How to Block Ads and Pop-ups on FireStick with Blokada

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In this tutorial, I will show you how to block ads on FireStick with Blokada. The instructions provided in this guide can be used on FireStick, FireStick 4K, Fire TV Cube, and even certain older Fire TV devices.

Blokada is a free third-party utility application that blocks pop-ups, ads, and even malware and trackers. It works on most Android devices as well as TV devices like FireStick and Android TV.

Many third-party apps rely on advertisements for revenue. While occasional ads are acceptable, some apps overdo it with frequent pop-ups. This affects the overall viewing experience.

In fact, certain ads/pop-ups could be malicious too. They may contain malware and trackers.

With Blokada, you can get rid of ads appearing on the apps. This secures your device and makes sure you enjoy interruption-free streaming.

Blokada also works great with ExpressVPN.

What is Blokada?

Blokada is open-source, ad-blocking software designed for Android devices and Android-based TV devices.

Since it is an open-source program, it has received contributions from the top developers of the world. Also, the open-source program means its source code is visible to anyone who wants to take a look. Therefore, its algorithms are always available for scrutiny and you can be sure that it is one hundred percent safe.

Blokada is free and you can download the app from its website Blokada.org.

Features of Blokada

Here are some of the features of this Firestick adblocker:

• Blokada is an open-source program maintained by an active community
• It is completely safe
• Blokada is free to download and use with no in-app purchases
• Blokada is compatible with almost all the Fire TV devices as well as Android TV devices
• It not only blocks ads but also prevents your device from trackers and malware
• It is very easy to use.

Attention FireStick Users: Read before you continue

Governments and ISPs across the world monitor their users’ online activities. If found streaming copyrighted content on your Fire TV Stick, you could get into serious trouble. Currently, your IP is visible to everyone. I strongly recommend you to get a good FireStick VPN and hide your identity so that your movie viewing experience doesn’t take a bad turn.

I use ExpressVPN which is the fastest and most secure VPN in the industry. It is very easy to install on any device including Amazon Fire TV Stick. Also, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you don’t like their service, you can always ask for a refund. ExpressVPN also has a special deal where you can get 3 months free and save 49% on annual plan.

Here are the reasons why you must use a VPN all the time.

Read: How to install and use a VPN on Fire Stick

How to install Blokada on FireStick

I am breaking down this installation process into two essential parts so that it is easier to follow. Here is what we are going to do:

• Allow/enable the option Apps from Unknown Sources in FireStick Settings
• Install Blokada on FireStick

Part 1: Allow/Enable Apps from Unknown Sources

This is the part you need to take care of first as it will allow you to install third-party APKs like Blokada. The apps that are not available on Amazon Store are sideloaded onto FireStick are called third-party apps.

Follow the steps below:

1: Go to the home screen of your FireStick device. This is how it looks like:

2: On the home screen, navigate to the top section where you see the menu bar

Select Settings

3: Now, go to the right and click the option My Fire TV

4: Here, you see the item Developer Options. Go ahead and click it

5: You should now find the option Apps from Unknown Sources on this window. By default, this option is OFF. Click it and switch it ON

6: This warning message is displayed. To continue, click Turn On

You have set up your FireStick to install Blokada and other third-party apps

Part 2: Installation of Blokada APK on Firestick

We may now start with the installation process. Follow the steps provided below:

1: Get to the FireStick home-screen one more time

2: Navigate to the top where you see the menu bar. Now, go all the way to the left and select the Search option or the lens icon

3: We are going to install the Downloader app from the Amazon Store. Downloader will be used to sideload Blokada on FireStick. If you already have the Downloader app, skip to the next step

Type Downloader and click it in the search results. Follow the instructions on the upcoming windows to install the Downloader app.

4: Open the Downloader app after installing it

Initially, you will encounter some popups. Get rid of them.

When this window is displayed, click the URL section where you see http://

5: Click Clear on this onscreen keyboard to clear the text field

6: Type the following URL or path: blokada.org

7: You are now redirected to the Browser section of the Downloader app where the Blokada website will load up

Click the Menu option in the top-right corner of the webpage

8: Click the Download link in the dropdown menu that appears next

9: You will now see the links to download various versions of the Blokada app

Always click the link with the latest version (it is v4.4 as I write this guide)

10: You should now see the Downloader app connecting to the server and downloading the Blokada APK on FireStick

This takes a few seconds. We will wait!

