How to Block Ads on Your Smart TV

Smart TVs bring streaming and apps together, but they also bring ads in menus, screensavers, and apps. This guide shows you how to reduce or block most of these ads on popular platforms like Samsung, LG, Roku, Fire TV, and Android TV, without breaking any features. You’ll need about 10–20 minutes and access to your TV’s settings menu.

What You’ll Need

• Your smart TV remote
• Access to your Wi-Fi network (for DNS-based blocking)
• Optional: a computer or phone to change your router’s DNS settings
• Optional: a USB drive (for some advanced ad-blocking methods on Android TV)

Step-by-Step

1. Disable Personalized Ads on Your TV’s System Settings

Most smart TV platforms have a setting that controls ad tracking. Turning it off stops the TV from using your viewing history to target ads, but it may not remove all ads.

1. Open Settings on your TV (usually a gear icon on the home screen).
2. Look for Privacy, General, or System.
3. Find options like Advertising, Interest-Based Ads, or Personalized Ads.
4. Turn these off. On Samsung, it’s under Settings > Support > Terms & Privacy > Privacy Choices. On LG, it’s under Settings > All Settings > General > About This TV.

2. Change Your DNS to a Blocking Service

Using a DNS service that blocks ad domains can stop ads at the network level. This works for ads in the TV’s interface and many apps.

1. Choose a public DNS that blocks ads, such as AdGuard DNS (94.140.14.14) or NextDNS (you’ll need to set up an account).
2. On your TV, go to Settings > Network.
3. Select your connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet) and choose Manual or Advanced settings.
4. Enter the DNS server IP addresses (e.g., 94.140.14.14 and 94.140.15.15).
5. Save and restart the TV.

If your TV doesn’t allow manual DNS, change the DNS on your router instead. This affects all devices on your network, so it’s a good option if you want whole-house blocking.

3. Disable Screensaver and Home Screen Ads

Many TVs show ads on the screensaver or home screen. You can often turn these off.

1. For screensaver ads, go to Settings > General > Screen Saver and choose a simple clock or photo instead of the default “featured” screensaver.
2. For home screen ads, on Roku, go to Settings > Home Screen > Featured Content and set it to Off.
3. On Fire TV, go to Settings > Preferences > Featured Content and turn off Allow Video and Audio Notifications and Allow Featured Content.
4. On Android TV, go to Settings > Device Preferences > Home Screen and disable Content Suggestions.

4. Use Ad-Blocking Apps on Android TV

If your TV runs Android TV or Google TV, you can install apps that block ads system-wide.

1. Go to the Google Play Store on your TV.
2. Search for a DNS-based ad blocker like Blokada or AdGuard for Android TV.
3. Install the app and follow its setup instructions. Usually, you’ll need to allow it to create a VPN connection.
4. Open the app, start the ad-blocking service, and leave it running.

Note: Some ad-blocking apps are not available on the TV’s Play Store. You may need to sideload them, which requires enabling “Unknown Sources” in security settings and transferring an APK file from a computer.

5. Block Ads in Specific Apps

Some apps, like YouTube, have their own ad settings. For YouTube, you can’t remove ads without a Premium subscription, but you can disable personalized ads to make them less targeted.

1. Open YouTube on your TV.
2. Go to Settings (gear icon).
3. Select Ads and turn off Personalized Ads.

For other apps, check their individual settings for ad preferences. Many streaming services don’t have ads if you subscribe, but free apps like Pluto TV will still show them.

6. Update Your TV’s Firmware

Sometimes, newer firmware versions give you more control over ads. Check for updates regularly.

1. Go to Settings > Support > Software Update.
2. Select Update Now and wait for it to finish.
3. Restart the TV after updating.

Common Mistakes

• Expecting complete ad removal: Most methods reduce ads but don’t eliminate them. Built-in ads from the TV manufacturer may still appear.
• Changing DNS on the TV but not the router: If your TV doesn’t support manual DNS, changing only the TV’s network settings won’t work. Use the router method instead.
• Disabling all ads and breaking apps: Some ad-blocking methods can interfere with app functionality. If an app fails to load, temporarily disable the blocker.
• Ignoring privacy settings: Turning off personalized ads is the easiest step, but many people skip it. It’s the first thing to try.

Tips

• Use a router-level DNS: This blocks ads on all devices, not just your TV, and is more reliable than per-device settings.
• Combine methods: For best results, disable personalized ads AND use a DNS blocker. This covers both system ads and app ads.
• Check for “Labs” or “Developer” options: Some TVs have hidden settings that allow more control. For example, on Samsung, you can access “Labs” by pressing the mute button and entering a code (varies by model).
• Use a streaming device: If your TV’s ads are too intrusive, consider using a streaming stick like Roku or Fire TV, which have more ad-blocking options.
• Keep your TV offline: If you don’t use smart features, disconnecting from the internet will stop all ads, but also stops updates and streaming apps.

Troubleshooting

Problem: Ads still appear after changing DNS.
Check that the DNS settings saved correctly. Try a different DNS server (like NextDNS). Also, some ads come from the TV’s own servers, which a DNS blocker may not filter. Try restarting the TV.

Problem: The TV’s network settings don’t allow manual DNS.
Use your router’s DNS settings instead. Log into your router’s admin page (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1) and change the DNS there. This affects all devices.

Problem: An ad-blocking app won’t install on Android TV.
Sideload the app. Download the APK from a trusted source on your computer, save it to a USB drive, plug it into the TV, and use a file manager app to install it. Enable “Unknown Sources” in Settings > Security.

Problem: After blocking ads, some apps won’t load videos.
This happens when the ad-blocker mistakenly blocks a video stream. Add the app to the blocker’s whitelist, or temporarily pause the blocker.

Problem: The TV is slow after changing DNS.
Try a different DNS server. Some public DNS services are faster than others. You can test with a computer using speedtest tools.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I completely remove all ads from my smart TV?

No, most TV manufacturers include ads that can’t be fully removed through settings. You can reduce them significantly, but some may remain, especially on the home screen.

Will blocking ads affect my TV’s performance?

Usually not. DNS-based blocking doesn’t slow down your TV noticeably. However, if you use a VPN-based ad blocker, it may reduce internet speed slightly.

Is it legal to block ads on my TV?

Yes, blocking ads on your own device is legal. However, some apps’ terms of service may prohibit ad-blocking, but this is rarely enforced.

Do I need to change my router’s DNS if I don’t want to affect other devices?

No, you can change the DNS on the TV only, but not all TVs support that. If yours doesn’t, router-level is the only option.

Will a VPN block ads on my smart TV?

Not necessarily. A VPN encrypts your traffic but doesn’t block ads unless it has a built-in ad blocker. Some VPNs offer this feature, but you’d need to install the VPN app on your TV, which may not be available.

Why do I still see ads on YouTube after blocking?

YouTube serves ads from its own servers, which are not blocked by standard DNS filters. The only way to remove YouTube ads is to pay for YouTube Premium.

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