NetGuard - no-root firewall

Marcel Bokhorst, FairCode BV

In-app purchases

About this app

NetGuard is an internet security app, which offers simple and advanced ways to restrict apps' access to the internet.

Applications and addresses can individually be allowed or denied access to your Wi-Fi and/or mobile connection. Root permissions are not required.

Blocking access to the internet can help:

• reduce your data usage
• save your battery
• increase your privacy

Features:

• Simple to use
• No root required
• 100% open source
• No calling home
• No tracking or analytics
• No advertisements
• Actively developed and supported
• Android 5.1 and later supported
• IPv4/IPv6 TCP/UDP supported
• Tethering supported
• Optionally allow when screen on
• Optionally block when roaming
• Optionally block system applications
• Optionally notify when an application accesses the internet
• Optionally record network usage per application per address
• Material design theme with light and dark theme

PRO features:

• Log all outgoing traffic; search and filter access attempts; export PCAP files to analyze traffic
• Allow/block individual addresses per application
• New application notifications; configure NetGuard directly from the notification
• Display network speed graph in a status bar notification
• Select from five additional themes in both light and dark version

There is no other no-root firewall offering all these features.

If you like to test new features, you can participate in the test program: https://play.google.com/apps/testing/eu.faircode.netguard

All required permissions are described here: https://github.com/M66B/NetGuard/blob/master/FAQ.md#user-content-faq42

NetGuard uses the Android VPNService to route traffic to itself, so it can be filtered on-device instead of on a server. Only one app can use this service at the same time, which is a limitation of Android.

The full source code is available here: https://github.com/M66B/NetGuard

Ratings and reviews

It's useful to stop native screwoogle apps and 3rd party apps from tracking/pinging. Unfortunately when you want to use those apps you have to disable the NetGuard for that app which then opens the flood gates and allows any and all traffic through the app (trackers). There needs to be a tracker blocker built in, otherwise you'll have to turn the entire app off, turn on a tracker blocker, use the app you want, then enable NetGuard again. It's only useful when you AREN'T using those apps.

This is the clearest and easiest to use firewall I have found, but it does serve ads itself until users pay up. Not being able to control that connection really thwarts the purpose of a firewall, I think. In response to the developer, my previous review complained about this with the free version and your response was a passionate defence of ads and your need to make money. It's good if you've changed that policy but let's not pretend it never happened.

If you can't root your phone, remove bloatware, or if you can't even disable the apps you'd prefer not run, this app will at least stop the apps getting online in the background, without your knowledge. You can choose to apply universal settings for things like connection permissions, attempt alerts or logs, and easily change a single app setting as needed. Fantastic.

What’s new

* Reduced number of reloads
* Small improvements
* Updated build tools