Advanced Plus Security Moonhorse mobile config 2026

[Moonhorse]

Should I add any third-party filters in AdGuard for more effective ad blocking in apps? Do you have any third-party traditional and DNS filter suggestions?

I have only added these
- adguard url tracking filter
- ublock origin badware risks filter
- onlinen malicious url filter ( if i remember correct)

So default filters are enough

As dns i use default cloudflare dns, since i use encrypted hello client.

 

[rashmi]

I have only added these
- adguard url tracking filter
- ublock origin badware risks filter
- onlinen malicious url filter ( if i remember correct)

So default filters are enough

As dns i use default cloudflare dns, since i use encrypted hello client.
View attachment 287375

I'm running AdGuard with default filters (security filter off) and included Peter Lowe for traditional filtering and Hagezi Light for DNS filtering. Cloudflare Zero Trust DNS is what I use for DNS.

 

[rashmi]

Does AdGuard filter ads in apps with DNS filtering only or traditional filters too? If it filters ads in apps with traditional filters too, then it would be more effective than DNS services with ad blocking like NextDNS.

 

[Moonhorse]

Does AdGuard filter ads in apps with DNS filtering only or traditional filters too? If it filters ads in apps with traditional filters too, then it would be more effective than DNS services with ad blocking like NextDNS.

I get what you mean, but no idea to be honest. I dont have many apps where i have seen adblock working, but cant say wich blocked it, the dns filter or traditional filter.

I have seen on my kids phone, that adguard blocked ads completely from games that had them, my mother has samsung phone and somehow adguard dns filter will completely disable internet connection, wich is weird...thats why she wont use dns filter

But currently i only use browser and i dont play mobile games or use any ad having apps , so i cant test this thing

It would be better to send mail to adguard about this.

I have nextdns sub, but i dont use it since i find adguard more effective

Edit: but i bet its dns filter wich does job here

 

[Moonhorse]

1.7.2025, half year since last update.

+ Updated to android 16
+ enabled googles advanced protection
+ installed security patch of june 5. and playstore patch is at june too.

+ realtime protection from sophos intercept x
+ adblocking by adguard
+ google chrome as browser since advanced protection is enabled and works on chrome best

 

[Moonhorse]

After updating to android 16 i did factory reset as something wasnt working right, could not properly set up pixel anymore

+ So after being frustrated i installed grapheneOS
+ Added Osprey extension to firefox android

Its like getting a new phone, having new OS

 

[oldschool]

+ So after being frustrated i installed grapheneOS

Its like getting a new phone, having new OS

How was the setup process after installation? Any issues? Any problems with eSIM, making calls, or connecting to your carrier?

Please keep us updated on your experience. I'm getting tired of the invasive nature of the Google app, and the inability to disable Google Assistant/Gemini.

 

[Moonhorse]

How was the setup process after installation? Any issues? Any problems with eSIM, making calls, or connecting to your carrier?

Please keep us updated on your experience. I'm getting tired of the invasive nature of the Google app, and the inability to disable Google Assistant/Gemini.

I had no previous experience from custom roms, i actually watched up video from youtube and went throught it. It took like 5-10 minutes to install, but next time i bet it takes 5mins max to install grapheneOS as i know what to do.

About eSIM, i did not even remember i had esim on pixel - zero problems with it
It instantly connected to my carrier and i got the 4g ( lte?) working without problems, no any internet issues at all
I called few times to my nephew and calls were smooth as before.

Basically you have to manually give permissions to every app you install, its very privacy minded OS it seems.

Im not about de-googling my life, its just works over the pixelOS , or whatever you call it.

Some things i had to manually do:
After installing adguard i went to > settings> internet settings > vpn > ''disable adguards vpn to not tunnel everything throught adguard'' because it was blocking internet connection of playstore

Im using microsoft launcher and i had to enable network location and select grapheneOS proxy from location services, so launcher could find my location and make weather app of microsoft launcher to work properly

TLDR: installing was easy, installing of apps is easy, only thing that takes time is allowing permissions of apps so they properly work, but it was as fast to set up phone on grapheneOS as it was on pixelOS

Im bit of unclear with my english, since im using finnish languange on my phone, technology words/terms are very hard to translate from finnish to english, its easier to use os like windows or android on english languange since its widely used everywhere

But yeah, i will continue my experience with grapheneOS and ill report if i run into any problems. You can always ask if you want to know something from os i can try to help

 

[oldschool]

Im not about de-googling my life, its just works over the pixelOS , or whatever you call it.

Same here. I just want a phone that is problem free, and not bugging me with suggestions, prompts, etc.

Im bit of unclear with my english, since im using finnish languange on my phone, technology words/terms are very hard to translate from finnish to english, its easier to use os like windows or android on english languange since its widely used everywhere

Your reply was clear and detailed. I really appreciate it. Thank you.

 

[oldschool]

Im using microsoft launcher and i had to enable network location and select grapheneOS proxy from location services, so launcher could find my location and make weather app of microsoft launcher to work properly

There is also a good open source alternative. GitHub - LawnchairLauncher/lawnchair: No clever tagline needed.

Lawnchair

The official website of Lawnchair Launcher, the customizable Pixel Launcher.

lawnchair.app

 

[Moonhorse]

Same here. I just want a phone that is problem free, and not bugging me with suggestions, prompts, etc.

i was reading today reddit r/googlepixel and it is full of people complaining crashing, freezing, heating and phones getting bricked etc. mostly after july update ( android 16) there are way too much of errors.

