If you're worried about Google knowing too much private information about you, you can turn off its ad targeting. To do this, go to the “Settings” section and scroll to the “Accounts” section. Tap on “Google” and then go to the “Privacy” section. In the “Ads” window, check the “Exclusion of Interest-Based Ads” checkbox and close the window. This will help you start using your phone without interest-based ads.
You can also limit your exposure to pop-up ads by configuring your browser settings in Google Chrome. Go to the link to AdBlock in the Google Chrome web store (see the link in Resources). Uncheck the box next to Like ads in Google search results and click Show me those to finish the process.
If you want to completely remove Chrome ads and get back to browsing the way you want, a small but powerful tool called an ad-blocking extension can help. You can even see what topics Google thinks you're interested in and modify those interests so that the ads more accurately reflect your personality and lifestyle.
Google allows you to control your ads, partly because it has responded positively to customer feedback. If you use Google, you're probably sick of seeing intrusive ads based on what you bought, searched or browsed once. You can't turn off ads completely, but you can prevent Google from directing you to brands and products that the algorithm thinks you're going to like.
If you want to take control of your online experience and stop Google from following you around with personalized ads, follow these steps. With a few simple steps, you can get back to browsing without being bombarded with ads.
