What you can do about Snapchat ads right now

Snapchat does not have a built-in setting to turn off all ads completely — the app relies on advertising to stay free. However, you have real control over what kinds of ads you see and how often they appear. You can hide specific ads, adjust what Snapchat knows about your interests, and limit ad targeting based on your activity.

The most direct action is hiding individual ads as they appear. When you see an ad you do not want, you can tap it and select an option to hide that advertiser or that type of ad. Over time, this trains Snapchat's system to show you fewer ads in categories you have marked as unwanted. You can also go into your account settings and review what Snapchat thinks your interests are — removing interests you do not want means fewer ads tied to those topics.

Key Takeaways

  • You can hide individual ads by tapping them and selecting "Hide Ad" or "Don't show me ads from this advertiser" to reduce similar ads in the future.
  • Snapchat's ad preferences section lets you see and remove interests the app has assigned to you, which directly affects what ads you see.
  • Turning off "Personalized Ads" in settings reduces targeting based on your activity, though you will still see ads — they will just be less tailored to you.
  • Limiting ad targeting through your phone's privacy settings (App Tracking Transparency on iPhone, Advertising ID settings on Android) reduces what data Snapchat can use to target you.

Hide ads one at a time as they appear

The fastest way to reduce ads you do not want is to hide them when you see them. Open Snapchat and wait for an ad to appear — ads show up in your Stories feed, in the Discover section, and sometimes between snaps. When an ad appears, tap and hold on it until a menu pops up.

You will see options like "Hide Ad," "Don't show me ads from this advertiser," or "Report Ad." Tap "Don't show me ads from this advertiser" if you want to block that specific company from showing you ads again. Tap "Hide Ad" if you just do not want to see that particular ad but are open to other ads from the same advertiser. Each time you hide an ad, Snapchat's system learns a little more about what you do not want to see.

This method works but takes time — you have to act on each ad individually. The benefit is that it is immediate and requires no settings changes. If you see the same advertiser repeatedly even after hiding their ads, move on to adjusting your ad preferences in settings.

Remove interests from your ad preferences

Snapchat assigns you interests based on what you do in the app — the accounts you follow, the stories you watch, the links you tap. These interests drive which ads you see. You can see this list and remove interests you do not want.

Open Snapchat and tap your profile icon in the top left corner. Tap the gear icon to open Settings. Scroll down and tap "Ads." You will see a section called "Interests" that shows categories Snapchat thinks describe you — things like "Fashion," "Gaming," "Technology," or "Fitness." Tap any interest you want to remove. A confirmation message will appear asking if you are sure; tap "Remove" to confirm.

Removing interests takes effect right away. The fewer interests you have, the fewer angles Snapchat has to target ads to you. This is more effective than hiding individual ads because it addresses the root of the targeting — if you remove "Fitness" as an interest, you will see fewer fitness-related ads across the board rather than just hiding one gym's advertisement.

Turn off personalized ads in your settings

Snapchat has a setting called "Personalized Ads" that controls whether the app tailors ads based on your activity inside Snapchat. Turning this off means you will still see ads, but they will be less targeted to your specific behavior and interests.

Go to your profile icon, then Settings, then scroll to "Ads." Look for the toggle next to "Personalized Ads" and tap it to turn it off. The toggle will no longer be highlighted, which means personalized ad targeting is now disabled on your account.

With personalized ads off, Snapchat will show you ads based on basic information like your age and location, but not on what you have been doing in the app. You will likely see more generic ads and fewer ads that feel specifically chosen for you. This is a middle ground — you are not blocking ads entirely, but you are limiting how much Snapchat can use your behavior to pick which ads to show.

Limit ad targeting through your phone's privacy settings

Your phone itself has privacy controls that affect what data apps like Snapchat can use for advertising. These settings exist at the operating system level, which means they work across all apps, not just Snapchat.

On iPhone: Go to Settings, then Privacy, then Tracking. You will see a list of apps that have requested permission to track you. Find Snapchat in the list. If the toggle next to it is on (green), tap it to turn it off. This is called App Tracking Transparency, and it prevents Snapchat from accessing your advertising ID and other tracking data. You can also go to Settings, then Privacy, then Apple Advertising, and tap "Personalized Ads" to turn it off — this limits Apple's own ad targeting across apps.

On Android: Go to Settings, then Google, then Manage Your Google Account. Tap the Data & Privacy tab. Scroll down to "Ad settings" and tap it. You will see an option for "Personalized ads" — tap it and toggle it off. You can also go to Settings, then Apps, find Snapchat, tap Permissions, and review what data Snapchat is allowed to access (location, contacts, photos, etc.). Turning off unnecessary permissions limits what information Snapchat has to work with for targeting.

These phone-level changes are powerful because they restrict what data Snapchat can collect in the first place. Even if you do not change anything inside Snapchat itself, limiting tracking at the phone level will reduce how precisely ads can be targeted to you.

What happens if you use a third-party ad blocker

Some people try to use ad-blocking apps or browser extensions to block Snapchat ads. This approach has real limits. Snapchat is a mobile app, not a website, so traditional ad blockers designed for web browsers do not work on it. Ad-blocking apps that claim to work on Snapchat often do not actually block the ads — they may just hide them visually while Snapchat still counts them and charges advertisers.

More importantly, using a third-party tool to block ads violates Snapchat's terms of service. If Snapchat detects that you are using an ad blocker, it can restrict your account or ban you from the app entirely. The built-in controls described above — hiding ads, removing interests, and turning off personalized ads — are the safe, supported ways to reduce what you see.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I pay to remove all ads from Snapchat?

Snapchat does not offer a paid subscription tier that removes ads. The company has experimented with premium features in the past, but ad-free viewing is not one of them. Your options are limited to the controls described above — hiding ads, adjusting interests, and turning off personalized targeting.

Will hiding ads actually stop that advertiser from showing me ads?

Selecting "Don't show me ads from this advertiser" does block that specific company, but only for a period of time. Snapchat may show their ads again after weeks or months. Removing related interests from your ad preferences is more permanent and more effective at reducing ads in that category long-term.

Does turning off personalized ads mean I will see fewer ads total?

No. Turning off personalized ads does not reduce the number of ads you see — it just makes them less tailored to you. You will still see the same amount of advertising; it will just be less specific to your interests and behavior. If you want fewer ads overall, hiding individual ads and removing interests are your best options.

What is the difference between hiding an ad and removing an interest?

Hiding an ad is a one-time action that affects that specific advertisement. Removing an interest is broader — it tells Snapchat you do not want to be categorized that way, which affects all ads related to that interest. Removing interests is more effective for long-term reduction of certain ad types.

If I turn off tracking on my iPhone, will Snapchat still show me ads?

Yes. Turning off App Tracking Transparency prevents Snapchat from using your advertising ID and cross-app tracking data, but Snapchat will still show ads based on information you provide directly — your age, location, and what you do inside the app itself. You will see fewer targeted ads, but not zero ads.