AdGuard Android Updates & Release Notes

Please welcome the much anticipated AdGuard for Android v4.13! We set ambitious goals for this release, and did our best to deliver: a lot of work was done both in terms of big features as well as the usual behind the scenes routine of fixing bugs and oiling gears for a better performance. Let’s see the details below.

With this release, we introduced differential filter updates to AdGuard for Android! To achieve this, we integrated the FiltersListManager library into the app. Now, your filters will load automatically without consuming tons of traffic and overloading servers.

We also added post-quantum cryptography support to DnsLibs. Now AdGuard for Android, like our other full ad-blocking products, keeps your DNS requests protected against future threats.

Another significant change is our adoption of CRLite by Mozilla to verify revoked certificates. Using this instead of the more outdated OCSP (Online Certificate Status Protocol) or letting the app check each certificate against the CRL (Certificate Revocation List) not only speeds up website loading, but also increases your privacy and safety while browsing.

To improve security in Integration mode with AdGuard VPN, we changed the connection protocol, introducing the use of credentials. With the release of AdGuard for Android v4.13, our ad blocker and VPN cooperate seamlessly and securely, with no additional action required on the user’s part for them to synchronize. No third-party apps will be able to spy on your activities, as an added bonus.

In previous versions, in-app instructions for installing HTTPS certificates were added, as the process could differ in regards to your device’s make and model. In AdGuard for Android 4.13, we added support for ColorOS (Oppo) to those instructions.

And last, but not least, we have done a lot of work on our filtering engines and fixed bugs that had accumulated over time. Scriptlets and CoreLibs were updated for better app performance.

You can consult the changelog below to see all the fixes and improvements.

Changelog

Improvements

• Added possibility to copy an applied rule in request details in the filtering log
• Added support for Google Backup
• Excluded 2ndLine application from filtering by default
• Displayed information about updated DNS filters in the DNS list
• Added possibility to copy package_name in request details in the filtering log
• Improved the Check for updates button’s behavior on the update check screen
• Eliminated the possibility to add an empty user rule through the recent activity tab
• Added color distinction for updated content on the Updates screen
• Improved voicing of TalkBack voice assistant elements for Private browser
• Restructured the inputs/dialogs in Tracking protection
• Updated crash reports and app usage data names and dialogs
• Added the option to find requests by applied rules in recent activity
• Added validation to Mask your IP address screen
• Added auto-refreshing of the webpage after toggling the Website protection switch for it in Private browser
• Added authentication for the local proxy
• Added possibility to clear .hprof when it’s not needed
• Added an app update error screen for TV
• Improved video playback in the YouTube player in the background and picture-in-picture (PiP) mode

Fixes

• A blocking rule for the $network type is added via the Add allowing rule button in request details
• The Disable all? popup appears on the User rules screen even if the rules list is empty
• CA certificate installation instructions are not relevant for ColorOS
• DNS filters shows null instead of the time of the last update
• Firewall is activated automatically after granting the Usage access system permission
• High battery consumption starting from v4.12
• Impossible to block a domain, unblocked in DNS filter, using the filtering log only
• Incorrect subdomains appear in statistics
• Many apps stop working when AdGuard is active
• Recent activity log lags heavily after updating to v4.12.1
• Problems while editing extensions in language modes other than English
• Recent activity log fails to be cleared instantly in AdGuard v4.14 nightly 4
• Subdomains duplicate in Statistics
• The custom DNS server disappears after importing settings that were just exported
• The title of videos doesn’t minimize when clicking the share button while in horizontal mode
• Turning on AdGuard using tile closes the notification panel
• Filters update without authorization
• User regex in Ad blocking and DNS filtering rules breaks after AdGuard v4.14 nightly 5
• When attempting to update a beta version (e.g. RC), the update proceeds to the latest release version
• Configuration can’t be imported via link, even if the versions are consistent
• Rules duplicate themselves in the Applied rules section
• Failed to move the AdGuard Personal CA to the system store via the Move button in the app
• Custom content filter lists disappear after time
• Protection resumes every few seconds with HTTPS filtering and FakeDNS enabled
• An error snack appears after editing a userscript
• The switch on the Extensions setting does not respond when tapping the setting name
• After rebooting the phone, blocked URLs no longer show the reason why they were blocked in the log
• The Protection may not work properly while the hotspot is active notification is displayed for Android 10+
• Impossible to add a blocking rule with additional modifiers from Recent activity
• Impossible to select a custom DNS server by tapping Save and select
• Actual DNS protocol doesn’t match with what is shown on the DNS server details screen after settings import
• Empty space below the navigation bar after opening extensions editor
• AdGuard does not start after reboot
• Incorrect display of onboarding for certificate installation when importing settings via a link
• Integration mode dialogue doesn’t open consistently at app’s first launch
• Search query is not displayed on the Recent activity screen if the header was not collapsed after returning from request details
• The Open button for DNS providers opens the browser but not the website on Xiaomi TV Box
• The Can’t update license info snack is not displayed on the TV license screen after license check timeout
• Focus reset to default after pressing the Refresh status button on the License screen on TV
• The Certificate wasn’t installed dialog is shown after certificate installation via settings sharing
• Custom filter version is not updated after the filter update
• Text clipping, header overlap, and content being covered by the keyboard in Rule editor
• The YouTube button in the AdGuard player restarts video
• On the Quick actions screen firewall notifications are displayed for both blocked and allowed apps when the Show blocked only filter is selected
• Scrolling User rules overlaps another view
• Scroll focus moves out of viewport during rapid scrolling of App management on TV
• Sharing from YouTube Music to AdGuard player doesn’t work
• AdGuard’s notification brings the device’s screen out of sleep mode
• Private browser does not open other apps from webpages
• Filter rule editor accepts any non-empty string as valid rule without syntax validation
• Dynamic theme does not apply to the AdGuard app after closing Private browser
• With Kazakh or Kyrgyz as system language, AdGuard erroneously displays it as Russian
• The number of blocked requests is displayed incorrectly in notifications in languages ​​that use hieroglyphs

