This ad-free Facebook app made my feed enjoyable again for the first time in years
Facebook ads and suggested posts were ruining my feed. Then I tried this free open-source app.
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ZDNET's key takeaways
- There's an app that blocks Facebook ads and suggested posts.
- The app is free to use on Android devices.
- You have to be able to sideload apps on your device.
Over the past few years, Facebook has become increasingly unusable. I can log in to my account, and instead of seeing posts from friends, mostly what I see are ads and suggested posts. I've had instances where it took longer than expected to finally see something an actual human had posted.
It's frustrating to the point of nearly making me leave the service. After all, what good is social media if the social aspect is removed? Not much. I'm just so tired of doom-scrolling through the site, hoping to land on something of value.
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Fortunately, I was introduced to an app called Nobook.
Nobook was created by a single developer for the purpose of delivering Facebook without all the problematic "features," such as ads and suggested posts. With those removed, you can actually see what your friends have to say.
It's quite refreshing.
What is Nobook?
The Nobook app works as a wrapper around the Facebook website, so it's almost like opening the Facebook URL in your default browser. By doing it this way, the app is able to block the things you don't want because Nobook prevents those things from appearing on your feed and/or obfuscates them using JavaScript (like an ad blocker).
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Essentially, Nobook is like viewing Facebook through a web browser with an ad blocker. But don't worry, Nobook still looks like the Facebook app, just cleaner.
Nobook looks very much like Facebook, without the bad stuff.
Jack Wallen/ZDNET
I installed Nobook on an Android device to see how it performed, and I was pleasantly surprised.
In fact, I found Facebook to be usable again. I could immediately view posts from friends and groups that I follow without being bombarded by the things that tend to get in the way. Yes, every so often, I still see suggested groups and users, but those are in the vast minority. I would say that, using Nobook, 90% of what I see are posts from those I follow.
Imagine that.
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Another bonus is that I've yet to see Meta's AI feature appear on Nobook, and I'm perfectly fine with that.
How to try Nobook
Here's where things get a bit tricky. Nobook isn't available on the Google Play Store. The only way to get Nobook is by downloading the APK file from GitHub. I attempted this on two different phones: my Pixel 9 Pro and the Fairphone Gen 6. On the Fairphone, Nobook installed without a problem. All I had to do was:
- Download the APK file.
- Tap the notification when the download completes.
- OK the installation.
- Enable installing apps from the source (GitHub).
- Enjoy.
My Pixel 9 Pro was problematic, thanks to Android Advanced Protection. To install Nobook on that phone, I'd have to disable Android Advanced Protection. Even after you've done that, it can take up to 18-24 hours to fully deactivate. I'm not so sure about disabling Advanced Protection, which is why I installed Nobook on the Fairphone Gen 6.
For Samsung devices, you can disable Auto Blocker (which prevents malware, unauthorized apps, and phishing by blocking harmful apps from unknown sources) by going to Settings > Security and Privacy > Auto Blocker and disabling the feature. Once you've installed the app, go back and enable Auto Blocker, and you should be good to go.
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This app is a real gem, and it's a shame that installing it on some devices can be a real pain. Comparing Nobook to the official Facebook mobile app is like watching a movie on Hulu with commercials vs. without. Clearly, the option without ads offers a much better experience, and that's exactly what Nobook does.
If you're looking for a much-improved Facebook experience on Android, and you have a phone that still allows you to sideload apps, I would highly recommend trying Nobook. You'll feel like you're using Facebook from years ago, when it was actually still fun.