How to Stop Targeted Ads on Google, Facebook, Browsers and Phones (2026)

Searched for a product once and now see ads for it everywhere? That’s behavioural (interest-based) advertising. Here is how to stop targeted ads across Google, Facebook, your browser and your phone in 2026. When we first wrote about this in 2011, the industry’s NAI opt-out tool was the main option. There are now much better controls built into the services and devices you already use.

Quick answer: Turn off personalised ads in Google’s My Ad Center, set Meta’s ad preferences to limit data from partners, delete or reset your phone’s advertising ID (Android) or deny app tracking (iPhone), block third-party cookies and turn on Global Privacy Control in your browser, and use the DAA’s AdChoices tools for other ad networks. You’ll still see ads, just less personalised ones.

What is targeted behavioural advertising?

Ad networks use cookies, device advertising IDs and account data to record what you search, browse and buy, then show related ads on other websites and apps. That’s why a pair of shoes you viewed can follow you around the web for days.

How to stop targeted ads, step by step

1. Google

1. Go to My Ad Center while signed in.
2. Turn Personalised ads off. You can also hide sensitive topics or specific brands instead.

2. Facebook and Instagram

In the Meta Accounts Center, open Ad preferences and limit ads based on activity information from ad partners. You can also hide advertisers and topics.

3. Your browser

• Block third-party cookies in Chrome, Edge or Firefox settings. Safari and Firefox block many trackers by default.
• Turn on Global Privacy Control (GPC), built into Firefox, Brave and DuckDuckGo, or available as an extension. It tells sites not to sell or share your data, a request some US state laws require businesses to honour.
• Use a privacy-focused browser or a reputable content blocker.

4. Your phone

• Android: Settings > Privacy > Ads > Delete advertising ID (wording varies by phone).
• iPhone: Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking, and turn off “Allow Apps to Request to Track”. Also turn off Personalised Ads under Apple Advertising.

5. Other ad networks

The Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) now points people to its opt-out guide, and the Digital Advertising Alliance offers AdChoices tools to opt out of participating companies. Look for the small AdChoices triangle on ads to see why you were targeted.

What opting out does and doesn’t do

• You still see the same number of ads; they’re just less tailored to you.
• Cookie-based opt-outs are stored as cookies, so clearing cookies can undo them. Repeat after clearing your browser data.
• Opting out doesn’t stop sites collecting data for analytics or security.

Websites that show ads must explain this in a privacy policy, as we noted when AdSense first required a privacy policy. For more privacy settings, see how to protect your privacy on X (Twitter).

FAQ

Can I stop all ads?

Not by opting out. Ad blockers can hide many ads, but they also hurt free websites that rely on ads.

Does incognito mode stop targeted ads?

Only partly. Private windows don’t keep cookies after you close them, but sites can still track you during the session.

Is turning off personalised ads permanent?

Account settings like Google’s stay on while you’re signed in. Browser cookie opt-outs disappear if you clear cookies.