app routes your traffic to their servers, they can intercept all your traffic. If you then install their CA certificate to block ads in https sites, you've just allowed them to compromise SSL on most sites. Like PayPal, or banking, or similar.

There's also major inconsistencies in policies. The FAQ reads:

NO! We cannot see any of your data because AdClear’s VPN handles ad blocking directly on your device. Not only does this make AdClear blazing fast, it means AdClear’s servers aren’t involved in the process in any way. Your data stays on your device.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

But the privacy policy reads:

When you use the Apps, you choose to route all of traffic through, or to, Open Channel in your mobile device and in some cases through Open Channel servers. As a result, we receive information regarding you, your online activities, and your device or browser when you use the Services. For example, we may receive...

- Information about your device, including the type of device, its operating system, the mobile carrier or network, IP address, battery information, GPS or other general location information, and device identifiers. When you download the Apps, you may permit us to access data on or about your device, including permissions obtained through our Apps or your device (e.g. Google Play on Android).

- Log information and other data from your device, such as webpage addresses and data fields.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

So you're routing all your traffic through them, while at the same time they can't see the data as their servers aren't involved and the data stays on your device?

Nice try! But no thanks. This is basically a data gathering exercise.

If you want no-root ad blocking, go for the fully open source app NetGuard - the code is open and free to check it doesn't send your traffic everywhere, and it doesn't gather data, treat you as the product, or need to interfere with SSL, putting you at risk.

http://xdaforums.com/android/apps-games/app-netguard-root-firewall-t3233012

Reserved

AdClear Version 502379 Release Notes

Change List

• Moved settings into the navigation drawer (menu on left side of screen)
• Swipe down to refresh lists from server
• Fixed an issue when downloading apps from Google Play Store
• Fixed an issue when attaching screenshots
• Fixed an issue with some MMS apps for some devices
• Fixed networking issue experienced by some users
• Added setting to enable privacy protection (Off by default)
• Moved Advanced Protection into Settings page
• Moved Additional Lists into Settings page
• Fixed some domains being mistakenly blocked by filters
• Fixed affiliate links being mistakenly blocked in browsers
• Fixed AdClear beta links being mistakenly blocked in browsers
• Fixed connection issues for users
• Added conversation window to see past issues sent to us from feedback
• Improved our crash detection
• Removed unneeded permissions from the app for new downloads
• Bug fixes and improvements

DOWNLOAD

We went public with our latest update today, which might be our biggest one yet! We tried to solve every major problem that has come around since our last release more than two weeks ago. We're already live with our latest beta patch as well which will be common going forward. If you'd like to help us with the next update, please sign up with the link in my signature. Thanks guys!