DnsLibs (DNS filtering engine)

• Updated DnsLibs to v2.8.45

Improvements

• Added Post-Quantum cryptography support to DnsLibs
• Added an option to remove h3 from the alpn parameter of HTTPS RR
• Improved reliability of testing DoT upstream availability
• Improved DNS upstream list updates without reloading filters

Fixes

• DNS unblocking rule does not work
• At times system:// upstream replies failed to be accepted on Android
• Missing AdGuard certificate on some websites such as hitomi.la

CoreLibs (Filtering engine)

• Updated CoreLibs to v1.21.38

Improvements

• Added support for decoding URLs in $urltransform
• Enabled HTTP/3 filtering by default in beta/nightly builds
• Added support for example.org/path cosmetic rules
• Added support for the new $reason modifier
• Improved Do Not Track behavior
• Prevented local.adguard.org DNS leakage after enabling protection
• Enabled HTTP/3 filtering by default in stable builds

Fixes

• Incorrect certificate serial number marshalling leads to false positive CRLite matches
• There is no AdGuard certificate if the advanced option Check websites’ certificate transparency is enabled
• Connection resets on CoreLibs v1.19
• Localhost is unreachable in manual proxy mode in v1.19
• Incorrect destination address is shown in Request details when integration with AdGuard VPN is enabled
• Userscript import failure caused by BOM
• Broken injections when FakeDNS is used in proxy settings
• Broken handling of closing script tags with spaces
• Incorrect $generichide behavior for domain-scoped rules
• High latency in QUIC/HTTP/3 filtering causes protocol fallback to HTTP/2

Scriptlets (JavaScript enhancement for filtering rules)

• Updated Scriptlets to v2.2.16

Improvements

• Added new scriptlet — prevent-innerHTML
• Improved fingerprintjs2 — support window
• Added a parameter to increase duration of the trusted-click-element scriptlet’s execution duration

Landscape mode

As we always say, your feedback is really important to us, and this time we’ve added one of the most requested features — landscape mode. Using AdGuard on a tablet is now even more convenient.
Some screens still need polishing, but we’re actively working on them!

Share settings

We’ve also added the Share settings feature. Now you don’t need to reconfigure everything on a new device or spend time describing your settings when reporting a missed ad — just share a link or scan a QR code.
To share your settings, go to Settings → Menu (⋮) → Share settings. If someone sends you a link, just open it in a browser and tap Import.

CoreLibs

The new CoreLibs release includes bug fixes and various improvements. For example, userscripts now work more reliably on SPA (Single Page Application) websites. Check the changelog for full details.

