We at SEVEN Networks have been in the Android ad-blocking world for some time now, from our original releases of Open Channel, AdClear, AdClear for iOS, and AdClear Content Blocker for Android. But now we want to tell you about our latest product, the first ad-blocking launcher for Android adX Launcher.

In short: adX Launcher replaces your home screen, allowing you to launch apps through your new home screen ad and tracker free. Its goal is to replace old mechanisms like VPN, root, and others with a simpler version that blocks even more ads than the former could offer.

How it started?

While working on our previous solutions, we noticed a common trend. These apps were difficult to set up correctly and unavailable on Google Play for download and automatic updates. Even for those users who managed to get everything set up, they still faced some apps unable to block, annoying VPN issues and notifications, or ad blocking causing a blank square to appear instead of an ad. Our team set out to work on a solution that could solve these issues. After a lot of research and development, adX Launcher was born.

Why use it?

adX Launcher can do things other ad blockers can’t. First, adX Launcher is completely self-contained and only blocks ads within itself. To do this, we run an app in a process that we control so that we can hook into this process at runtime and make modifications, such as removing ads and trackers. This powerful mechanism allows us to do things other ad blockers never could and support apps that were previously not possible under previous mechanisms such as DNS, root, or VPN-based solutions.

One example of this is our ability to hide ad containers that normally would be left as a blank rectangle in an app with ad blocking.

Another common circumvention to ad blocking is certificate pinning which prevents other ad blockers from blocking ad requests. This limit does not apply to adX Launcher.

Where we are?

adX Launcher is now in a public beta. We have a lot of work left to do before we are ready for prime time, but we are excited to show you what we have and have our community help shape the development of our latest app. Right now, for our first iteration, we are primarily supporting YouTube. We will add support for more apps in future releases.

If you would like to join us, please download the app from Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.seven.mx.launcher

If you would like to request an app to support or lets us know about a bug please see our GitHub page: https://github.com/SEVENNetworks/adXLauncher

What to expect?

When you launch the app, adX Launcher will appear as your home screen, so don’t get surprised if no separate “app” is launched. When opening the App Drawer, you will see an adX badge on any app we have enhanced, as seen in the screenshot below. 

If you want to launch an app without enhancements, long-hold the app icon for a menu with launch options.

How to set adX Launcher as default?​

adX Launcher is designed to replace your default home screen, and apps must be launched through it to block ads and trackers. To ensure apps are always launched with adX, we recommend running adX as your default Launcher.

To set it:​

1. Open Android Settings

2. Search “default home app”

3. Select adX Launcher as your default home app4.

To remove:​

1. Open Android Settings

2. Search “default home app”

3. Select your previous default home app

Future plans

We plan to continue extending support, focusing first on social media, streaming services, and games to support all apps out of the box.