Android
Delete the ID- Settings
- All services
- Privacy & security
- Ads
- Delete advertising ID
iPhone
Turn off tracking- Settings
- Privacy & Security
- Tracking
- Allow Apps to Request to Track, off
What the advertising ID is
The advertising ID is a number apps and ad networks use to recognize your device. On Android, Google Play services provide it. On iPhone it has a different technical name, covered in the questions below. Any app can read that one ID, so it can connect what you do across apps. That is why it is worth deleting, or blocking access to it.
How to delete advertising ID on Android
On a current Android phone, this is the menu:
- Open Settings.
- Tap Google.
- Tap All services.
- Under Privacy & security, open Ads.
- Tap Delete advertising ID and confirm.
Google does not issue a new ID after that. Apps that ask for the advertising ID get a string of zeros instead of yours. This covers apps on Android 12 since the Play services update at the end of 2021. Since 1 April 2022 it covers apps on every device with Google Play.
If the labels on your phone differ, the manufacturer has replaced the standard Android menus. Google points you to that manufacturer's help in that case.
Older phones: reset, or turn off personalized ads
When Delete advertising ID is missing, the same Ads menu offers one of these:
- Reset advertising ID. The old ID is replaced by a new one.
- Opt out of Ads Personalization. Apps should stop using the ID for personalized ads. The ID itself stays.
Whether you can delete it depends on the menu item you see, not on the version number.
Delete or reset
Delete removes the advertising ID, and no new one follows. Apps only see zeros. Reset gives you a new ID straight away. Activity tied to the old ID is no longer linked to you directly. The new ID can be collected from that moment on.
| Option | What happens | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Delete advertising ID | ID gone, no replacement. Apps see zeros. | Android |
| Reset advertising ID | A new ID replaces the old one. | Older Android phones |
| Opt out of Ads Personalization | The ID stays, and should not be used for personalized ads. | Older Android phones |
| Tracking requests off | Apps cannot read the advertising ID. | iPhone |
If your phone offers both delete and reset, delete goes further. Android has no separate switch that turns the advertising ID off. Deleting it is the closest thing.
On iPhone, turn tracking off
You cannot delete the advertising ID on an iPhone. You can stop apps from reading it:
- Open Settings.
- Tap Privacy & Security.
- Tap Tracking.
- Turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track.
While that switch is off, the iPhone refuses every new tracking request. The app does not get the advertising ID, and it keeps working. Under the switch you see apps that have already asked. If you allowed one earlier, you can take that permission back for that app.
Sometimes the switch cannot be turned on. That happens on a child account, on a managed device, or when the Apple Account is only a few days old. Apps still do not receive the advertising ID.
What changes, and what does not
After you delete the ID, or turn tracking off, apps can no longer follow you through this one number. That applies to what happens from now on. Ads do not disappear. They draw on other details, such as what you type into an app yourself.
A few things stay as they were:
- Profiles already stored. Brokers and ad companies keep what they saved against the old ID. Neither Android nor iPhone sends them a deletion request.
- An app's own IDs. An app can mint its own identifier, or recognize you through the account you have with that app.
- Ad settings in your Google Account. Whether Google shows you personalized ads is a separate setting in your Google Account. The advertising ID on the phone does not change it.
- Tracking in the browser. The advertising ID is for apps. How you limit tracking on websites is covered in Global Privacy Control.
Ask brokers to delete what they already hold
Data already collected against your old advertising ID only goes if you send a deletion request. Under GDPR Article 17 you can require a company to delete your data. How to send those requests yourself is in Delete your data from data brokers.
Common questions
What is an advertising ID?
A number apps and ad networks use to recognize your device. On Android it comes from Google Play services. The technical name is AAID. On iPhone the same kind of number is called IDFA. Because every app can read that one ID, it can connect what you do in different apps.
What happens if I delete advertising ID on Android?
The ID is gone, and Google does not issue a new one. Apps that ask for it get a string of zeros. You still see ads. They no longer depend on this ID.
Can I delete the advertising ID on an iPhone?
No. There is no delete button. Open Settings, then Privacy & Security, then Tracking, and turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track. Apps can no longer read the advertising ID.
What is the Android advertising ID, and can I switch it off?
It is the number Google Play services assign to your phone. Android has no separate off switch. Delete advertising ID is the closest. On older phones the menu may say Opt out of Ads Personalization instead. On iPhone, turning off Allow Apps to Request to Track is the matching step.
Does deleting it stop data brokers?
No. Companies keep what they already stored against the old ID. That data only goes if you send a deletion request under GDPR Article 17, yourself or through a service.
