How to Completely Block Apps From Accessing the Internet on Android
It may not seem like it these days, but not every app needs internet access to work. Malicious apps can mine your device for data or spam you with ads. Happily, there’s an easy fix for these troublemakers—just block their internet access. Here’s how you can do that.
Why Should You Restrict Internet Access for Specific Apps
Apps that have unrestricted access to the internet in the background have the ability to collect and sell your personal data. Your location history, device ID, browsing history, and contact info are all up for grabs.
They could also be using your network to spam you with ad walls or useless notifications. Free games and utility apps often do that a lot. If you want to force any app into offline mode without disconnecting your Wi-Fi or data, you can simply cut off its internet. And sometimes, you may just want to lock down social media apps to stop your doomscrolling.
You can do all that (and more) with a simple firewall app. It strengthens your privacy and keeps away invasive ads. Plus, you save mobile data and stop apps from leaking your information.
How Does Network Firewall Work on Android
Sadly, Android doesn’t have a native firewall service. There are plenty of third-party firewall options out there, but most of them require root access. One good firewall app that works flawlessly without root is NetGuard. It’s free, open source, and the developer regularly maintains and supports it.
NetGuard has a simple, easy-to-use interface that doesn’t sacrifice features. With two simple taps, you can turn off the Wi-Fi or data access for any app. You can also configure NetGuard to block Wi-Fi, data, or both by default. That way, the app will restrict all pre-installed and newly installed apps until you manually allow them.
It features a lockdown mode too, that blocks all internet traffic, except the apps that you’ve placed on the lockdown allowlist. It’s a neat little feature for when you want to save battery or when you’re almost out
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