You keep seeing ads that mirror something you searched for last week, and you want Google to stop building a profile to target you. Maybe you just want ads that aren't tied to your browsing, your YouTube history, or where you've been.
The control you want lives in My Ad Center, and turning it off applies everywhere you're signed in. This guide walks every verified surface (web, Android, iPhone and iPad, the YouTube app, and even signed-out browsers), ordered quickest and most common first.
One thing to set expectations on before you start: turning this off does not remove ads. It changes them from personalized to contextual. You will still see ads, just chosen by factors like the page topic, time of day, and approximate location instead of your profile.
Turn Off Personalized Ads in My Ad Center (Web)
This is the fastest, highest-coverage method. Because it is tied to your account, the change follows you to every signed-in device. Do this one first.
- 1.Go to myadcenter.google.com and sign in if prompted.
- 2.On the My Ad Center home page, find the Personalized ads card. The setting is ON by default.
- 3.Set it to Off. Next to Personalized ads, select Off. (Depending on your version you may see a simple toggle or a drop-down with a Turn Off option; both lead to the same setting.)
- 4.When prompted, confirm your selection. A warning notes that your customized topics and brands will be deleted and that ads will become less relevant.
That is the core fix. Ads on Google services now become non-personalized across every device where you are signed in with this account.
Use the Direct Off Link to Save a Click
If you would rather skip hunting for the card, Google publishes a direct link for the personalization-off setting: myadcenter.google.com/personalizationoff. Sign in if prompted, then confirm the change. Use this when you just want the master switch off and nothing else.
Turn Off the Specific Activity Signals
If you want finer control, My Ad Center also lets you switch off the individual data signals feeding ad personalization. Find these under My Ad Center > Manage Privacy, in the "Activity used to personalize ads" section (direct URL: myadcenter.google.com/controls).
- 1.Open Activity on sites and apps and turn it off. This affects personalized ads on Google Search, YouTube, and Discover.
- 2.Open YouTube History and turn off Use YouTube History to personalize ads. This affects ads on Google Search and YouTube.
- 3.Open Areas where you've used Google and turn off Use areas to personalize ads. This covers location-based personalization across Google sites and apps.
Important caveat: these controls stop the data from being used for ads, not from being collected. Your YouTube History and the areas where you've used Google can still be saved to your account.
Stop Personalized Ads on Partner Sites
Google also serves personalized ads on non-Google sites and apps that partner with it. That is a separate control.
- 1.Go to Partner Ad Settings at adssettings.google.com/partnerads.
- 2.Turn off Help advertisers select ads for you.
- 3.Confirm your selection.
If you are signed out, this control requires third-party cookies to be enabled, or being signed in to your Google Account, for the choice to apply.
Turn It Off From the YouTube App (Android)
You can reach the same account-level setting from inside the YouTube app, which is handy if that is where the ads bother you most.
- 1.Signed in: tap your profile Account, then Settings. Scroll to Privacy, tap Google ad settings, set Personalized ads to Off, and confirm.
- 2.Signed out: tap Account, then Settings. Scroll to History & Privacy, turn off Allow personalized ads, and confirm.
Signed-in changes here apply to your whole Google Account. Signed-out changes apply only to that app on that device.
Turn It Off From the YouTube App (iPhone and iPad)
The iOS flow mirrors Android.
- 1.Open the YouTube app and tap your profile Account, then Settings.
- 2.Signed in: scroll to Privacy, tap Google ad settings, set Personalized ads to Off, and confirm.
- 3.Signed out: scroll to History & Privacy, turn off Allow personalized ads, and confirm.
Use My Ad Center From a Phone
The master toggle also works from any mobile browser.
- 1.Open myadcenter.google.com in your mobile browser and sign in if prompted.
- 2.On the My Ad Center home, find the Personalized ads card.
- 3.Select Off (using the toggle or the Turn Off option, whichever your version shows).
- 4.Confirm your selection.
The help page shows separate Android and iPhone & iPad tabs, but the My Ad Center toggle is the same on both.
Turn It Off Without a Google Account (Signed Out)
No account, or browsing signed out? Personalization is then controlled per surface and per browser. You set Search, YouTube, and Web independently.
- 1.Go to Ad Settings (adssettings.google.com) while signed out.
- 2.Select Search, turn off Personalized ads on Google Search, and confirm.
- 3.Select YouTube, turn off Personalized ads on YouTube, and confirm.
- 4.Select Web, turn off Personalized ads on sites that partner with Google, and confirm.
Repeat this on every browser and device. The signed-out setting does not sync, and it can reset if you clear cookies, because it is stored against the browser rather than an account.
Also Reduce What Google Collects
Turning off personalization changes how your data is used, not whether it is gathered. Web & App Activity, YouTube History, and location continue to be saved unless you disable each one. To actually reduce collection, open your Google Account's Data & privacy settings and turn off Web & App Activity, YouTube History, and Location History separately. Then review and delete existing data at myactivity.google.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will turning this off stop ads completely?
No. Ads do not disappear. They become non-personalized, chosen by factors like the topic of the site or page, the time of day, and your approximate city-level location instead of your profile.
Do I have to change this on every device?
If you turn it off in My Ad Center while signed in, the change applies everywhere you are signed in with that account, across all your devices. Only the signed-out Ad Settings must be repeated per browser and device.
Does this stop Google from collecting my data?
No. It changes how the data is used for ads, not whether it is collected. Web & App Activity, YouTube History, and location keep saving to your account unless you separately turn each one off.
Will I lose my customized ad topics and brands?
Yes. Turning Personalized ads off deletes your existing My Ad Center customizations, including the topics and brands you have customized. Re-enabling personalization later does not restore them.
Why do my signed-out settings keep resetting?
Signed-out choices are stored against your browser and cookies, not an account. Clearing cookies can reset them, and they never sync to other browsers, devices, or your signed-in state.
I turned off "Activity on sites and apps" but Search still feels personalized. Why?
That toggle stops the activity from being used for personalized ads, but it does not stop personalized recommendations in Search. Similarly, switching off the YouTube History ad toggle still leaves YouTube History saved and recommendations active.
