How to Go to Google Ad Settings

If you're looking for your Google Ad Settings, you've come to the right place. You want more control over the types of ads that appear on YouTube, in your search results, and across the web, and this guide will show you exactly how to find and use Google's ad controls on your computer, Android, or iPhone.

What Are the Google Ad Settings?

Google's central hub for managing your ad preferences is called My Ad Center. Think of it as the main control panel for your advertising experience across all of Google's services - Search, YouTube, Gmail, Maps - as well as on the millions of websites and apps that use Google's network to show ads.

Why would you want to visit My Ad Center?

• To see what Google thinks you like. You can review the interests and brands Google has associated with your account based on your activity.
• To correct the record. If Google has you pegged as a rabid fan of something you only searched for once, you can easily remove that interest.
• To quiet the noise. You can limit ads about sensitive or repetitive topics that you'd rather not see.
• To turn it all off. You have the option to completely turn off ad personalization, stopping Google from using your information to tailor ads for you.

It's important to remember that turning off personalization doesn't mean you'll stop seeing ads. You will still see them, but they'll be contextual – based on the content of the website you're visiting or the video you're watching – rather than your personal history.

How to Find Your Google Ad Settings on a Computer

Getting to your My Ad Center on a desktop or laptop browser is very straightforward. You have two simple options.

The Direct Route

The fastest way to get to your settings is by going straight to the source.

1. Open your favorite web browser (like Chrome, Firefox, or Safari).
2. In the address bar, type: myadcenter.google.com and press Enter.
3. If prompted, sign in with your Google Account credentials.

You'll land directly on the My Ad Center dashboard where all your settings are located.

The Scenic Route (Through Your Google Account)

If you prefer to navigate from your general account settings, that works too.

1. Navigate to myaccount.google.com.
2. Click on the Data & privacy tab from the menu on the left side of the screen.
3. Scroll down until you see the section titled "Ad settings."
4. Click on My Ad Center. This link will take you to the same myadcenter.google.com dashboard.

How to Access Google Ad Settings on Android

On an Android phone or tablet, your settings are integrated into the device's main settings menu, making them easy to find.

Accessing My Ad Center

This path takes you to the main dashboard to control personalization for your Google account.

1. Open the main Settings app on your device.
2. Scroll down and tap on Google.
3. Tap the Manage your Google Account button.
4. You'll see a horizontal menu with tabs like "Home" and "Personal info." Swipe this menu to the left and tap on Data & privacy.
5. Scroll down the page and tap on My Ad Center.

This screen gives you full access to manage your ad topics, sensitive categories, and personalization settings, just like on the desktop.

Managing Your Android Advertising ID

Your Android device also has a specific "Advertising ID" used by apps for tracking. You can reset or delete this ID to have more control over in-app advertising.

1. Navigate back to Settings > Google.
2. This time, tap on the option labeled Ads.
3. Here, you'll see two key options: Reset advertising ID and Delete advertising ID.

• Resetting the ID replaces your current one with a new, random one. It's like clearing the cookies for your apps, forcing data brokers to start fresh with you.
• Deleting the ID removes it completely. Apps can no longer use this ID to build a profile of you, which can reduce personalized ads within those apps.

How to Get to Google Ad Settings on an iPhone or iPad

On an iPhone or iPad, your central Google Ad Settings are managed within any of Google's flagship apps.

Accessing My Ad Center on iOS

1. Open any primary Google App. The Gmail, Google, or YouTube apps work perfectly for this.
2. Tap your profile picture in the top-right corner of the screen.
3. Tap the Manage your Google Account button.
4. Just like on other platforms, tap the Data & privacy tab.
5. Scroll down and select My Ad Center. You'll now be inside the familiar control panel.

An Important Note on Apple's App Tracking Transparency

When you're using an iPhone, Google isn't the only company with ad controls. Apple has a powerful device-level feature called App Tracking Transparency. This setting controls whether an app (like Facebook or a mobile game) can track your activity across other companies' apps and websites for advertising purposes. You've probably seen the pop-up asking for permission to track.

You can manage this for all your apps by going to Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking. Here, you can prevent all future apps from requesting to track you or manage permissions for individual apps.

A Tour of My Ad Center: What You Can Actually Control

Once you've successfully navigated to your Google Ad Settings, you'll find several powerful tools for customizing your experience.

Turn Personalized Ads On or Off

Right at the top of the My Ad Center page, you'll find the master switch: Personalized Ads. Toggling this off is the biggest single change you can make.

• ON (Default): Google uses your account activity, information you've provided, and data from partners to make the ads you see more relevant and useful.
• OFF: Google will no longer use your account data for personalization. Ads will likely feel more generic or random, related only to the site you're on, not your past behavior.

Customize Your Profile: Managing Topics & Brands

Scroll down to see two sections: Topics and Brands. This is where you can actively tell Google what you do and don't care about.

See a topic like "Camping" because you searched for a tent once? Click the minus ( - ) button to see fewer ads related to it. Planning a renovation? You can proactively click the plus (+) button next to "Home Improvement" to see more ads that might be helpful. The same applies to specific brands.

Limit Ads on Sensitive Topics

This is a fantastic feature for reducing ads on subjects you'd rather not see. Under the "Customize ads" section, look for an option to limit sensitive topics. Here, you can choose to see fewer ads related to:

• Alcohol
• Dating
• Gambling
• Pregnancy & Parenting
• Weight Loss

While an ad may still slip through contextually (for example, a vacation ad showing people relaxing with drinks), this greatly reduces direct advertising from these categories.

Check the Information Google Uses to Show You Ads

Further down the page, you can review the demographic info that influences your ads. This includes the age range and gender that Google has inferred for your account. If it's incorrect, you can update it. This section also explains how other information from your Google Account - like your saved Home and Work locations in Maps - is used to make ads locally relevant.

Final Thoughts

Taking a few minutes to navigate to your Google Ad Settings in My Ad Center offers a surprising amount of control over your online experience. Whether you want to fine-tune your ad topics, limit sensitive content, or fully opt-out of personalization, these controls empower you to shape how ads are shown to you across the web.

While taking control of the ads you see is empowering, we understand that businesses need that same sense of clarity on the ads they run. Instead of spending hours jumping between Google Ads, Google Analytics, and spreadsheets to see what’s working, we built Graphed to give you immediate answers. You can connect all your data sources and simply ask a question like, “Which campaigns had the best return on ad spend last quarter?” to get an instant, real-time dashboard. If you want to spend less time building reports and more time acting on insights, you can try Graphed for free.