How to Turn Off Windows’ Advertising ID (And Why You Should)

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If you care about privacy on Windows, start by turning off the Advertising ID—the Windows feature that lets apps build a profile of you for personalized ads. Disabling this one toggle won’t remove ads entirely, but it will stop apps from sharing a stable identifier that ties your behavior together across apps and services. It’s quick to change, and it meaningfully reduces background tracking on your PC.

WHAT IS THE WINDOWS ADVERTISING ID?

Windows assigns each user a unique “advertising identifier” that apps can read to personalize ads and recommendations. Think of it like a license plate for your app activity: it doesn’t show your name, but it follows you around so different apps can recognize you.

This ID helps ad networks stitch together what you click, open, and install to infer your interests. Over time, that data can be used for targeting, A/B testing, and analytics. If you’d rather not be profiled across apps, you should disable the Advertising ID and reset any data tied to it.

WHY TURN OFF THIS WINDOWS PRIVACY FEATURE

When the Advertising ID is on, many apps can request the same persistent identifier. That consistency makes it easier to correlate your behavior across different contexts, even if you never create an account in those apps.

Turning it off reduces cross-app profiling and limits how much of your activity can be aggregated. You’ll still see ads in some places, but they’ll be generic rather than tailored.

[NOTE] Disabling the Advertising ID will not break core Windows features. At worst, some apps may show less relevant recommendations or default to generic content.

HOW TO DISABLE THE ADVERTISING ID IN WINDOWS 11

You can turn this off in under a minute. Here’s the path:

  1. Open Settings.

  2. Go to Privacy & security.

  3. Select General.

  4. Turn off “Let apps show me personalized ads by using my advertising ID.”

That’s it. From this point forward, apps should not be able to access or use the identifier for ad targeting. If you want to go one step further, you can also reset the identifier so any data tied to the previous ID can’t follow you.

Resetting the ad ID:

  1. Open Settings.

  2. Go to Privacy & security → General.

  3. If you see an option to reset the Advertising ID or clear ad data, select it to generate a fresh, unused ID (which stays inaccessible if you’ve left ads personalization off).

[TIP] If you manage multiple user accounts on one PC, repeat the toggle per account—Advertising ID is per-user, not global.

WHAT CHANGES AFTER YOU TURN IT OFF

You’ll still see ads in some Microsoft Store apps and on the web, but they won’t be personalized using the Windows Advertising ID. That means fewer “follow-you” promotions across different apps on the same device.

Some apps may stop recommending content based on your previous usage patterns tied to the ID. Your overall performance and battery life should be unaffected; if anything, a small amount of tracking work may be avoided.

Myths vs reality:

  • “This removes all ads.” No—ads may remain, but without app-level personalization from the Windows ID.

  • “This disables Microsoft telemetry.” No—this toggle specifically affects ad personalization via the Advertising ID, not required diagnostic data.

  • “Apps will break.” Unlikely—well-built apps handle the ID being unavailable and simply serve generic experiences.

GO FURTHER: PRIVACY SETTINGS WORTH REVIEWING

If you want a broader privacy hardening, audit these adjacent toggles. They don’t depend on the Advertising ID, but they complement it well.

Tailored experiences

  • Location: Settings → Privacy & security → Location. Turn off globally or manage per-app.

  • Inking & typing personalization: Settings → Privacy & security → Inking & typing personalization. Turn off to stop improving recognition using your content.

  • Speech recognition: Settings → Privacy & security → Speech. Turn off online speech recognition if you don’t use it.

  • Activity history (Windows 10) or account-based history: Clear or limit what’s stored or synced where applicable.

Diagnostics & feedback

  • Optional diagnostic data: Settings → Privacy & security → Diagnostics & feedback. Keep optional data off to limit extra telemetry beyond what’s required.

  • Tailored experiences using diagnostic data: Turn this off so Windows doesn’t personalize tips and recommendations based on diagnostic info.

Microsoft account and syncing

  • Sync settings: Settings → Accounts → Windows backup / Sync settings. Disable categories you don’t want synced between devices.

  • Find my device (for desktops): Settings → Privacy & security → Find my device. Turn off on stationary desktops if not needed.

Browser and app store

  • In your primary browser, limit third-party cookies, tracking protection, and ad personalization settings.

  • In Microsoft Store apps, look for per-app privacy toggles (notifications, background permissions, targeted content).

[NOTE] Per-app permissions are your friend. Even with global toggles off, review which apps can access location, camera, microphone, and notifications.

TROUBLESHOOTING AND COMMON QUESTIONS

“Why do I still see personalized ads on the web?”
Web ads often use browser cookies, logged-in accounts, and device fingerprinting. Disabling the Windows Advertising ID doesn’t affect those. Use your browser’s tracking protection, clear third-party cookies, and review your account ad settings to reduce web personalization.

“Do I need to reboot after turning this off?”
Usually no. The change applies immediately, though some apps may cache the previous state until relaunched.

“Can I keep personalization in one app but not others?”
The Advertising ID is a global per-user control. For precision, keep it off and rely on each app’s own in-app settings to adjust recommendations where you explicitly want them.

“Will this affect gaming?”
Gameplay won’t be impacted. You may see generic ads or recommendations in free-to-play titles that rely on advertising networks.

Tips for Power Users

  • Use local accounts for lab/test machines when possible, then add Microsoft accounts only where required.

  • Periodically review Settings → Privacy & security → App permissions to prune old or unused access.

  • In enterprise environments, consider Group Policy or MDM to enforce these privacy baselines across devices.

BOTTOM LINE

If you do only one thing to improve Windows privacy today, turn off the Advertising ID. It’s fast, safe, and cuts off an easy path for cross-app profiling on your device. Want more privacy wins like this? Drop a comment with the settings you’re unsure about, and share this guide with a friend who could use a quick tune-up.


Read more: https://www.makeuseof.com/windows-feature-everyone-should-turn-off-immediately-for-privacy/ 

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