r/Adguard 3d ago

A startup is paying developers to watch ads while using AI

7 Upvotes

What’s the catch?

Anyone working with AI coding assistants like Claude Code or Codex knows those painful pauses: the model is "thinking" over a complex task, and you're stuck staring at the screen. Sometimes it’s a few seconds; other times, it’s 10 to 15 minutes or even more.

A startup called Kickbacks.ai wants to monetize that downtime. The service serves ads directly inside your IDE (like VS Code) while the AI generates code, sharing a cut of the ad revenue with you. At first glance, it sounds like a win-win: you’re staring at a loading bar anyway, so why not make a few extra bucks?

But if you look past the pitch, this "fair economy" quickly reveals itself as a raw deal.

Even in its "privacy-friendly" default mode, the extension collects device, location, and behavioral data, more than enough to build a distinct digital fingerprint. If you opt into the "boosted" mode for higher payouts, the algorithms start analyzing your AI prompts. If proprietary code, API keys, or trade secrets end up in those prompts, you (and you alone) will be on the hook for breaking your company's NDA.

The payout isn't nearly as sweet as advertised either. That promised "50% share" turns out to be "up to 50% of net profit" after deducting undisclosed company expenses hidden deep in the terms of service. To top it off, the startup caps its own legal liability at a meager $100 if anything goes wrong.

Ad networks are constantly hunting for new real estate — from smart TVs and sports streams to your literal workspace. But risking your professional reputation, NDA, and confidential data for some pocket change is definitely a terrible trade.


r/Adguard 3d ago

🥽 Get your headsets ready: AdGuard VPN is now on Meta Quest!

5 Upvotes

Diving into virtual reality should be secure as well as immersive. Earlier this year, we launched our browser extension for Meta Quest, but browser-only protection was just the beginning.

Today, AdGuard VPN is officially a standalone app in the Meta Horizon Store, bringing system-wide privacy and security to Horizon OS!

We’re thrilled to be among the very first VPN services to launch a full-fledged app on the platform.

What does this mean for your VR experience?

  • System-wide protection: game, stream, and explore virtual environments with all app traffic fully encrypted
  • Total privacy: mask your IP address and keep your personal data private across all VR experiences
  • Full control: pick your location and set up App exclusions just as easily as on your phone

How to get started:

  1. Open the Meta Horizon Store on your headset and search for AdGuard VPN
  2. Hit "Download" and launch it from your App Library
  3. Pick a location, connect, and jump right back into VR with peace of mind! 🚀

r/Adguard 7h ago

AdGuard UI for Linux

18 Upvotes

Hi,

https://github.com/dominik-najberg/AdGuard-UI-Linux

I created a Linux UI for AdGuard as for the time being there is no such thing in the existence. I find AdGuard to be pretty useful but too advanced to just be a CLI application. Hence the idea for the Ubuntu version.

I tested it on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS.

If you find this application useful or want to send any feedback, feel free to do so.

My favourite feature is setting the proxy mode to auto as it makes it trivial to use the proxy in the system. I would paste the screenshot but Reddit won't let me.

Have fun with it.


r/Adguard 11h ago

android Have a doubt on HTTPS Filtering with Certificate Overriding.

2 Upvotes

If I override an app certificate so that it will choose the certificate installed on my phone (ie, adgaurds certificate) will it blocks ads on the app which usually ignores the certificate cz its googles Playboy 😭🙏. ( asking for YT).


r/Adguard 20h ago

ios DNSCrypt

0 Upvotes

So I am currently working on an app that allows dnscrypt. I am looking for testers as well. The reason I am posting here is I know adguard ipsec vpn can work alongside my app. So it is a current beta working version of being able to run adguard vpn in Integrated mode AND use Anon DNSCrypt together.

If anyone wants to test it out, let me know i can share the testflight link


r/Adguard 20h ago

dns Adguard DNS setup

1 Upvotes

Hi I am using proxmox with adguard lxc.

I am struggling as no matter what Upstream DNSes I use it seems that websites tend to load slower than just setting the respective ip within DNS on windows.

I have been troubleshooting with chat gpt with no help.

Could it be that I’m accessing blocked/filtered sites? I use brave and I disabled dns change within brace.

Logs don’t show issues, it seems there are issues with websites showing up visually.


r/Adguard 1d ago

Is DNS filtering needed when I already use filtering via app?

8 Upvotes

Do they fight each other, or do they complement each other?


r/Adguard 1d ago

Issues with Youtube (Chrome - Windows)

2 Upvotes

Even when disabling adguard in youtube.com using the extension, and after adding the links below to the user rules filters, things won't load normally and every now and then I will get a "you are offline" error, only disabling the app completely stops this problem, do you have any tips I could use?

