How to Reset Google Ad ID

Your phone’s advertising ID is one of the key tools marketers use to understand ad performance and show you more relevant content, but you have complete control over it. This article will walk you through exactly what this ID is, why you might want to reset it, and the simple steps to do so on both Android and iOS devices.

What is a Device Advertising ID?

Think of your device's advertising ID as a unique, anonymized license plate for your phone or tablet that's used for advertising purposes. It’s a random string of characters assigned to your device that allows app developers and marketers to get a general sense of your interests based on the apps you use and the ads you interact with. For example, if you use a lot of fitness and recipe apps, your ad ID might get associated with an "interest profile" for health and wellness.

This allows advertising networks to serve you ads that are hopefully more relevant to you, such as for workout gear or meal delivery services, instead of random ads you have no interest in.

There are two main types of advertising IDs, depending on your device:

Google Advertising ID (GAID): This is the ID used on Android devices. It's provided by Google Play Services.
Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA): This is Apple's equivalent for iOS devices (iPhones, iPads).

The crucial feature of both these IDs is that they are user-controlled. They are not permanent hardware identifiers like a serial number. You have the power to reset your ID whenever you want, or even delete it entirely, giving you direct control over your digital advertising footprint.

Why Would You Want to Reset Your Ad ID?

Resetting your ad ID is like telling the advertising world, "Let's start over." It disassociates your device from the ad profile that has been built around it. Here are the most common reasons why you might want to do this:

Enhance Your Privacy: The primary reason is privacy. Over time, your ad ID accumulates a history of your app usage and ad interactions. Resetting it breaks the link to that past behavior, essentially wiping the slate clean and preventing advertisers from linking your new activity to your old profile.
See Different Ads: Are you tired of seeing the same ads over and over? Maybe you briefly looked at a pair of shoes a month ago and you're still being followed around the internet by that shoe brand. Resetting your ad ID can break you out of this ad "retargeting" loop and refresh the types of ads you see.
Start a "New" Interest Profile: If your interests have changed, the ad profile linked to your old ID might be be completely out of date. Resetting it allows a new, more accurate profile to be built based on your current app usage.
Troubleshooting App Issues: While uncommon, sometimes in-app advertising features can glitch. Resetting your ad ID can occasionally help resolve weird, ad-related bugs within an app.

It's important to remember that resetting your advertising ID does not stop you from seeing ads altogether. You’ll still see them, but they will be less personalized for a while until a new profile is built around your fresh advertising ID.

How to Reset Your Google Ad ID on Android

If you have an Android device, such as a Samsung, Google Pixel, or OnePlus phone, resetting your GAID is a straightforward process managed through your device settings. Follow these steps.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Open your device’s main Settings app. You can usually find this by swiping down from the top of your screen and tapping the gear icon, or by finding it in your app drawer.
Scroll through the settings menu until you find and tap on Google. This section manages all settings related to your Google Account on the device.
Inside the Google menu, select Ads. This is the central hub for managing your Google Advertising ID.
On the Ads management screen, you'll see your current advertising ID. Tap on the option that says Reset advertising ID.
A confirmation pop-up window will appear to explain what this action does. Tap Confirm to complete the process.

That's it! Your device now has a brand new Google Advertising ID. The old one is gone and can no longer be used to track your activity.

For More Privacy: How to Delete Your Android Ad ID

Recent versions of Android give you an even more powerful option: you can delete your advertising ID entirely. When you do this, apps will see a string of zeros instead of an ID, making it much harder for them to track you for ad personalization. Advertisers will still be able to show you ads, but they will be contextual (e.g., ads related to the topic of the article you're reading) rather than personalized based on your activity across different apps.

The steps are nearly identical to resetting:

Go to Settings > Google > Ads.
Instead of tapping reset, choose Delete advertising ID.
Confirm your choice by tapping Delete advertising ID again on the confirmation screen.

How to Manage App Tracking on iOS (Apple's IDFA)

Apple has taken a different approach with how users manage their advertising identifier (IDFA), especially since the introduction of iOS 14.5 and App Tracking Transparency (ATT). Instead of just offering a simple "reset" button, Apple now puts the control in your hands on a per-app basis.

Understanding App Tracking Transparency (ATT)

With ATT, every app must explicitly ask for your permission before it can track your activity across other companies' apps and websites. When you first open a new app, you will likely see a pop-up that says "Allow [App Name] to track your activity across other companies’ apps and websites?"

You have two choices:

Ask App Not to Track: If you select this, the app is blocked from accessing your device’s IDFA. Essentially, you've denied them the ability to use your ad ID for tracking.
Allow: If you grant permission, the app can use your IDFA to serve personalized ads and measure its campaigns.

This single change has effectively shifted the default from "opt-out" to "opt-in," a major win for user privacy.

Managing Tracking Permissions on Your iPhone or iPad

You can see which apps you've given permission to track you and change these settings at any time. This effectively acts as the new way to manage ad tracking privacy on Apple devices.

Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
Scroll down and tap on Privacy & Security.
Near the top of the next screen, tap on Tracking.
Here, you'll see a list of all the apps that have requested permission to track you. You can turn the toggle on or off for each app individually. Toggling an app's permission to "off" is similar to excluding it from your IDFA.

At the very top of the Tracking screen, there is a master switch labeled Allow Apps to Request to Track. If you turn this switch off, all new apps will be automatically blocked from asking permission to track you, and they will be prevented from tracking you by default. All apps that you previously granted permission to will also be instructed not to track you.

What Happens After You Reset or Manage Your Ad ID?

So, you've clicked "Reset" on Android or managed your tracking preferences on iOS. What happens now?

First, your device immediately cuts ties with the old ad profile advertisers had associated with you. That history is now gone. Second, a brand new adventure begins. For Android users, a new ID is created, and advertisers can start building a new profile based on your future activity. For iOS users, your previous settings are revoked, and apps now adhere to your new permissions.

You may notice that your ads feel more generic or random for a little while. This is normal. Without the historical data of a long-standing profile, ad networks are serving you less-targeted ads until they can build up a new (and once again, anonymized) understanding of your current interests. You'll still see ads, they just won't be as finely tuned to your past behavior.

Final Thoughts

Managing your advertising ID is a simple and effective step toward greater digital privacy. Whether you're resetting your GAID on Android or managing app tracking permissions on your iPhone, you are exercising your right to control how your data is used for advertising. It gives you the power to clear the slate, refresh your ad experience, and decide which apps, if any, can track your activity.

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