Changelog

Improvements

• Disabled “Route traffic through AdGuard” option for com.bKash.customerapp to ensure the app works correctly

Fixes

• CA certificate installation instructions are not relevant for Honor
• Impossible to add app-specific HTTPS exclusion
• Custom DNS filter is not shown in the Update section
• Tapping the cross on the snackbar about downloading a new app version doesn’t stop the download
• Some images are missing in a banking app due to AdGuard filtering

CoreLibs (Filtering engine)

• Updated CoreLibs to v1.19.28

Improvements

• Improved the $app modifier: added support for wildcards and regexps
• Added support for ALPS extension

Fixes

• Wrong tracking protection option shown in the log
• Filtering disabled on some websites due to performance warnings (new.lewd.ninja)
• “Use FakeDNS” option in Proxy Server interrupts the connection of bypassed apps
• Some extensions do not work after update to v2.17
• XHR timeout with the immersivetranslate userscript
• Content-type modifiers do not work with the $urltransform modifier
• DNS filters do not apply

DnsLibs (DNS filtering engine)

• Updated DnsLibs to v2.6.20

Scriptlets (JavaScript enhancement for filtering rules)

• Updated Scriptlets to v2.2.9

Improvements

• Added a new scriptlet — 'trusted-replace-argument'

Fixes

• 'prevent-element-src-loading' — TrustedScriptURL is not defined in Firefox
• 'trusted-replace-node-text' — quotes are escaped incorrectly
• Compilation error in Safari 15 due to unsupported regex lookbehind

This release includes some under-the-hood improvements, a substantial number of bug fixes, and a CoreLibs update. As a result, overall app stability has been significantly improved.

Changelog

Fixes

• The Create button overlaps the checkbox on the trial activation screen
• AdGuard player doesn’t open when sharing a video from the YouTube app
• AdGuard identifies AdGuard VPN as a third-party VPN in Integration mode
• Apps excluded by UID are routed through AdGuard
• Invalid filter update date format for Japanese, Korean, and Chinese
• Missing string for private browser notification
• Private browser onboarding is displayed twice
• Private browser crashes after tapping browser settings
• The “Nothing found” warning is missing on some screens
• The “Apps operating through proxy” screen is displayed in gray in Integration mode
• The app asks for permission to run in the background even though permission has already been granted
• Titles and descriptions of DNS servers, extensions, and filters are translated into the system language if a different language is selected in AdGuard
• Two similar graphs can be displayed at the same time
• The app icon does not fill the designed area on the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max
• com.carshering is broken when routed through AdGuard
• Rules don’t get removed from the firewall after tapping “Remove rule”

CoreLibs (Filtering engine)

• CoreLibs updated to v1.18.28

Improvements

• Added support for ABP’s CSS injection syntax
• Added permission to remove content with empty attribute
• Improved content script performance by using the browser cache properly
• Improved performance of content script loading
• Removed complicated logic for the $domain modifier
• Added encoding support for “zstd”

Fixes

• $removeparam does not work when paired with the $domain modifier
• Some React-based sites aren’t loaded correctly due to “Minified React error”
• urltransform combined with $~3p doesn’t modify the request URL if it’s opened directly in the address bar
• paramountplus.com is broken
• dailydot.com is continually reloading
• Content script is not injected in www.huya.com
• Error in content script when the $jsinject exception is applied

Scriptlets (JavaScript enhancement for filtering rules)

• Scriptlets updated to v2.2.8

Improvements

• Add more examples to scriptlet docs
• Add new scriptlet — 'trusted-replace-argument'
• Improve 'prevent-fetch' — add ability to set random response content
• Improve 'set-cookie' — add an empty object value
• Update AGTree to v3

Fixes

• ‘trusted-set-cookie-reload’ — infinite reload for constantly changing values
• Fix 'inject-css-in-shadow-dom' — scriptlet does not work if adoptedStyleSheets is overridden
• Fix 'json-prune' — handle 'null' values while checking specified key in object
• Fix 'prevent-element-src-loading' — TrustedScriptURL is not defined in Firefox
• Fix 'spoof-css' — DOMRect is set incorrectly
• Fix 'trusted-replace-node-text' — output literal quotes for escaped quotes
• Fix 'trusted-replace-node-text' — some quotes are incorrectly escaped
• Fix 'trusted-set-cookie-reload' — prevent infinite reload for constantly changing values
• Fix 'trusted-suppress-native-method' — reset 'isMatchingSuspended' when stack is not matched
• Fix scriptlets compilation error in Safari 15 due to unsupported regex lookbehind