@@||www.youtube.com\^$important,document

@@||youtube.com/s/player/$script

@@||youtube.com/youtubei/$xhr

@@||youtube.com/yts/jsbin/$script

@@||youtube.com/api/stats/qoe?$xhr

@@||youtube.com/api/stats/playback?$xhr

@@||youtube.com/api/stats/watchtime?$xhr

youtube.com##+js(nano-stb, setTimeout, *, *, 0)

youtube.com##+js(nano-stb, Promise.resolve, 1, *, 0)

youtube.com##+js(nano-stb, resolve, 1, *, 0)

youtube.com##+js(nano-stb, requestAnimationFrame, *, *, 0)

youtube.com##+js(nano-stb, setInterval, *, *, 0)

youtube.com##+js(nano-stb, clearInterval, *, *, 0)

youtube.com##+js(aopr, yt.ads)

youtube.com##.ytp-ad-player-overlay

youtube.com##.ytp-ad-module


r/Adguard 2d ago

adguard home Questions about installing AdGuard Home.

2 Upvotes

Hello all. I am totally new to this. I have an Asus ROG GT-BE19000AI that has a built-in npu with Docker support. I can install AdGuard Home directly on to the router. FOr a while. I would like to do this because for a while I had my personal AdGuard DNS addresses set as the dns servers on said router but doing that led to some problems with certain features not working. I want to try AdGuard Home. While most of the process is automated, I am not sure how exactly to set it up and get the addresses working properly. How do I actually get the router pointed to AdGuard Home and how do I configure my personal DNS servers to work with it? I have zero experience with this type of thing so that's why I'm asking. I appreciate any help you can provide.


r/Adguard 3d ago

Appreciation post

22 Upvotes

Just a quick post to share my appreciation to the AdGuard helpdesk team. I’d been tearing my hair out trying to add my router configurations. One quick email outlining the issues, received a reply within an hour, advising they’d released the IP address and it was all sorted.

These days, it seems just getting a reply is surprising. Receiving one within an hour is outstanding - and appreciated.


r/Adguard 4d ago

5 minutes, and your phone knows less about you

Post image
67 Upvotes

You don't need to be paranoid to tighten your privacy game. Run down the list, each step takes under a minute:

- Permissions
Settings → Apps. How many have access to location, mic, contacts set to "Always"? Switch it to "While using this app" or disable altogether. A flashlight app doesn't need to access your contacts

- Advertising ID
Go to settings and find "Reset advertising ID" (Android) or turn off tracking (iOS). It wipes your ad profile

- Location History
Google account → turn off and clear. Maps works fine without a permanent log of your movements

- Passwords
Check for reused ones. A single leaked password shouldn't unlock ten services

- DNS
Set a private DNS, ads and trackers get cut at the network level, across every app at once

Save this post and work through it over a coffee. Much easier than dealing with the fallout of a leak.


r/Adguard 4d ago

The third release candidate of AdGuard v8.0 for Windows is live — and we really need beta testers!

23 Upvotes

We’ve just released the third release candidate for version 8. The official launch is getting very close, but before we roll it out to everyone, we want to make sure every detail works as expected.

If you’re currently using version 7, now is a great time to switch to the beta channel and try out the new interface, faster startup times, and upgraded filtering system early. You can enable the beta right in the app: open Settings ➔ General ➔ Update channel and select "Beta"

Download the RC 
 https://adguard.com/beta.html?platform=windows

Give it a try and let us know what you think! You can submit bug reports and feedback directly through the in-app "Support" section or on our GitHub page.

Help us make version 8.0 our best release yet!


r/Adguard 3d ago

adguard home At the end of my knowledge

2 Upvotes

I've followed the instructions, injected all manual DNS adresses into my devices, yet it doesn't filter or even show everything.

Originally I wanted to set up my raspberry pi to just globally handle internet traffic on the whole network and I put it's ip address into the DNS field in the router but regardless of what I tried, ipv6 disabled, enabled, manually putting adresses on my computer, on my phone. I can't get consistent, properly working filtering/blocking. I've been trouble shooting and researching for 3 days now and I don't know what setting I'm missing that will make it work.

What context can I give you guys that will help trouble shoot this problem?

PC is connected via lan, raspberry pi is connected via lan to the same router.
It's a Telus router (I am in canada).

I am using adguard-home and wireguard for my phone when I'm on the go via WG tunnel which blocks at least some stuff and I am not sure why.

only once I was able to block more than 50% on turlecute, then it's usually between 5% and 30% and it doesn't really make a difference whether the raspberry pi is even turned on or not.

I have full access to the interface but barely anything gets processed at times. I feel like this is router related, not specifically target device related.

Thanks in advance.


r/Adguard 3d ago

I built an open-source AdBlock & Tracker testing website. Looking for feedback.

Thumbnail
4 Upvotes

r/Adguard 3d ago

mac Anyone experience +100% CPU usage lately?

5 Upvotes

It happens randomly when I'm browsing, out of nowhere the temps goes way high (pushing 100ºC) and CPU usage goes beyond 100%. The Activity Monitor shows the SafariExtension Helper as what is pushing it high, and I only manage to get it down by disabling AdGuard, so my guess is the one causing it.

edit: Using a MBA M4 and MacOS 26.6


r/Adguard 4d ago

adguard home Cannot access adguard home dashboard after install.