11: When the download has finished, this popup appears automatically

Click the Install option on this popup

12: Blokada app is now installing. This takes a few seconds too. Let’s wait again!

13: When the installation is finished, the following App installed notification is displayed

Clicking the OPEN button will launch the app

However, let’s click DONE for now and delete the APK we just downloaded. It will clean up some space on the FireStick storage

We will access and use the app in the next section

14: Click Delete when this prompt appears

15: Click Delete again

Great! You have successfully installed Blokada on FireStick.

How to block Ads on FireStick with Blokada

In this section, we will take a look at the following:

• How to access Blokada on FireStick
• How to use Blokada to stop ads on FireStick
• Explore Ad Settings on Blokada

How to access Blokada on FireStick

If you have been using FireStick for some time, you might know how to access Blokada or any other app on FireStick. You may skip to the next section. However, a lot of new FireStick users experience difficulty finding the newly installed apps. Therefore, I am adding this additional piece.

Here is how you access Blokada on Amazon FireStick and Fire TV:

Go to the home screen of your FireStick and select the second row which is titled Your Apps & Channels

In this row, go to the first option on the left See All and click it

Note: If you can’t find See All, it means you have fewer than 20 apps. Just go to the last option in this row, which will be Blokada

This is the list of all the apps installed on your device. Go to the bottom of this list (last row).

Click Blokada to open it

If you would like to place Blokada on the home screen of FireStick, press the menu button on the FireStick remote (button with 3 lines). Click Move on the popup that is displayed in the bottom-right corner of the screen.

Drag the app onto the first row.

How to use Blokada to stop ads on FireStick

Follow the steps below to block advertisements on FireStick with Blokada:

1: Launch the Blokada app. This is the main screen of the interface

As you can see on the right, it says, Ad blocking is deactivated

2: Select and click the power button on this window to enable ad blocking

3: When you turn Blokada for the first time, this prompt will appear

Go ahead and click OK to allow the connection

4: This is how the Blokada main interface will look like once Ad blocking is activated or turned on

5: As you can see in the image above, it says 0 blocked

Blokada hasn’t blocked anything yet because we haven’t run any app with ads.

Usually, it is the third-party apps with most pop-ups/ads. Cinema HD, TeaTV, Titanium TV are some of the apps with advertisements.

Start using one of the apps you have ad-issues with. You will notice that the ads have been removed

6: After using the apps with ads for a while, return to the Blokada app

It will display the number of advertisements that have been blocked

For me, it blocked 104 ads.

That’s pretty much how you do it!

Explore Ad Settings on Blokada

For most users, the default settings are good enough to block ads/popups on most of the popular apps. However, in the Ad Settings, you can choose to unblock any specific websites Blokada blocked by mistake. Also, you can unblock any website Blokada missed.

1: Navigate to the bottom of the main interface of the Blokada app and click the 3-line option

2: Click the option Ad blocking on the next screen

Note: Blokada may skip to another screen here. You may need to press the back button once to get to this section

3: To view the list of the Blocked and Allowed requests, click the option Host Log

4: You will find the list on the next screen. As you can see, Blokada has blocked many requests and has also allowed some

5: Press the back button once to return to the previous screen

Scroll down and click Allowed Hosts to allow specific domains or websites. These requests will not be blocked by Blokada

If you want to block certain websites that Blokada missed, click Blocked Hosts

6: The last option Ad blocking Settings is for advanced users. Most of us wouldn’t have to change or configure any settings. Therefore, let’s leave it be.

Though you won’t be bothered by malicious ads anymore, your online activities are still visible to your ISP, Government, and hackers. While hackers mainly target your devices to steal your personal information, your ISP and Government may go behind your streaming activities. If you are using free movie apps, I strongly suggest you connect a VPN on your Firestick and stay safe.

Here’s how to install and use a VPN on Amazon Firestick / Fire TV
Also, check out the 10 reasons why you should always use a VPN

Wrapping Up

So, this is how you block ads on FireStick with the Blokada application. Many third-party apps pop up or display ads quite frequently. This could get irritating. With Blokada, you can easily get rid of all such apps.

If you have any questions or something interesting to share, please feel free to let us know via the comments section below.

Related:

• Important Firestick settings you should change
• Best Firestick tips and tricks for cord-cutters
• How to fix buffering on Firestick
• How to jailbreak a Firestick