AdGuard for Android v4.10 introduces important improvements to the HTTPS certificate installation process, making it more intuitive and accessible for users.
When you install AdGuard and launch the app for the first time, you’re prompted to install an HTTPS certificate. This step is essential because the certificate plays a key role in ensuring effective ad filtering in browsers. Without it, filtering quality is significantly reduced. That’s why it’s crucial for all users, beginner or advanced, to be able to complete the installation without difficulty.
We knew there was room for improvement in the whole process — the previous instructions often didn’t reflect the actual settings found on devices from different manufacturers, and there was also a bug that prevented users from returning to the instructions after leaving the app.
To address these issues, we’ve added in-app guides for the most common devices — including Google Pixel, Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, and OnePlus — with adjustments based on Android OS version and user locale. We’ve also fixed the bug mentioned above.

Changelog

Improvements

• Added HTTPS filtering by default for the Lemur browser

Fixes

• AdGuard gets disabled when WebView is stopped or updated
• After integration with Tor, Tor via Orbot isn’t the default proxy
• Updated filters aren’t displayed after the app is restarted
• QUIC filtering is disabled for WeChat and AliExpress
• WeChat is excluded from HTTPS filtering by default
• The app is not fully translated
• Filtering status is not saved if it’s changed twice
• Recent activity log lags when scrolling slowly
• Some parameters are not included in the link when reporting an incorrect blocking
• When opening a link in a browser, two AdGuard apps appear in the list of browsers, and one of which does not work as expected

CoreLibs (Filtering engine)

• CoreLibs updated to v1.17.157

Fixes

• Naver Smartstore cannot be accessed properly
• Some React-based websites aren’t loaded correctly due to a Minified React error
• User rule for domains does not block the request completely

DnsLibs (DNS filtering engine)

• DnsLibs updated to v2.6.6

Scriptlets (JavaScript enhancement for filtering rules)

• Scriptlets updated to v2.1.7

Improvements

• ’prevent-addEventListener’ — added ability to match specific element

We’ve added a major feature in AdGuard v4.9 for Android: native support for userstyles. This feature has been available in AdGuard for Windows and AdGuard for Mac for a while, and now we are bringing it to AdGuard for Android!

Userstyles are similar to userscripts in a way, but they only focus on changing the appearance of websites using CSS, without getting into their code. Now customizing websites — like adding a dark theme — becomes an easy task. You can create your own userstyles in the app itself, or install ready-made styles from trusted online sources.

To add a userstyle, go to Settings → Filtering → Extensions → Add extension → Import from file or URL. To create your own style, tap Add extension → Create userstyle.

Also, some users might have recently faced a bug that was increasing statistics to ridiculously huge values. We fixed the issue, and once you install AdGuard v4.9 for Android, you will see normal numbers in the Statistics tab.
Please note that statistics accumulated earlier than the last 24 hours will be heavily pruned.

Aside from this serious issue, we have also worked on fixing smaller bugs. As always, we’ve updated CoreLibs and Scriptlets for better functionality of the app.

Changelog

Improvements

• Added support for MSN browser as default
• Added com.irobot.home to routing exclusions

Fixes

• Billion values on statistic counters do not convert to abbreviations
• Clicking AdGuard's protection status notification leads to mobile view on Amazon Fire TV stick
• DNS filters are able to be updated if the DNS filters switch is disabled
• Domain with the $app modifier fails to be added to HTTPS-filtered website exclusions
• Option Filter secure DNS changes by itself after rebooting
• Statistics bar overlaps the counter description in the Statistics tab
• Impossible to download the Android system update
• Unable to log in to the Adguard Ad Blocker app on Android TV

CoreLibs (filtering engine)

• CoreLibs updated to v1.17.118

• Handled ClientHello fragmentation
• Corrected long processing time of large HTML

Scriptlets (JavaScript enhancement for filtering rules)

• Scriptlets updated to v2.1.6

• Fixed json-prune — content of array was incorrectly removed

We continue to unify the code base of our products, and AdGuard for Android is no exception. Updates will now be more stable and new features will be added faster. Also, in the new version we have accelerated the loading of large amounts of data in Statistics, as well as updated CoreLibs and DnsLibs.
From this version, AdGuard for Android only supports Android 9 or higher.

