How to block images and videos on the Play Store

If you want to avoid blocking the Play Store because you want to continue to receive app updates, but also want to hide problematic content within the store, this guide may be right for you.

You will need another app in addition to Andoff, HeartGuard.

HeartGuard is a fork of NetGuard that’s been modified to support Plucky-like self-control features. It functions as a software VPN which can filter Internet traffic on a per-app basis.

This means you can configure HeartGuard to block unwanted traffic like the kind that brings images and videos into the Play Store, while allowing other traffic like the kind that downloads and updates apps.

Once configured the way you like, it can also be configured with a delay, an offline expedite system, and can be locked in as the device VPN by setting it in Andoff.

Download HeartGuard

Get it from https://github.com/hoodedpaldin/HeartGuard/releases . The file you should download will be named something like HeartGuard-v2.xxx-debug.apk

After downloading, go through your Files app to the download folder and tap on it to install.

HeartGuard first-time setup

Follow the steps HeartGuard walks you through for the first-time setup.

Make sure to pay attention and exclude it from battery optimization in the settings when prompted.

Tap on the three dots in the top-right > Settings > Options > turn on Manage systems apps, and Notify on internet access if you want HeartGuard to let you know whenever it blocks a connection.

Go back to the home screen > three dots > See all rules > three dots > Raw edit > and replace the contents of this screen with the contents of the text file you downloaded earlier.

Click the submit button.

Return to the home screen and manually whitelist any apps you want. We recommend at minimum to allow Pluckeye and Andoff. The rules page so far looks like this:

feature enabled
feature manage_system
allow package:app.plucky.dpc
allow package:net.pluckeye.tober

Make sure to not whitelist the Play Store. You should only whitelist apps which you intend for HeartGuard to completely ignore.

Blocking images in the Play Store

With the setup work done, you can now start adding custom rules to block specific connections in apps. To block images and videos in the Play Store, you need these rules configured:

allow package:com.android.vending directip
allow package:com.android.vending host:android.clients.google.com
allow package:com.android.vending host:connectivitycheck.gstatic.com
allow package:com.android.vending host:gvt1.com
allow package:com.android.vending host:play-fe.googleapis.com
allow package:com.android.vending host:play.googleapis.com
blockdomain books.google.com
blockdomain play.google.com

You can copy them all and then add them all at once by going to ‘See all rules > Enter multiple rules’.

Clear the Play Store cache

Now that HeartGuard is blocking any new connections, all that’s left is to erase any images the Play Store previously downloaded.

Tap and hold on the Play Store app icon > tap on the info icon (looks like an ‘i’ in a circle) > Storage > Clear cache.

Next time you launch Play Store it should look like the screenshot below: