Interstitial Ads in Android

Interstitial ads are full-screen ads that can be displayed in your Android app at natural transition points, such as between levels in a game or when transitioning between activities or screens. In this guide, you’ll learn how to integrate interstitial ads into your Android app using Google AdMob.

Here are the steps to implement interstitial ads in your Android app:

1. Set Up an AdMob Account:

If you haven’t already, create an AdMob account (part of Google AdSense) at AdMob. Once your account is set up, create an AdMob ad unit for interstitial ads.

2. Add the AdMob SDK to Your Project:

Open your app’s build.gradle file (usually located in the “app” module) and add the AdMob dependency:

implementation 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-ads:20.2.0'

Sync your project to download the dependency.

3. Initialize AdMob in Your App:

In your app’s Application class or the onCreate method of your main activity, initialize the AdMob SDK with your AdMob app ID:

import com.google.android.gms.ads.MobileAds;

public class MyApplication extends Application {

    @Override
    public void onCreate() {
        super.onCreate();

        // Initialize AdMob
        MobileAds.initialize(this, "YOUR_ADMOB_APP_ID");
    }
}

Replace "YOUR_ADMOB_APP_ID" with your actual AdMob app ID.

4. Load and Display Interstitial Ads:

To load and display interstitial ads, follow these steps:

• Create an InterstitialAd object:

import com.google.android.gms.ads.AdRequest;
import com.google.android.gms.ads.InterstitialAd;

private InterstitialAd interstitialAd;

// Inside your activity's onCreate method or equivalent
interstitialAd = new InterstitialAd(this);
interstitialAd.setAdUnitId("YOUR_INTERSTITIAL_AD_UNIT_ID");

Replace "YOUR_INTERSTITIAL_AD_UNIT_ID" with the actual ad unit ID you created in AdMob.

• Load the interstitial ad in the background (typically in onCreate or before you need to show it):

AdRequest adRequest = new AdRequest.Builder().build();
interstitialAd.loadAd(adRequest);

• Show the interstitial ad when it’s ready (e.g., when the user completes a level or navigates to a new screen):

if (interstitialAd.isLoaded()) {
    interstitialAd.show();
} else {
    // The ad wasn't loaded yet, handle accordingly
}

5. Implement Ad Listener:

You can set an ad listener to be notified of various events related to the interstitial ad, such as when it’s loaded, when it’s closed, or when an error occurs. Here’s an example:

import com.google.android.gms.ads.AdListener;

interstitialAd.setAdListener(new AdListener() {
    @Override
    public void onAdLoaded() {
        // The interstitial ad has been loaded and is ready to be shown.
    }

    @Override
    public void onAdFailedToLoad(int errorCode) {
        // Handle ad loading failure.
    }

    @Override
    public void onAdClosed() {
        // The interstitial ad has been closed by the user.
    }
});

6. Test with Test Ads:

During development and testing, it’s important to use test ads to avoid generating invalid traffic. AdMob provides test ad unit IDs that you can use for testing. To enable test ads, use a test device or an emulator. Be sure to remove test ads before publishing your app.

7. Publish Your App:

Before publishing your app with interstitial ads, ensure that it complies with AdMob policies and guidelines. AdMob has strict policies regarding ad content, placement, and user experience.

That’s it! You’ve successfully integrated interstitial ads into your Android app using AdMob. Users will see full-screen ads at the designated points in your app, helping you monetize your app’s user base.