Google Ads Settings: Can They Be Changed on Your Phone?

You may already have known that Google uses your browsing history to show you personalised ads. Google search engine can show you adverts related to something you searched a few seconds ago utilising the information of your account. Some people value this feature as it prevents you from seeing ads about things you have zero interest in.

On the other hand, some people take this as a violation of their privacy. Mostly, these are people who share devices and do not want Google to show others what they have been up to. Either way, it is possible to control how you are shown ads.

While many people think the process is reserved for desktop users, you would be surprised to know that you can as well control commercial shown on your phone. Both Android and iOS gadgets can control your ad preferences, and we will explain to you how to do that in our few steps manual.

Changing Ads Settings on Your Smartphone 

For this guide, we’ll be using an Android smartphone, but we believe the process is much the same for iOS users.

• Step 1: Switch on your Android smartphone or tablet.
• Step 2: Tap/click the menu button to bring up the apps list (Some devices use hand gestures).
• Step 3: Select the settings app/Google settings depending on your phone model. 
• Step 4: While in the configurations view, scroll down and tap on Google.
• Step 5: Select the account for which you want to change options. Find and select Ads on the same screen.
• Step 6: The Ads screen will have three menu items and your advertising ID displayed. Use the menu to tweak Google ad settings to meet your preferences. 

As you can see from step 6 above, Google allows you to opt-in or out of the interest-based advertising program. To do that, you only need to tap on the switch button on the “opt-out of ads personalisation” menu. A single tap opts you back in the program. 

Note that opting out of interest-based advertising does not eliminate commercial. Instead, Google will not use your browsing history to show related ads.

Other Google Ads Settings

Reset Advertising ID: This setting allows you to reset your advertising ID to another random string like the one displayed on your customisation page. 

Ads by Google: This is a link to a page explaining everything about ad personalisation. You will find links to commercial settings that open in the mobile browser on the said page. This page allows you to turn off certain information associated with your account for advertising purposes. Such information may include age, gender, and marital status, among other things.

The Bottom Line

Regardless of whether you want to opt-out of personalised advertising or opt-in and avoid the random ads, you can do so with ease on your smartphone. Besides, the process is very straightforward, as indicated in the steps above, and you can complete all the steps on any phone or tablet.