Changelog

Fixes

• Beeline Wi-Fi calls do not work
• The CPU background value increases drastically after a few series of quitting/starting the app
• Custom DNS does not work after importing settings

CoreLibs (Filtering engine)

• CoreLibs updated to v1.17.88

DnsLibs (DNS filtering engine)

• DnsLibs updated to v2.5.63

Improvements

• Added matter._tcp.default.service.arpa to the list of default exclusions
• Block RFC9462 (_dns.resolver.arpa) queries
• Use pretty_str() in errors reported in DnsRequestProcessedEvent

Fixes

• Long waiting time for response when blocking by DNS
• $dnsrewrite=IPv4 rule does not block IPv6 resolution

UserscriptsWrapper

• UserscriptsWrapper updated to v2.0.1

Scriptlets (JavaScript enhancement for filtering rules)

• Scriptlets updated to v2.1.4

Improvements

• trusted-click-element — check for containsText of all matched selectors

Fixes

• trusted-click-element — element was removed and added again before it was clicked

Today’s version is exactly what we love: it introduces a fresh feature we couldn’t wait to see on the app. And it’s no small release – we’re introducing an in-app privacy browser to the app! Let’s take a closer look at what’s new.
AdGuard v4.7 is the last version that supports Android 7 and 8. Starting with the next release, we will only offer support for Android 9 or higher.

A private browser, because there’s no such thing as too much privacy

Keeping privacy in mind while browsing has become an essential part of many users’ everyday life. We want our app to be part of that routine, and that’s why we’re rolling out the AdGuard private browser, bringing an extra layer of privacy to your daily web experience.

So, what’s so cool about this browser?

• Ad and tracker blocking (of course!)
• Easy history deletion with a visible, accessible button. Also, your browser history is automatically cleared when you close the browser

To explore this new feature, tap Try our private browser on the app's home screen. You can also access the browser through the Protection tab, where you can set a default search engine and even create a browser widget.

Just a heads-up: our private browser is still in the early stages of development and has a few limitations, like the inability to handle multiple sessions at once. In the future, we’ll offer a more comprehensive browsing experience, but for now, we suggest using it as a supplement to your usual browser’s Incognito Mode, rather than a replacement. Sounds good?

Changelog

Improvements

• Incorrect translation of Fanboy's Annoyance List description

Fixes

• “Allow app usage access” popup does not disappear after enabling the corresponding switch in the system settings on Android 9
• Almost all apps are no longer logged as filtered
• Cursor barely visible at search bars in the Dark theme
• Enabling/disabling the switch “Trusted filter” doesn’t make protection restart
• Incorrect error message when trying to send a report with an invalid email on the Report a bug screen
• Magenta color of AdGuard notification if protection is paused
• Routing for problem apps in groups is enabled when you turn on this option for problem-free apps
• TCP keepalive for outgoing sockets screen doesn't scroll
• The user rules are positioned in the middle of the editor
• Translations are missing for Annoyances blocking notice
• The app crashes when Android WebView is unloaded

Other

• it.labfabrici.hub does not work when protection is working

DNS bug

We’ve tackled a particularly eye-twitching bug that caused DNS — and, as a result, the Internet — to randomly fail when switching networks. It took some detective work on our part since the issue was unpredictable and only impacted a small number of users. But hey, no one should be left without DNS protection!

Battery drain bug

Another irritating bug we discovered during beta testing: incorrect statistics calculations were leading to excessive battery drain. The system code was unable to calculate the date necessary for accurate statistics below a certain value. Thankfully, we’ve managed to work around this odd behavior in the system code, and now the stats are calculated correctly. They also now load faster and take up less RAM.
This issue seemed to affect users on specific versions of Android. If you were using the nightly or beta version of AdGuard and ran into this problem, we recommend updating to the stable release.

Other fixes

A number of bug fixes and improvements come with the latest version of the CoreLibs, along with improved filtering quality — you can see the details in the changelog below.

Changelog

Fixes

• AdGuard fails to export logs and settings due to statistics size
• AdGuard crashes when Recent activity log is opened in split screen
• AdGuard consumes too much battery since v4.6

CoreLibs (Filtering engine)

• CoreLibs updated to v1.16.44

Improvements

• Enable post-quantum cryptography when it’s used by the filtered app
• Support strict-first-party and strict-third-party modifier of uBO
• Added possibility to allowlist scriptlets
• Support redirection to the destination without tracking services as middleman

Fixes

• AdGuard content script is blocked by CSP on uber.com
• Login is broken in Firefox on sony.de
• GM_xmlhttpRequest doesn’t support the Referer header
• *AdGuard overrides User-Agent changes made by the browser, which reduces privacy