Firewall Apps for Android: In Android, you can easily toggle between WiFi and mobile data. You can also turn them off entirely as and when needed. But make sure android doesn’t offer any options whatsoever to better manage what apps can and cannot connect to the internet or how they connect. That doesn’t mean you cannot evaluate and control how your device is connecting to the internet. We are talking about Android here, there is an app for everything.
Disable Internet Access For Certain Applications in Android?
If you are running Android N or higher, you can block apps from accessing the internet in the background from the app settings.
Step 1:
Go to Settings > Apps
Step 2:
Choose the app you want to block background internet access.
Step 3:
Next, tap “Data usage” and enable “Restrict app background data”.
That’s all! no apps will be able to use the Internet while they are running in the background.
But if you open the app, it’ll use the internet. And this is where Firewall apps come into the picture. So, Let’s come and check some of the best firewall apps to manage internet access to the apps on your Android device.
Best Firewall Apps for Android
NoRoot Firewall
When we discuss firewall for an unrooted Android device, NoRoot Firewall is one of the best and amazing app in terms of features and the control you get. With NoRoot Firewall you can control which apps can and cannot connect to the internet. For excellent control, you can limit apps from connecting to the internet over mobile data or wifi with just a single tap. Other than that, you can also block access to the websites and IP addresses of your choice.
Check out: NoRoot Firewall
NetGuard
NetGaurd is very similar to NoRoot Firewall in that you can block individual apps from access the internet via WiFi or mobile data. The interesting thing about NetGaurd is that it has a better settings management, a much cleaner user interface, and most of all, it is open source. With just a single click, you can either block entire network traffic or on a per-app basis. You can also block specific addresses for specific apps (if the need arises). Besides, NetGuard has other advanced options like manage internet access to system apps, ability to filter IP packets, log internet access, app whitelisting and blacklisting, etc.
Check out: NetGuard
AFWall+ (requires root)
If you want to successfully root your device and looking for better control of your device internet activities then AFWall+ is one of the best options for you. Using AFWall+ you can control internet access on a per-app basis, be it system apps or installed apps. The app is very simple to use having tons of options to configure it the way you want.
Features:
The following features are listed below:
- lock and protect AFWall+ settings
- export rules, preferences
- profile settings
- support for tasker and Xposed modules
- hide applications
- support for LAN, VPN, and tether
- support for multiple profiles
- widget to quickly switch between profiles
- detailed logs and statistics
- much more…
Check out: AFWall+
Mobiwol: NoRoot Firewall
Mobiwol lets you block individual apps from accessing the internet either through mobile data or WiFi. It is very easy to use and there are no complicated settings to deal with. Just choose the app you want to block the internet connection and you are good to go. You can also block both installed and system apps. In the Mobiwol app, you can see how much data each app is consuming and you can limit the individual app from using only a specific amount of mobile data. Once the app reaches that limit, it will not be able to access the internet via mobile data.
Check out: Mobiwol: NoRoot Firewall
NoRoot Data Firewall
NoRoot Data Firewall has a very clean user interface. By default, the app is configured to check any app that tries to access the internet. You can choose either to allow or block the access accordingly. Of course, you can also control the access that is based on individual apps, default behaviors for mobile data and Wifi. The app logs network interactions of all the apps. Just click on the app and select the “Analyze” option to see what websites or IP address a particular app is connecting to.
Features:
Some amazing features are listed below:
- you can block individual domains or IP addresses
- block images from loading to save data
- you can also modify the DNS server
- throttle bandwidth
- capture packets
- password-protect NoRoot Data Firewall and its settings
Check out: NoRoot Data Firewall
LostNet NoRoot Firewall Pro
LostNet NoRoot Firewall is a feature-rich and easy firewall app for your Android device. You can not only block apps from accessing the internet over WiFi or mobile data but can also limit apps from connecting to any region or country. LostNet NoRoot Firewall uses a local VPN to manage the network traffic, block ads and protect your device from any hostile domains or websites. The best thing about LostNet NoRoot Firewall is that you can configure it to automatically block all apps from accessing the internet while you are sleeping, i.e, at night time or on your own schedule.
Features:
The app also has other useful and amazing features like:
- it monitors network traffic
- capture packets
- support for multiple profiles
- instant alerts
- ability to block untrusted networks
- much more…
Check: LostNet NoRoot Firewall Pro
Kronos Firewall
Kronos is a delicate and simple firewall app for Android. If you don’t like to deal with advanced features and confusing settings then this app is for you. The app has a very simple layout and with just a single click you can either allow or block an app from connecting to the internet.
However, make sure that the app has no option to manage mobile data and WiFi separately. You can either block the app from connecting to the internet or allow it.
Check out: Kronos Firewall
NetStop Firewall:
No one wants to micromanage all the apps from connecting to the internet. There will be a chance when you just need to block all the network activity on your device. NetStop Firewall is designed for such cases. Simply install the app, turn on the firewall and you are good to go.
Check out: NetStop Firewall
Conclusion:
That’s all for now. If you think I missed any of your favorite Android firewall apps then let us know in the comment section below!
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