Where ads come from and why they follow you
Ads appear on websites and apps because companies pay to show them to you. Most of the time, the ads you see are targeted — meaning they follow you from site to site based on your browsing history, your location, or information companies have bought about you. This happens through tracking cookies and similar tools that record what you do online.
You cannot stop all ads entirely without breaking most websites, since ads are how many sites pay their bills. But you can reduce how many ads you see, stop ads from tracking you across the internet, and remove ads from specific places like your email or phone home screen.
The method you use depends on where the ads are showing up and what device you are using. Ads in your email inbox work differently than ads on websites, which work differently than ads in apps on your phone.
Key Takeaways
- Tracking cookies follow you across websites — you can block them in your browser settings or install an ad blocker to stop targeted ads.
- Email providers like Gmail and Outlook let you unsubscribe from marketing emails or mark them as spam, which trains the system to filter similar messages.
- On Android phones, you can reset your advertising ID or turn off personalized ads in your Google settings; on iPhones, do the same in the Privacy section of Settings.
- Ad blockers work on websites and some apps but will not remove ads from YouTube, streaming services, or social media unless you pay for an ad-free version.
- Removing ads from your phone's home screen means uninstalling apps or turning off notifications that show promotional content.
Block tracking cookies in your web browser
Every time you visit a website, small files called cookies are stored on your computer. Many of these track your behavior so advertisers can show you targeted ads later. Your browser has built-in settings to block or limit these tracking cookies.
In Chrome: Click the three vertical dots in the top right corner, select Settings, then Privacy and Security. Choose "Cookies and other site data." Select "Block third-party cookies" or "Block all cookies" — third-party is the middle ground that stops most tracking while letting websites function normally.
In Firefox: Click the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines) in the top right, select Settings, then Privacy & Security. Under "Enhanced Tracking Protection," choose "Strict" to block most tracking cookies by default.
In Safari on Mac or iPhone: Go to Settings (or Safari preferences on Mac), tap Privacy, and turn on "Prevent cross-site tracking." This stops websites from following you across the internet.
Blocking cookies may break some websites — you might see login errors or pages that do not load correctly. If that happens, you can add that specific website to an exception list so it works normally while you still block tracking elsewhere.
Install an ad blocker to remove ads from websites
An ad blocker is a browser extension that hides ads before they load on a webpage. This makes pages load faster and removes most banner ads, pop-ups, and video ads you see while browsing.
Popular free ad blockers include uBlock Origin, Adblock Plus, and AdGuard. Search for any of these in your browser's extension store (Chrome Web Store for Chrome, Firefox Add-ons for Firefox, or App Store for Safari). Click "Add to Chrome" or the equivalent button, and the blocker starts working immediately on most websites.
Ad blockers do not work on YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, or most social media sites — those services detect blockers and either block you or show ads anyway. If you want to remove ads from YouTube, you need a YouTube Premium subscription. For other streaming services, an ad-free tier usually costs extra.
Some websites detect ad blockers and ask you to turn them off or pay to read. You can add those sites to your blocker's whitelist if you want to support them, or you can disable the blocker just for that page.
Stop targeted ads in Gmail and Outlook
Email providers show ads based on the content of your emails — if you get emails about running shoes, you might see ads for athletic gear. You cannot remove these ads entirely without paying for a premium account, but you can reduce how targeted they are.
In Gmail: Open any email and look for the small "i" icon or three dots in the top right corner of the email. Click it and select "Report spam" or "Unsubscribe." For marketing emails, look for an unsubscribe link at the very bottom of the email — click it to stop receiving that sender's messages. To adjust ad targeting, go to your Google Account (myaccount.google.com), click "Data & Privacy," then "Ad personalization," and turn it off.
In Outlook: Right-click on a marketing email and select "Junk" or "Delete." Outlook learns from this and filters similar emails automatically. To turn off personalized ads, go to account.microsoft.com, click "Privacy," then "Advertising preferences," and turn off "Personalized ads."
Unsubscribing from marketing emails is more effective than marking them as spam — it tells the sender to remove you from their list, whereas spam filtering just hides future emails from you.
Turn off personalized ads on your phone
Your phone collects data about your location, the apps you use, and your interests. This data is used to show you targeted ads in apps and on your home screen. You can reset this tracking ID or turn off personalized ads entirely.
On Android: Open Settings, scroll down to Google, tap "Manage your Google Account," then go to the Data & Privacy tab. Scroll to "Ad personalization" and turn it off. You can also reset your advertising ID by going to Settings > Google > Manage your Google Account > Data & Privacy > Ad personalization > Reset advertising ID. This makes your phone look like a new device to advertisers.
On iPhone: Go to Settings, scroll to Privacy, tap "Apple Advertising," and turn off "Personalized Ads." You can also reset your tracking ID by going to Settings > Privacy > Apple Advertising > "Reset Advertising Identifier."
Turning off personalized ads does not stop ads from showing — it just means they will be random instead of targeted to your interests. You will still see ads in free apps and on websites, but they will not follow your behavior.
Remove promotional apps and notifications from your home screen
Some apps show ads or promotional notifications on your phone's home screen or lock screen. These are usually apps you installed yourself, or pre-installed apps that came with your phone.
To remove an app: Long-press the app icon on your home screen and select "Remove App" or "Uninstall." If it is a pre-installed app you cannot uninstall, you can disable it by going to Settings > Apps, finding the app, and tapping "Disable" or "Turn off."
To turn off notifications: Go to Settings > Notifications, find the app that is sending ads, and turn off notifications for that app. This stops pop-ups and banners from appearing on your screen.
On Android, turn off lock screen ads: Go to Settings > Lock screen > Lock screen notifications, and turn off "Show notifications on lock screen." Some phone makers also add ads to their own apps — check the settings within each app for an option to disable ads or promotional content.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will ad blockers slow down my computer or phone?
Ad blockers usually make your computer faster because they stop ads and tracking scripts from loading. However, some ad blockers use more memory than others. uBlock Origin is known for being lightweight, while Adblock Plus can be heavier. If your device is already slow, try a different blocker or use your browser's built-in tracking prevention instead.
Can I block ads on YouTube without paying?
No. YouTube detects ad blockers and either blocks you from watching or shows ads anyway. The only way to remove ads from YouTube is to pay for YouTube Premium. Some people use YouTube on a web browser with an ad blocker, but YouTube actively works against this and may restrict your account if you do it repeatedly.
What is the difference between blocking cookies and using an ad blocker?
Blocking cookies stops websites from tracking you across the internet, which reduces targeted ads. An ad blocker removes ads from the pages you visit right now. You can use both at the same time — blocking cookies stops future tracking, and an ad blocker hides ads that are already on the page.
Do I have to unsubscribe from every marketing email individually?
Yes, each sender has their own unsubscribe link. However, marking emails as spam trains your email provider to filter similar messages automatically. Over time, fewer marketing emails will reach your inbox. Unsubscribing is faster if you know which senders you want to stop, but spam filtering works in the background without your action.
Will turning off personalized ads stop all ads from showing?
No. Turning off personalized ads means you will still see ads in free apps and on websites, but they will be random instead of based on your behavior. The only way to remove ads entirely is to use an ad blocker on websites or pay for ad-free versions of apps and services.