The information collected allows the ads to be personalized.
Phones collect information about their users for advertising purposes. Adobe Stock / AOP
Apps collect a lot of information about us. The most visible information is usually location or contact information, but much more is happening in the background. Both Android and Iphone phones collect advertising data from their users.
We’ve put together instructions on how to disable personalized ads to limit the collection of information about you.
On Android
Android phones have their own ad ID, which allows advertisers to show more personalized and relevant ads. This ID is unique, meaning that it is different on each device. This ad ID can be reset or deleted at will. Once an ad ID is deleted, apps will no longer be able to use it for personalized advertising.
Here’s how to disable personalized ads on Android with Android 12 or later:
1. Open Settings.
2. Select Privacy.
3. Select Advertisements.
4. If the ad ID is enabled, you can now disable it by clicking Delete Ad ID.
With the same settings, you can enable the ad ID later if you want to get the most relevant ads.
Iphonella
Apple is talking about customized ads. In effect, the situation is the same as on Android, meaning that Apple’s advertising platform will use your information to provide the most relevant ads. You can disable ad targeting. It is worth noting, however, that the number of ads themselves will not decrease.
Here’s how to disable custom ads on Iphone:
1. Open Iphone Settings.
2. Select Privacy Policy.
3. Select the one at the bottom Apple advertising.
4. Deselect Customized ads.
At the same time, you can see how Apple is targeting your advertising by pressing See ad targeting information. When you select this, Apple will display information collected about you, such as your year of birth, gender, location, and your preferred App Categories.