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How to Turn Off Personalised Ads on Android

How to turn off personalised ads on Android: resetting or deleting the advertising ID, My Ad Center and partner settings, and what you still see afterwards.

By Published 4 min read

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Key takeaways

  • Android's advertising ID is a resettable, deletable ID provided by Google Play services for advertising.
  • Settings, Privacy, Ads lets you reset the ID, which gives you a new one, or delete it, after which apps that ask for it receive a string of zeros.
  • Signed in, turning off personalised ads in Google's My Ad Center also turns them off on partner sites and apps; signed out, partner ad settings apply per browser or device.
  • Turning personalisation off does not remove ads: non-personalised ads use context such as the time of day or what you are searching for.
  • Individual apps can have their own ad settings, so check those too.

Google says millions of sites and apps use its ad technology to fund their content, and those ads can be personalised: chosen using activity and information linked to you. Android lets you limit that in a few places, and none of them is the whole answer on its own. This guide covers the advertising ID, Google's My Ad Center and what you can expect to see afterwards.

The advertising ID

Google describes the advertising ID as a unique, user-resettable and user-deletable ID for advertising, provided by Google Play services. Google Play's developer policy requires apps to use it, rather than other device identifiers, for advertising purposes. That makes it the main lever on your phone.

You have two options, both in Android Settings:

Action Path Effect
Reset Settings, Privacy, Ads, Reset advertising ID You get a new ID in place of the old one
Delete Settings, Privacy, Ads, Delete advertising ID The ID is removed; apps that ask get a string of zeros

Google notes that on some older versions of Android, the path is Settings, Privacy, Advanced, Ads. It also explains that since a Google Play services update rolled out from late 2021 to April 2022, deleting the ID means any attempt to access it receives a string of zeros instead of the identifier.

Step by step

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Tap Privacy, then Ads (or Privacy, Advanced, Ads on some older phones).
  3. Choose Delete advertising ID and confirm, or Reset advertising ID if you prefer a fresh one.

Google adds a caveat worth knowing: your advertising ID will be deleted, but apps may have their own settings, which can also affect the ads you see.

Google's own ad settings

The advertising ID is one input. Google's My Ad Center explains that personalised ads on Google services can be based on activity saved to your Google Account, including searches, YouTube videos watched, apps installed on your Android device and ads you have interacted with, along with your general area and the choices you make in My Ad Center itself.

Two details matter:

  • Choices in My Ad Center, such as preferred topics and brands, only affect ads on Google services.
  • Ads on partner sites and apps that use Google's technology have a separate partner ad settings control.

In the European Economic Area, Google notes that using account activity for ad personalisation is also subject to your linked services settings.

What you will still see

Turning personalisation off does not turn ads off. Google explains that non-personalised ads are chosen by contextual factors: the time of day, the topic of the site or app you are using, your current location or what you are actively searching for. Its examples include a lunch-special ad at noon and a plumber's ad while you search for plumbing. Context can still be specific: Google notes that if you search for "umbrellas" soon after searching for "patio furniture", you might see ads for patio umbrellas rather than golf umbrellas.

Why partner settings matter in apps

Apps you install are not Google services, but they can still carry ads served through Google. Google explains that websites and apps often reserve space for ads and partner with Google or other ad technology providers to fill it, and that millions of sites and apps use the Google Display Network to fund their content. That is why the partner ad settings control matters for games and free apps, not just for Google Search and YouTube.

A worked example: one phone, three settings

Suppose you want fewer targeted ads in games. You delete the advertising ID, so apps that ask for it receive zeros. While signed in to your Google Account, you turn off personalised ads in My Ad Center; Google says this also turns off personalised ads on partner sites and apps. If you also browse signed out, you set partner ad settings separately, because Google says that choice applies only to the browser or device you are using. You will still see ads in free games, now based on context rather than a profile, as far as Google's ads are concerned. Google notes that partner ad settings do not affect ads not shown by Google or ads from other ad platforms, and that apps may have their own settings, so check those too.

Ads, purchases and permissions

If you would rather not see ads at all, some free apps sell an ad-free upgrade; what "in-app purchases" means covers how those work, and why free Android games show ads explains the funding model. For what data an app says it collects, see Google Play's Data safety section explained, and for device access, Android app permissions explained.

Our arcade games, such as Space Galaxy Attack Arcade, are free to download, supported by ads, with optional in-app purchases; your Android ad settings apply to them as to any app. It is one of our action and arcade games.

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

How do you turn off personalised ads on Android?
Start with the advertising ID: open Settings, tap Privacy, then Ads, and delete the advertising ID; on some older versions the path is Privacy, Advanced, Ads. Then review personalisation in Google's My Ad Center and its partner ad settings.
What happens when you delete your advertising ID?
Google says that once you delete it in Android Settings, the advertising ID is removed and any app that tries to access it receives a string of zeros instead. Google notes that apps may have their own settings that also affect the ads you see.
What is the difference between resetting and deleting the advertising ID?
Resetting replaces your advertising ID with a new one; deleting removes it, so apps that ask for it get a string of zeros instead of an ID. Both options are in Settings under Privacy and then Ads.
Will I still see ads after turning off personalisation?
Yes. Google explains that non-personalised ads are shown using contextual factors such as the time of day, the topic of the site you are on, your general location or what you are actively searching for.

Sources

  1. Advertising ID (opens in a new tab)Google Play Console Help — accessed
  2. How personalized ads work (Android) (opens in a new tab)Google My Ad Center Help — accessed

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