Most ad blockers for iPhone only work inside Safari, and the ones that reach other apps tend to want an account or a VPN running all day. This shortcut installs AdGuard’s DNS profile instead, which filters ad and tracker domains for the whole phone with nothing left running in the background.

What it actually does

On iOS, a DNS profile is a small configuration file that tells your iPhone which DNS server to use for looking up web addresses. AdGuard DNS is a public DNS service that refuses to resolve known ad and tracking domains. When an app tries to load an ad from one of them, the request goes nowhere.

The shortcut’s job is the installation. It downloads the AdGuard DNS configuration file and walks you through installing it, which saves you from hunting down the right profile and getting the steps in the right order.

Because the filtering happens at DNS level, it applies across apps and browsers, not only in Safari. Version 26.7 fixed a known bug in the installer.

Getting it set up

Run it, tap Allow, and choose Get Profile to download the DNS configuration file.
Open Settings and tap Profile Downloaded near the top, then select the DNS profile and tap Install. Enter your passcode if asked.
Go to Settings > General > VPN & Device Management, select the installed DNS profile and make sure it’s enabled.

Running the shortcut

Once the profile is installed, you don’t need to run the shortcut again. The filtering keeps working in the background on Wi-Fi and cellular. Come back to it only if you remove the profile and want it back.

If you like switching between DNS providers, the DNS Setting Shortcut from the same author handles that.

Use cases

Cut down banner ads inside free games and news apps.
Block common tracking domains without installing a separate app.
Set up a family member’s iPhone with basic ad filtering in a few minutes.

Limits

DNS blocking only stops ads served from separate ad domains. Ads delivered from the same servers as the content, which includes YouTube’s video ads, will still appear. Some sites and apps may also break when a domain they rely on gets blocked. If that happens, turn the profile off in VPN & Device Management.

FAQ

Will it slow down my internet?

Lookups go through AdGuard’s servers instead of your provider’s, so speed depends on how close those servers are. Blocked ads mean less to load, which often balances it out.