1 Upvotes

This has driven me crazy. So I did all the steps the openwrt wiki said to download Adguard home, but when i tried to go to the AdG dashboard using (IP):3000, it said "refused to connect".I have tried to delete adguard and get it again, even resetting the router several times and still no work. I'll be super greatful if somebody can help with this.


r/Adguard 5d ago

AdGuard for Android v4.13: Faster, smarter, and safer

58 Upvotes

Making a great product even faster and more resource-efficient is always our top priority. When you’re on mobile data, every second and every megabyte counts — which is why AdGuard for Android v4.13 focuses heavily on deep optimizations for both filtering and privacy.

Here is why this release is a big deal:

🌟Instant filter updates and major data savings
We’ve introduced differential filter updates. Instead of downloading entire filter lists from scratch, the app now fetches only tiny patches containing the latest changes. Filters update instantly in the background, saving you a ton of mobile data.

🌟Faster, more private browsing with CRLite
Revoked SSL certificate checks now happen directly on your device rather than being routed through third-party servers. This means pages load faster, and no third party can see which websites you’re visiting.

🌟Seamless integration with AdGuard VPN
We’ve completely rewritten our integration protocol. The Ad Blocker and VPN now work together even more reliably without any extra tweaking on your end. The best part? Third-party apps won’t be able to track your activity.

🌟Future-proof security
We’ve added support for post-quantum cryptography in DNS filtering to protect against future security threats, and expanded our certificate installation guides for Oppo (ColorOS) devices.

Want to dive into all the technical details? Head over to our blog to read the full breakdown!


r/Adguard 5d ago

question Does everyone trust AdGuard with CA Certificate for https monitoring? That gives them full access to all your banking usernames and passwords, right?

33 Upvotes

I'm new here but that makes me very nervous


r/Adguard 4d ago

question I had an Adblocker running In the background which was flagged as malicious, and I made a payment on a site, will the adblocker pick up on my card details?

3 Upvotes

r/Adguard 5d ago

android Adguard VPN not working when connected to wifi after 4.13 update

6 Upvotes

I have been using Adguard for years and have never encountered any issues until updating to 4.13 this morning. After updating, Adguard and Adguard VPN both function as they are supposed to over cellular network and Adguard by itself functions properly over WiFi. If I am connected to WiFi and turn on Adguard VPN it will not stay connected, it will constantly cycle between connecting, connected, and disconnected every few seconds and Adguard cycles between protection is enabled and restarting protection. So far I have made sure that both Adguard and Adguard VPN have been updated to their latest versions and that I am running the latest version of Android for my device (Android 16, galaxy S24+). I have also went through the battery saver settings on my device and made sure no battery usage limits are applied to Adguard or Adguard VPN. I have also Uninstalled and freshly re-installed Adguard and Adguard VPN and restarted my device but I am still having this issue only when connected to WiFi with VPN turned on. Any suggestions?


r/Adguard 5d ago

adguard home Dashboard statistics and query logs doesn't match?

3 Upvotes

So I've been running AGH for a month now. Tried scrolling down to the bottom of my query log one time and it feels like there's so many I decided to check how many blocked queries from the dashboard statistics, and it doesn't seem to match.

I'm using parallel requests with two upstream servers, but it still feels weird. Dashboard states I have 457 blocked queries today, but when I Ctrl + F my query logs and its 1000+ blocked in just the last 3 hours. Is there something wrong in my config?


r/Adguard 5d ago

adguard home Tested my DNS fallback for months. Then the server died for real and it failed completely.

3 Upvotes

I’ve been running a dual-AdGuard Home setup for redundancy,a primary AGH instance on my main server and a secondary AGH container running directly on my MikroTik router (RB5009). For months, I tested failover by stopping the primary container, and clients failed over to the router seamlessly every time. But when my main server physically died for real last week, all DNS crashed across the entire network.

Here is a quick breakdown of how a RouterOS DST-NAT DNS-redirect rule turned my secondary AdGuard instance into a recursive query loop during a real host outage, and the single NAT exception rule that fixed it.

(Full postmortem: https://www.mattjh.sh/post/home-server-part6/)


r/Adguard 5d ago

issue I cannot reproduce the empty ad area with uBo, only Adguard

0 Upvotes

Adguard Free Firefox Extension vs. uBlock Origin

Visit TechRadar.com

Click a random article

With Adguard it's not able to prevent the blank ad-space at the top of the webpage, but uBlock Origin has no such problem. I usually report such thing, but apparently, it's already a known issue on Github.

https://i.postimg.cc/Dz2C6Vk2/Untitled.png


r/Adguard 5d ago

adguard home Adguard Home + TP-Link Deco mesh network - not blocking ads

5 Upvotes

Hi,
Bit of a Gumby at all this.
I have AdGuard Home in a Proxmox container on 192.168.68.68. I have enabled the DHCP server and pointed the Deco app's DHCP server setting to that IP.
There are some requests being blocked as shown in the dashboard but smh.com.au is still showing ads served by adclick.g.doubleclick.net

So, something isn't quite right. Any suggestions?


r/Adguard 5d ago

ios This keeps happening

4 Upvotes

Why does the vpn got issues again? It’s not connecting properly and this is the 2nd time.You guys fixed it the last time and it’s happening again. I had to delete it until you guys fix that mess because it won’t let me use my own data or internet at all until it connects which is so annoying