For me the reason i tried GrapheneOS was that i was running android 16, and there was no way to turn on advanced protection on after factory reset, also backups were not working correctly, i did factory reset multiple times, tried to google it out what to do and then i got idea of custom roms

There is also a good open source alternative. GitHub - LawnchairLauncher/lawnchair: No clever tagline needed.

I can try this out, they have discord channel for support too so im gonna go hangout there. only reason im using microsoft launcher still is that i use ''notes'' of microsoft launcher to keep track of my gotta do list, but thats easy to swap to other app, probably one that is actually for notes.

and lastly, i forgot to say about battery draining it seems to be even with pixelOS, probably using less battery because of less apps and stuff running background etc.

 

[oldschool]

In case you didn't already know, GrapheneOS offers better security than Google's Android 16 Advanced Protection, plus the Vanadium browser is hardened beyond what Chrome/Chromium offers. Have you tried Vanadium?

 

[Moonhorse]

In case you didn't already know, GrapheneOS offers better security than Google's Android 16 Advanced Protection, plus the Vanadium browser is hardened beyond what Chrome/Chromium offers. Have you tried Vanadium?

Havent tried vanadium, but i might try it out... using firefox since it has extension support for osprey currently.

I wasnt aware about grapheneOS being more secure than advanced protection, but i have noticed graphene has exploit protections and it pretty much warns you if youre doing something to specific app that weakens the protection

What i noticed is that there isnt pattern available for unlocking, wich is more secure since you have to use fingerprint + pin combo? Well you can run it completely without unlock but it warns you about that

 

[oldschool]

Havent tried vanadium, but i might try it out... using firefox since it has extension support for osprey currently.

You can use an ad/tracker blocking DNS in Vanadium. If I install GOS, I'll use NextDNS in Vanadium.

I wasnt aware about grapheneOS being more secure than advanced protection, but i have noticed graphene has exploit protections and it pretty much warns you if youre doing something to specific app that weakens the protection

Examples include hardened sandboxing, blocking 2G networking by default, etc..

These are the features of GrapheneOS beyond what's provided by version 16 of the Android Open Source Project. It only covers our improvements to AOSP and not baseline features. This section doesn't list features like the standard app sandbox, verified boot, exploit mitigations (ASLR, SSP, Shadow Call Stack, Control Flow Integrity, etc.), permission system (foreground-only and one-time permission grants, scoped file access control, etc.) and so on but rather only our improvements to modern Android. We plan on providing a separate page listing the improvements we've contributed to Android since those features aren't listed here despite being a substantial portion of our overall historical work.

GrapheneOS features overview

Overview of GrapheneOS features differentiating it from the Android Open Source Project (AOSP).

grapheneos.org

and scroll down.

 

[oldschool]

My big hesitation about switching comes from the challenges GOS developers face now that Google's low level Android code is proprietary. Reverse engineering and porting will be difficult.

 

[Moonhorse]

My big hesitation about switching comes from the challenges GOS developers face now that Google's low level Android code is proprietary. Reverse engineering and porting will be difficult.

I did read about this before i switched, but im not worried...i was surprised it was based on android 16 already..

as long as its doable they will probably push the os forward, not sure if it might delay future updates but well see...

You can use an ad/tracker blocking DNS in Vanadium. If I install GOS, I'll use NextDNS in Vanadium.

Adguard is working fine. i still have my nextDNS license but im not using it anymore as i did not like it very much. I just tend to use same browser on mobile and on desktop because of my OCD. Same comes with the extensions, i use osprey on dekstop and im using it on android too as it works.

Examples include hardened sandboxing, blocking 2G networking by default, etc..

Been bit busy lately, phone is working fine still and havent run into any problems wich is good. But i should do more research about the os to be honest im still researching about security features etc. the os comes with.

 

[oldschool]

@Moonhorse I see you are you using What's App and Discord. I've read that GOS users have to jump through hoops to use G Messages for its RCS capabilities. This alone keeps me from switching.

 

[Moonhorse]

@Moonhorse I see you are you using What's App and Discord. I've read that GOS users have to jump through hoops to use G Messages for its RCS capabilities. This alone keeps me from switching.

Yes i use whatsapp & discord , they work fine. And the default sms app of GOS is working fine too.

Is this the problem that google is blocking RCS ?

Google is silently blocking RCS on rooted Android phones and custom ROMs (Update)

Google famously campaigned for Apple to "get the message" and use RCS, but now doesn't let rooted Android users use RCS.

www.androidauthority.com

Personally i dont use sms messages at all, just when i have to message work place or new person for something i use native sms app and now its GOS sms app

 

[oldschool]

Is this the problem that google is blocking RCS ?

Google is silently blocking RCS on rooted Android phones and custom ROMs (Update)

Google famously campaigned for Apple to "get the message" and use RCS, but now doesn't let rooted Android users use RCS.

www.androidauthority.com

Yes, and there's a 600+ posts thread about setting G Messages up, plus other related threads, on the GOS Forum..

 

[Moonhorse]

28.7.2025
Update bit late since i did not want to spam forum with both configs

- removed sophos interceptX
- removed adguard
- removed firefox

+ added edge as browser ( smartscreen enabled )
+ ublock origin lite on edge

I dont think sophos or adguard are battery hogs at all but should have better battery life from now