Block websites at system level? Android way? Like hosts file in windows?

[+E.Worm Jimmy Subscriber¹]

Hi. I want to block certain sites on my phone but I don't want an app that will keep track of all my site visits.

 

Can it be done, like in windows, by redirecting certain urls to local host at system level ?

 

I am on unjailbroken android 11 phone

[MarkusDarkus]

Not that I know of. The only thing I could think of is to find some sort of DNS service that you can use to block websites and then set that up as the Private DNS provider on your mobile. I use PiHole myself at home but that does not work when I leave the house.

[+E.Worm Jimmy Subscriber¹]

On 18/01/2022 at 01:09, MarkusDarkus said:

Not that I know of. The only thing I could think of is to find some sort of DNS service that you can use to block websites and then set that up as the Private DNS provider on your mobile. I use PiHole myself at home but that does not work when I leave the house.

Well - this might work since I mostly want to stop procrastinating at home - and wasting time.

 

Outside home is less important

 

 

But surely there must be a way????

[techbeck]

On 18/01/2022 at 00:45, E.Worm Jimmy said:

Hi. I want to block certain sites on my phone but I don't want an app that will keep track of all my site visits.

 

Can it be done, like in windows, by redirecting certain urls to local host at system level ?

 

I am on unjailbroken android 11 phone

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.modmy.com/how-modify-hosts-file-your-android-device%3famp

[Brandon H Supervisor]

android does have a hosts file but it requires root to modify (Adaway uses the hosts file and that's why it requires root to use as example)

 

if there's a way to modify the hosts file without root then I'm not personally aware of it.

 

note: I can't open techbeck's link here at work to see if it's a non-root method

[jamietn]

adguard ?

[Som]

Pi-hole

https://pi-hole.net/

 

of course this only works in your home or where ever you set it up

[Jase987654321]

Look at Adfree for Android - does exactly that, downloads a host file and sets it to loopback etc. - will need root.

 

As the other people say, without root you probably won't get access to your hosts file

[techbeck]

On 15/02/2022 at 09:26, Brandon H said:

android does have a hosts file but it requires root to modify (Adaway uses the hosts file and that's why it requires root to use as example)

 

if there's a way to modify the hosts file without root then I'm not personally aware of it.

 

note: I can't open techbeck's link here at work to see if it's a non-root method

Try this.   

 

https://www.modmy.com/how-modify-hosts-file-your-android-device

 

Posts a method of non root but I personally have not tested it.  The hosts file as something that's always been on Android I believe. I've been messing with it for a while now.

[Brandon H Supervisor]

On 15/02/2022 at 13:00, techbeck said:

The hosts file as something that's always been on Android I believe

oh yeah, with Android's Linux/Unix origins it's always had a hosts file.