Online Privacy & Dark Web

Intermediate

3 min read 5 stepsApril 21, 2026Verified April 2026

How to Turn Off Targeted Ads on Your Phone and Computer

Reduce the number of ads that follow you around the internet by adjusting privacy settings on your iPhone, Android, Google account, and Facebook.

At a Glance

Turn off ad tracking on iPhone

~22s

Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking. Turn off "Allow Apps to Request to Track" — this stops apps from asking to follow you across other apps and websites. Then go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Apple Advertising and turn off "Personalized Ads." This stops Apple from using your data to show you targeted ads in the App Store and Apple News.

Turn off ad tracking on Android

~21s

Go to Settings > Privacy > Ads (the location varies slightly by Android version — look in Settings > Google > Ads if you can't find it). Tap "Delete advertising ID" or "Opt out of Ads Personalization" — this resets and removes the unique identifier advertisers use to track you. On newer Android phones (Android 14+), you can delete the advertising ID entirely.

Adjust Google's ad personalization

~21s

Go to myaccount.google.com in a browser. Click Data & Privacy, then scroll to "Ad settings." Click "Ad personalization" and turn it off. You can also see and delete the interests Google has assigned to you on this same page — it's eye-opening. Turning this off means Google Search, YouTube, and Gmail ads will no longer be based on your browsing history and activity.

Adjust Facebook's ad settings

~21s

In the Facebook app, tap the three-line menu, then Settings & Privacy > Settings > Ads. Go through each option: "Ad preferences" lets you remove interests Facebook thinks you have; "Ad topics" lets you see fewer ads on specific subjects; "Data about your activity from partners" controls whether Facebook uses data from other websites and apps to target you — turn this off.

Use browser privacy settings

~25s

In Google Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and Security > "Do Not Track" and turn it on — this signals to websites that you prefer not to be tracked (though not all sites honor it). Also consider using the browser extension "Privacy Badger" (free from EFF.org) which automatically blocks tracking scripts. In Safari on iPhone, go to Settings > Safari and make sure "Prevent Cross-Site Tracking" is turned on (it is by default in recent iOS versions).

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You've probably noticed that after you search for something online or look at a product, ads for that item seem to follow you everywhere — on websites, in apps, and on social media. This is called targeted or personalized advertising, and it's powered by tracking systems that monitor your browsing behavior, your location, and your purchase history.

You can't make all ads disappear. But you can greatly reduce how much tracking happens and stop companies from using your data to build a detailed profile about you. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes to go through these settings across your main devices and accounts, and the effect is noticeable.

There are four main places to adjust: your iPhone or Android's advertising settings, your Google account, your Facebook account, and your web browser. Each of these controls a different slice of the tracking ecosystem.

One important thing to understand: opting out of targeted ads doesn't mean you'll see zero ads. You'll still see ads — they just won't be personalized based on your behavior. Some people find the generic ads less useful. Others prefer the privacy. Either way, less tracking means less data about you floating around.

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